The Sun.
London, England, 1842-12-20 00:00:00

COMMISSIONS OF LUNACY.

Yesterday a commission of lunacy, to inquire into
the state of mind of Mrs. Anne Sturrock, wife of
Captain Henry Sturrock, R.N., of Montpellier-place,
Blackheath, was opened at the Green Man Hotel,
Blackheath, by Francis Barlow, Esq., one of the
Commissioners.

Mr. J. Baker Wright, solicitor to the surviving
trustee under a will by which Mrs. Sturrock derived
her property, was first examined, and produced an
office copy of a will, by which it appeared that she
was entitled to nearly 2,0001. a year under the will of
Thomas Welladvise, her former husband. He had
advised Mr. Axe, the trustee, not to pay any, more
dividends to her, because he considered her in such a
state of mind as to be incapable of giving a valid re-
ceipt. The last dividend was paid in October last, in
the presence of Captain Sturrock, as indeed they were
on most occasions.

Dr. Shirreff, of Dartmouth-row, Blackheath-hill,
deposed that he had known Mrs. Sturrock for very
many years, and had attended her professionally since
the Bth of February, 1841. The last time he saw her
was on Saturday. She then exhibited unquestion-
able proof of mental imbecility, which she had la-
boured under since February, 1841, and had gradually
got worse. She was merely cognisant of passing
events, but forgot every thing almost instantly. She
had quite forgotten the visit of Dr. Burrowes on the
previous day, She was also lost to the sense of the
proper decencies of life, which she would otherwise
have observed. He had uo hesitation in saying that
she was of unsound mind, and incapable of managing
her own affairs. The infirmity, in his opinion, arose
from old age. She could not hold a conversation, and
when he tried on Saturday to make her understand
that this inquiry was about being made, she got very
angry, and said, "What the - business have they
with my money ?"
Dr. M. Burrowes deposed that he was called in on
the 18th and 19th of November last to give his opinion
as to the state of mind of Mrs. Sturrock. Amongst
other questions he asked her her age, and she said be-
tween forty and fifty, although she was eighty-two.
He asked her when she had seen Dr. Shirreff, and she
said not for a long time, although she had seen him
the day before. She was certainly not in a sane state
of mind on any of the days he had mentioned. Every
attention was evidently paid to her, and she possessed
a great deal 'of physical ability, but, nevertheless, it
would be very inconvenieet to take her before the Jury.
Mrs. Mary Cooper deposed that she had been in the
habit of attending Mrs. Sturrock for a year and eight
months. The latter could not dress herself. She had
never spoken of property but once, and then said she
had none. She was not cleanly in her habits, but
required to be attended to like a child. Conceived her
to be quite incapable of taking care of herself or her
property. Witness told her that some gentlemen
would call on her to ask about her property, and she
replied that if they did she would blow their brains out.
Some of the Jury went to the residence of Mrs.
Sturrock, and, on seeing her, expressed their full con-
currence in the evidence given, and returned a ver-
dict accordingly, dating the period of the commence-
ment of her imbecility on the 18th of November.
Yesterday a commission de lunatico inquirendo was
held by Mr. Winslow, Chief Commissioner, and a
Jury of fifteen County Magistrates and gentkmen of
Middlesex, at the Cadogan Hotel, Sloane-street, re-
lative to James Smith, lately a veterinary surgeon
and farrier, of large practice and business, of Great
Scotland-yard, Westminster.
Mr. Sergeant Shea and Mr. Warren appeared for
the prosecutor of the inquiry, viz. Mrs. Smith, the
lunatic's wife.
Mr. Sergeant Shea said that prior to 1838, the
physicians who attended Mr. Smith considered that
his ailment was corporeal, proceeding from dyspepsia,
and diabetes, but that it would probably end in in-
sanity, unless great care was taken of the patient.
They advised change of scene, and he was removed
to Ramsgate, Gravesend, and Boulogne, the effect of
which was improvement in his bodily health, but hy-
pochondriacal augmentation. Early in 1839, he be-
gan to fancy that he could neither sit, stand, nor walk,
eat, drink, nor sleep, like other men. He 'had taken
strange offence at his wife, and treated her with great
indignity. Mr. Smith was at:present an inmate of
Blackland's private asylum, Chelsea.
Evidence having been given in support of this state-
ment, the lunatic was introduced. He is a power-
ful man, between 40 and 50 years of age. Though
the presence of so many gentlemen apparently awed
him, he ever and anon broke out into the most
violent diatribes against his wife, his medical ad-
visers, and his attorneys. He described incoherently
his past life, how he had amassed by long toil
8,0001., how his wife had married his money and not
him how she had given him something one morning
in his tea, which had murdered him. He claimed the
protection of the Jury, and hoped they would not
send him back to what he called a prison, to be
watched and beaten by two keepers, but would place
him in a room where he should have sufficient food,
and see nobody. After providing for his wants, he
hoped that the remainder of his property would be
given to some charity. He complained of pain from
the sole of his foot to the top of his head; said that
he could not sit, though he was sitting; and trusted
that he should not be punished for what he had just
spoken. Every body that he knew before he recog-
nised ; and being seated near Mr. Carpenter, a county
magistrate and juror, he seized him by the hand,
saying, " Don't you recollect the old blind mare I sold
you six years ago, for 61. ls. ?" Mr. Carpenter said
he did, and succeeded in allaying the excitement of
the unhappy lunatic, who followed Dr. Sutherland
tamely out of the room.
The Jury immediately found that " James Smith
had been of unsound mind, and incapable of ma-
naging himself and property, since the 30th of De-
cember, 1838."

THE LATE CALAMITOUS FIRE IN GOODMAN'S-
' FlELns.—The Committee for administering relief to
the unfortunate sufferers by the above catastrophe
held a preliminary meeting last evening at the Swan
TAvern, Whitechapel. Among those present were
Thomas Mills, Esq. (in the chair), the Rev. Mr. Sco-
vell, and Messrs. John and Edward Cook. The sub-
scriptions already received amount to nearly 401. The
total sum required is expected to be about 4001. It
was mentioned incidentally during the meeting that,
although no member of the family of Holland had
sent in a statement, the case of the unfortunate young
woman, now lying in the hospital, was of all others
the most deserving consideration in the ultimate dis
posal of the funds raised. Her recovery is, however,
extremely doubtful. It was finally arranged that the
Committee should solicit subscriptions throughout the
district of Whitechapel, and hopes were expressed
that benevolent individuals among the public would
aid in the good work when the circumstances were
made known. The children of Proudfoot and Sum-
mers will be buried at the expense of the Committee.
STATISTICAL SOCIETY.—At a meeting of this So-
ciety, held yesterday evening, at the offices in St.
Martin's-place, Mr. Thomas Tooke in the chair,
several new members were elected, amongst others,
Major Graham, Registrar-General of Somerset House;
Mr. George Carr Glynn, of Lombard-street ; Drs.
Alison and Bushe, Benjamin Phillips, F.R.S., and
Mr. W. D. Drummond, of the Statistical Depart-
ment, Board of Trade. An interesting paper was
th9n read by Mr. Porter, one of the honorary secre-
taries, relative to the recent census of the inhabitants
of Great Britain, from which it appeared that the
proportion of persons living with reference to their
various ages in 1841, very considerably exceeded
those of the year 1821. The number of persons living
under fifteen years of age was now much smaller, as
compared with those above that age, as far as, fifty ;
but the fluctuations of human life were less, and its
duration on the increase. The productive portion of
the population was also greatly on the increase, as
compared with the less profitable part of the commu-
nity. During the last forty years, from 1801, the
number of the population had increased from 8,000,000
to 15,000,000, being an increase of 2 per cent. over
the census of 1801. Should the population go on
increasing at its present ratio, it-was calculated that
the population of Great Britain in 1921, would be up-
wards of 52,000,000, or 15,000,000 beyond the pre-
sent population of France. The paper concluded
with some curious statistical comparisons between the
population of the United States and that of Great
Britain, from which it appeared that the mortality
amongst the slaves and the coloured population was
far greater than it was amongst the whites.
THE EXTRA CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY.—In many
country towns requisitions have been got up to the
chief local authority to sanction the making of next
Monday a holiday for the working classes. In most
of these cases—we might say all of which we have
cognizance—the idea has been gladly acted up- to,
and it is probable that next Monday will be a day of
general rejoicing and abstinence from labour. How
will it be in the metropolis ?

LL 0 YD'S SHIPPING.
VESSELS SPOKEN WITH.--William Inglis, London
to Constantinople, 19th ult., lat. 36 N., lon. 18 E.
Chilian, Clyde to Batavia, 30th, let. 41, lon. 12 W.,
by the Eliza and Ann, arrived at Falmouth. Black-
eyed Susan, from Liverpool, Bth inst., off Cape St.
Vincent, by the Integrity, arrived at Falmouth.
Hampden, Howard, Nov. 24, lat. 27, 10n.79; William
Goddard, same day ; Chimborazo, Liverpool to Lima,
16th inst., lat. 51, lon. 16, by the Walter Boyd, ar-
rived at Liverpool. Penelope, Girgenti to Liverpool,
29th ult., lat. 38, lon. 7 E.; Phosphorus, Liverpool
to Seville, 6th inst., off Cape St. Vincent's ; Rowena,
Constantinople to London, 10th, lat. 40, lon. —,
by
the Will-o'-the-Wisp, arrived at Liverpool. Indus of
Dundee, bound to New Zealand, 16th ult., let. 9a
S.,
lon. 31 W., by the Achilles, arrived at Cowes. M
tilda, London to Cape of Good Hope, lat. 18 S., lon.
31 IV., by the Henry, arrived at Cowes. Jupiter,
Messina to London, 7th instant, in the Gutof
Gibraltar ; Fencer, Patras to London, Bth instant;
Sanders, Taganrog to London, Ist ult., in the Straits
of 0:gig(); Aberdeen, of Scarborough, Alexandria to,
Falmouth, 29th, lat. 39 ; Wave, Corfu to kor
Cork
Falmouth, 30th, E. of Minorca, by the Rosa, arrived
in the Creek. Walker, Marseilles to 13ornbaY% Ist
July, lat. 9 N., lon. 22, W., by the Nautilus, arrived
at Mauritius. Eleanor, Liverpool to Bombay, Sept. 6,
lat. 4 W., 63 E., by the John Wood, arrifed at Mau-,.
ritius. Mercury, Clyde to Valparaiso, with loss of
topmasts, July Bth, lat. 5 N., lon. 12 W. ; Helen'
Ceylon to London, 21st, lat. 36 S., Jon. 25 E.; LT,'
nard Dobbin, Liverpool to Bombay, Sept. 6, lat. p.
lon., 59 E., by the Hector, armed at Mauritiuts.
Granby, Liverpool to Cape of Good Hope, 10th 11.11
2t2h;
lat. 7, lon. 24 ; Byron bound to New York., "
lat. 26, lon. 37, by the Fleetwood, arrived in
e
Clyde. Tigress, in June, with 750 baiTels ;
of Northumberland, London to Hobart Town,
ult., lat. 8 N., lon. 22 W., by the Cleveland. Ducl

MONEY MARKET and CLTY INEWEr•
FROM TRH MORNING PAPRRS or TRIS DAT'
POST.—The English Funds Were
CITY, 3IONDAY EVOING*
tively flat in the early part of the daY-again com Para"
were
deression was
done, for the opening', at 93k.
ascribed to a fall of i per cent. inFrench Feni3-
te Paris Bourse, caused by the anti-British fee itngt
Governmen, of
as it was considered, exhibited by the
Bar-
France on the occasions of the late troubles at 'Pa
the
ce ona. No other cause has been named for..._
secullueits'
momentary decline in our Government
nor is this to be regarded as a legitimate one, ;
~consols
there can be little fear of the amicable
extraneousrelaticins
France and England being disturbed by
events of the nature of that referred to under
two
present organization of the Cabinets of th_seartewe.
Powers. The honour conferred upon the Jo in..
lona Consul may have been deemed but
individualan in
adequateh consideration for the odium the .io,i.
NO, in uphold-
has
.as encountered, and the risks he has ._
mg the interests of France. His hose wfasEs ar-
an especial object of attack on the •Part ° Pa d
tero's battering forces. Numerous , court-
other missiles, were thrown into the Consw's 7 was
bis liAe
lone
yard during the bombardment, so that
seriously imperilled. Were it on this ground a
..,,,
that the dignity alluded to was bestowed the
naturalry
ceeding would seem to be no more than a ed
and proper one. The Consul, is, hovvever, charged
by the opponents of his Government with 11813/17:
taken a leading part in the late movements at
.07
celona, as a fomenter and abettor of the insurrectti
.1
shells, n
and, assuming that it is on this special
has been placed in the ranks of the Legion °f direct
nour, the circumstance is construed to have a aura)
political bearing, as directed against affaireurntabeew,
and influence of this country. The is, „,he
ever,f viewed very differently in the two capitals. Jo-re,
Nall in Stock at Paris is really an i
_mportant
ost
thile, in our own market, it was limited at the 'llion
to * per cent.; and even that trifling retrogradatthe
was but of short continuance, the quotations hY _•
close of business having recovered themselves cc"."
accoun
~ii_ •
pletely, or as nearly so as possible.
SUN.—The English Market slightly
this afternoon from the depression into which it had
fallen in the early part of the day, the Canadait
in prices having induced purchasers. 'The New .m.
Loan was done this afternoon at ii' to 1 prenu%
We may observe, that to account for the depresris
in our Stocks, the fall of one-half per cent. at rolls et.
adduced. Consols closed at 93-i buyers ; Exebend
Bills were reduced to 51s. and 495. premium ; 11_1,
India Bonds were 435. to 463. premium. India Stook
for , special transfer, and with the dividend, roueu're
2671. Reduced Three-and-a-Half per Cents. we
recovered
101 to 101*, and the Three per Cents. 94i to 94i•
Foreig!
There was not an active market for the
Securities, but, except Spanish, they mostly we;
about the previous value. This particular Stock our
depressed from the same causes which influencei°B4
own funds. The Active Bonds were 18i A-6 '
and the Three per Cents., 94i to 24. Thep °Q
-p-,°°
of Espartero is sufficient to account for this• Ping' r.
t3u2guese Converted Bonds were a shade better, 431.
Ito 32g. Mexican Stock was rather weak, ti;
to 311; Chilian continued firm at 741; and 130,t,';
was quiet at 69k. Dutch Two-and-a-Half per u— .
realised 52k to 1
Therewere •
Shares this afternoon, and prices did not evince 111°,,,r .
but few additional transactions it:
elasticity. Great Western were 25; the Fifths, 44:
and P and Rouen, 5i premium. Midland
we
were 39,aris and South Eastern and Dover 278 discounts
Colonial Bank Shares were 5 discount.

of Scotland during the last fifteen years:,-the following
SCOTCH BANKS.—As regards the-general prosperity
statistical facts were recently laid before the GlasgoW
Chamber of Commerce :..—“The first return of the
circulation was made in Scotland in 1825. In th°v
year Scotland manufactured 35,000 bales of cotton i
in the latter 120,000 bales. In 1826, the produce of
the iron furnaces was 33,500 tons ; in 1840, about
250,000 tons. In 1826, the banking capital of Scot
land was 4,900,000/. ; in 1840, it was all°„nf
10,000,000/. Yet with all this progress in induisa
and wealth, the circulation of notes, which hi 1.1';29
varied from 3,400,0001. to 4,700,000/. was ill 'fi-rs° t
from 2,960,000/. to 3,670,000/. ; and in tlet does
three months of 1840, to 2,940,0001. A
NO iled
not appear from this statement. nor is it iln- h
that it can bo shown by any other, that altholer
Scotland has certainly increased very much in arf,
commercial prosperity during the last—fifteen Ye to.
that prosperity can be traced to the SimPle eirctithe
stance of pa
circulation of 1/. notes, or, indeed, t° on
general or particular increase of paper 111°°°,1, tbe
the contrary, it is a statistical fact, that iv°,- tot
banking capital has been more than doubled 'll very'
period, the amount of notes in circulation hos root
considerably diminished, thus proving, two lr°l3°nerity
c'rcumstances :-Ist. That commercial Pr°9‘. rbanly
does not necessarily increase the circulation 0' he of
notes; and 2d. That an increase in the cunt the
banks has a tendency to diminish the tell °
circulation.—Atlas. gentlentanh;
A COMICAL CUSTOMER.—A facetious
travelling in pursuit of pleasure, on arriving' Bsttier,
lodging-place in the evening, was met
whom he thus addressed :—" Boy, by
.tile ° tot
.quadruped from the vehicle---stabulate ant;him-- and
him an adequate supply of nutritious t the
illumina e
cor
when the aurora of morn shall again
oriental horizon, I shall award you a •PeCrig ChOP
pensation for your amiable hospitality- --e ill'
,n,ot understanding a word, ran into the house, sap
yoll.
Master, here's a Dutchman wants t° see
extricatederote

BIR TB S.
Ai of
,:.ie the
Esoq.n, tohroald9atohgihntsetr.., at Exeter, the lady 0f Thomas stephe°s'
W. F.
tsblemlo6ot.hEiusstit..;
ofat a Paternoster-r 7: L'ar''' ' f
On the 1 tith inst., at Moss-grove, erotica;
Thomas Edward Pickford, Esq ,-of a sow. ark the
eat 5-P- '
On the 16th inst., in Bentin.ck-terrace, Reg h e
wife of Andrew Loughnan, jun., Esq., of a do.r, larte Rec. 6'
1, ter, the Id/ 0
On the 17th inst., at Clifton, the widow of '4l,„ghter.
L Majendie, Rector of Headington. Wilts. of *
On the 18th inst., the lady of Ramon de ark,
Esq., of a daughter.street,
HY de'r
On the 18th inst., in Great Cumberland-
Mrs. Leonino of a son. ..
pi osis!eso
On the 18th'inst., at Haling, Croydon, Airs. Willis t..
of a daughter. W a sr'
On the 18th inst., at Sherborne, Dorset, Mrs. •
.c
tan, of a daughter. f Fred.°
On the 19th inst., in Bryanston-square, the lady 0
Thesigor, Esq.. M.P., of a son. .
MARRIED. • vorarti
On the 31st of August, at Port Louis, Mauritittert;plo
Ber Luciano Lope,
Fyers, fourth son of Colonel Fyers. Royal Engiegers' . et
second daughter of the Rev. J. M. de Joux. .., .5 PetOn the 14th inst., at the British Embasiii at rari 0;100, is
Loudon, Esq., of the Admiralty, Somerset Esq,Heese' •re
Rosalie, eldest daughter of the Ito T. G. Street, ~„ .POP•
On the 15th inst., at Donrezhadee Church, Hall'Aertiee'
Cox, Esq., eldest son of William Cox, Esq., Of Ulf°l.`" the il?l''
Hyde-park, to Augusta Frederica, second daughter of
arid Rev. Charles Douglas, of Earls Gift, Tyrone.
~,,J
bIE.D. , ~rd
the 6th inst., at Pistoia, near Florence, Mans,:iiele. ,
daughter of W. Stevens, Esq., of Queen-street, chicayaiirpe•
On the 13th inst., at Paris, Clara Catherine, only
of H. Belinaye, Esq., of Notting-hill. st°
0 the° P
On the 14th inst., at Marlborough-buildings, Ba' ''
Browne Mill. fort
On the 15th inst., at'Weatheroak-hill, Worcester,for or
Edward Eden Mynors, Esq., an acting MeOtrate
cestersltire, and a Deputy-Lieutenant for Warwick. „..iiiabet.,
On the 16th inst., at the Citadel, Hawkstope, -'0„, e'
Rhodes, relict of the late J. Hill, Esq., of llawkst° of
mother of the present Viscount Hill, aged 65. oidoe
On the 16th inst., at Broadstairs,
the late S. Nuckell, librarian, aged 84. ..,.., sawyer,
On the 16th inst., Jane Hannah, wife of Mr. Nv• oill,
Peckham-rye. mor
On the 17th inst., Sophia, the wife of Charles ga All
Esq., of Canonbury Tower, slington, aged 51. 0. of kt
Ann Nuckell, .
of
On the 17th inst., the Rev. Robert Grosvenor, Felle_4 jr,
Souls College, Oxford, brother of General Grosvenor, am
cousin of the Marquis of Westminster. • mi
Wile
On the 18th inst., in Upper. Berkeley-stLeet, --5:
of the Theatres Royal Covent-garden and Drury-..--*

VOLI j
London; Printed and Published by Mt'flDo - guar
No. 112, Strand, at The Sam Office, No. 112. 160,
the County of Middlesex, Tuesday,_ De