The Sun.
London, England, 1842-02-04 00:00:00

COMMISSION Or' LUNACY.

Yesterday the Commission of Lunacy to itquire into the
mind of Mr. Daniel Gundry was resumed before Commis-
sioners Blount, Murray, and West, at the Gray's Inn Coffee-
Wow, Holborn.
The inquiry commenced with the examination of the three po-
licemen who were engaged in taking Mr. Gundry into custody.
Noel, the head porter at the Albany, was examined at consi-
derable length, in the course of which he gave the following
instances of the extraordinary behaviour of Mr. Gundry :
While in his cab in the court-yard of the Albany he would lay
his head back, close his ems, and remain in that position for a
great length of time, nail crowds collected, and people ac-
tually supposed him to lie dead. In May, when he came out
of Tothill-fields prison, and returned to the Albany, he was in
the habit tif calling after any females who happened to pass
through the building, and abusing them in the most scurrilous
manner without the lea,t cause ; he would call them pigs and
prostitutes. Ile went to Putney in his cab, and ,on his re-
turn he took up a bricklayer's labourer, and made him ride on
the horse until they arrived at the Albany, and then he dis-
missed him, giving him five shillings. He gave the street-
sweeper bs. a day for looking after his horse, and upon one
occasion he gave this man a carving knife, desiring him to use
it in killing the pigs and prostitutes who ventured near the
Albany. In the month of September Mr. Gundry locked
himself up in his chambers and admitted no one, and when his
dinners were brought by the street sweeper before alluded to
he (Mr. Gundry) used to open a small portion of the door,
with the chain up. Whit 114. confined himself to the cham-
bers he used to amuse himself by throwing glasses, dishes, and
plates out of the windows on the men who happened to be at
work repairing the pump, or doing other jobs on the premises.
Cro,-examined lied tilled the situation of head porter at
the Albany tOr 313 years. Mr. Gundry was there about four
years.
William nuttleton, groom to Mr. Moseley, of the Albany,
stated that on Sunday, the 26th of September, he was in the
court-yard of the Albany with his master's horse and cab, and
Mr. Gundry came up to him, and oidered him to go away.
Witness told Mr. Gundry he was waiting for his master, bet
Mr. Gundry insisted upon his going out of the yard, threaten-
ing him that if he did not do so it would be the worse for him. .
Witness paid no attention to his orders, and Mr. Gundry then
became excited, and called him " a brute, a beast, arid a
son of a —." Witness walked the horse up and down, and
Mr. Gundry came to the window of his chambers and threw a
water bottle at him, and afterwards two dishes and several
china plates.

Gerald
Gooderich. Esq., slated that he had been for many
years acquainted n ills Mr. Gundry, having been at Cambridge
University with him, and having seen a report of Wednes-
day's proceetiugs in
.the rimming new papers, he was induced
to come forward to give evidence. He had been very inti-
mate with Mr. Gundry up to the year 1833, when he went
abroad, and did not see him again until 1836, when their friend.
ship was renewed. During the time Mr. Gundry was at col:
lege he was considered to be exceedingly clever, but eccentric
in his manners. In 1838 witness observed that his eccentri-
city had become much increased, and that his views of men and
things had changed. After the lapse of two years witness put
a❑ end to the acquaintance in consequence of the fear outer-
tained from Mr. Gnndry's expressions of hatred towards
every one. _

Cross-examined—Mr. Gundry spoke French and Italian
fluently. He had travelled a great deal, and wa. a man of
very close observation. Witness's father was a clergyman, re-
siding near Ashford, in Kent, and he had left witness means to
support himself independently, but he followed the Trofesion
of a portrait painter.

Afr. Steph.en Olding, of the firm of Rogers, Olding, and
Company, bankers, of Clement's-lane, stated that he knew
Mr. Gundry had a life interest in 76,0001. Three per Cent.
Consols, left him by his great uncle. Alr. Gundry kept an
account with their firm, who drew his dividends for him twice
a year, amounting to 2,000/. When the dividends became
payable, Mr. Gundry never had more than a few pounds re-
maining in his favour at the bank. In the month of May last
year, Mr. Gundry applied to witness for a loan of 8001., but
it, was refused him, as he (Mr. Olding) had heard
that Mr. Gundry was expending more than his in-
come. He advised Mr. Gundry to curtail his expenses,
upon which he threatened to remove his ac7s.e.
Upon the day Mr. sundry was tried at the Wegminst,
siol s, he (Mr. Olding) had a conference with him for about
au hour, and both witness and Mr. Gundryo'sthseolicitor
charge of
en-
deavoured to prevail upon him to plead guilty to
assaulting Giblett, the policeman ; but he refused
in his conduct.
to take their
advice, and exhibited a great deal of Centricityontxol over the Cross-examined—Mr. Gundry has n
800/. he should
control
had merely a life
prin-
cipal of 76,000/. invested in the Fucen:_t:i,:
interest ; and if witness had adv..annt. I
have had no security fori reeoarisel
in
support of the commis-
Mr. STOCK, nu, of I
a letteri written by Mr. Gundry to Mr.
the Westminster
Governor,i3:lll
sion, here handed in
tit ewe , 4th
had.
Olding. It was datedt from
d that Mr. Tracey, the
June, 1841, and sta e d
) th• t if 1 000/
informed him our. Gun.ty a , ~ and two
sums
of
-..,00/., were po
de sited at the prison, he VC ould be set free. The
letter concluded by urging Nlr. Olding to effect his liberation.
There being several other nitnessea in attendance, the fur.
ther inquiry was again adjourned.

LONDON:
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1842.

The great expectations which were excited of
the opening of Parliament, have scarcely been
answered at present by the results. The Speech
delivered by her MAJESTY, yesterday, has made
us acquainted with little more of deep interest
to the people, than the intention of Ministers to
take the Corn-laws into consideration, and to
take measures to equalise the revenue and the
expenditure.
On Wednesday, which is very early, Sir RO-.
IVERT PEnt. is to submit all his views on the
Corn-laws to the House and the country, and till
then we must remain in ignorance, as at pre-
sent, of what he means to propose. We only
know now, that he is a convert to the opinion
that the Corn-laws must be altered.
From the speech of the Earl of MARCH, we
learn that the Ministers are to propose new
taxes, of such a description as to fall on the
rich and not reach the poor. Lord JOHN RUSSELL
hinted at a property-tax, which be intimated he
should be ready to oppose ; and Sir ROBERT
PEEL, who spoke after him, did not deny that
he contemplated such a tax. The country only
knows at present, therefore, with somewhat
more assurance than before the meeting of Par-
lament—for we have announced both facts--
Aid the Corn-laws are to be taken into consi-
'daration by the Tories, and that the price we
'" to Pay for a PEEL Administration is a pro-
Pert Y-tax.

Whatever expectations might have been formed
in the country, there were none in the House of
Commons after the contents of the Speech were
known. We scarcely ever recollect a first night
'which went oil' more tamely. There is now a
cowplete coincidence in the views of the hitherto
eon. flicting parties.

Sir ROBERT PEEL avowed that he and
(,olleagues, on principle, had drawn his
up the
ipeech so as to secure, if possible, a unanimous
vote of the House. Contrary to everything
which the Tories had said only a few months
ago, the Speech teemed with satisfaction. Sud-
denly, as Lord MELBOURNE playfully remarked,
the difficulties that had beset the country
had vanished. The only evils mentioned
• were the distress of the people, which the Whigs
Teed in vain on the attention of Parlia-
_ ,--the deficiency of the revenue, which they
atterinoted to remedy, and the Tories would

not allow them,—and the state of the Corn-laws,
which the Tories are to take in band, though they
regarded that, when done by the Whigs, as trea-
son against the landlords.
Lord MARCH plainly said the landlords had
now got an Administration which they could
trust, and, being like dogs, who will take, with-
out whining or complaining, a sound drubbing
from those they love, they will cheerfully accept
those alterations from the Tories, for attempting
which they flew at the throats of the Whigs. On
the only debateable topics which interest the
country, the Tories have come completely over
to the °pink ns of the Whigs, and hence there
were compliments, recommendations, and ex-
pressions of confidence, but no opposition, no
amendment, and no debate.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL warned Sir ROBERT PEEL
of the serious consequences of now passing
another Corn-law which should not settle the
question, leaving the agitation to be renewed
in a year or two. Mr. VILLIERS referred to the
immense, the unlooked-for progress which the
question has made, and asserted that nothing
now would settle it but the repeal of all taxes on
food, a motion for which he should, he hoped
with the approbation of his friends in the House,
and of a great number of persons out of the
House, take an early opportunity of bringing
forward.

If Lord Jour; RUSSELL may congratulate him-
self on seeing the Tories come round to his opi-
nions, The Sun has a right to feel great satisfac-
tion to find first the Whigs, and then the To-
ries, after obstinately resisting for years every
motion, even to inquire into the Corn-laws,
come round to opinions which The Sun has
steadily advocated for years past. So long
ago as 1838, we felt ourselves constrained,
though with great reluctance, to differ from Lord
BROUGHAM, who then advocated a fixed duty.
Last night the Noble Lord emphatically de-
clared that only the total abolition of all duties
could serve and save the country. We record
such facts with honest exultation ; they are an
assurance to our readers that they may place
some confidence in our opinions.
We regretted to hear Earl FITZWILLIAM, who
possesses great knowledge of the manufacturing
districts, observe that he doubted whether it were
now possible to restore the country to prosperity,
decay has made such rapid strides, and distress has
got to such a height. The Noble Earl, however,
with his characteristic good sense, declared that
though their Lordships could not save the coun-
try, they ought to do all the good in their power,
and not continue legislation which had already pro-
duced such mischievous consequences. Declara-
tions like that, and propositions for merely reform-
ing the Corn-laws, if made in a bona fide spirit,
and not with any trickery—if dictated by a real
apprehension of danger to accrue from a total re-
peal, may reconcile even the most suffering of
the manufacturers and the most thoroughgoing
of the repealers to a modification of the laws
which shall promise total repeal at no distant
day. We need not repeat our own opinions, they
remain unchanged; we speak of prevailing opi-
nions, the offspring of honest but mistaken timi-
dity or ignorance. Men have been so long ac-
customed to coast along in sight of the shores
discovered and laid down by their ancestors, that
they want boldness and confidence to launch
themselves, on the ocean of fate, with justice for
their compass, and public happiness the un-
known land they are in search of, though they
know not exactly where it is to be found.

In the Times of yesterday there appeared a
letter from Lord ASHLEY, announcing that Sir
ROBERT PEEL would not give his sanction to a
Ten Hours' Bill. Sir ROBERT PEEL tacitly con-
firmed the statement last night in the House of
Commons. In The Sun on Wednesday we an-
nounced that " the retirement of the Duke of
BUCKINGHAM from the Cabinet severed the alli-
ance between the Tories and the Owenite Char-
tists," who, it will be remembered, constituted
the deputation which waited on the Duke of
BUCKINGHAM, and procured from him a recogni-
tion of the Ten Hours' Bill. Lord ASHLEY'S let-
ter, and the few words which passed in the
House of Commons last night, put an end to this
piece of delusion, now that it has served its turn
and purpose. Sir ROBERT PEEL and his friends
have deceived the working classes, but deceit is
no longer useful or practicable. One more piece
of humbug is at an end.

Nothing can be more satisfactory than the state of the
foreign relations of Great Britain, as set forth in the
Speech from the Throne. The hollow rumbling of dis-
tant war thunders, which so disturbed the Tories when
out of office, have all happily died away since they took
up their abode in Downing-street. Our little wars
have led to none of the great ones of which Sir RO-
BERT PEEL was so painfully apprehensive when nightly
occupying the front bench on the Opposition side of the
House. Her MAJESTY, speaking the language of the
Premier, is made to say that she "receives from all
Princes and States the continued assurance of their
earnest desire to maintain the most friendly relations
with this country." This is all that the most
war-abhorring Quaker, or the most Radical Reformer,
can desire. The only exception is China, but so very
sanguine have our Ministers become, that they express
a conviction that our differences with the " Son of Hea-
ven" will be brought to an early termination, and our
commercial relations with that country placed on a sa-
tisfactory basis—which is what they never were. Now
if the Tories believe that such will be the early result of
the war with the Celestial Empire, they ought to
raise a statue to Captain ELLIOT, whose blundering
was chiefly instrumental in provoking it. Respecting
the important questions at issue between Great Britain
and the United States, the Speech says nothing, not-
ithstanding the prominent place given to them in the
last Presidential message. Nor is a single allusion
made to the late events in Spain, or to the disturbed
state of Central Asia, in which British interests are so
deeply involved.

The Royal Speech announces that measures will be
submitted to Parliament for the improvement of the ju-
, risdiction exercised by Ecclesiastical Courts in England
and Wales. Why not extend the sphere or operation, and
carry the improvement farther north, to a country where
the violent proceedings in Ecclesiastical Courts have
(
thrown the whole frame of society into confusion ? In Eng-
land and Wales these Courts may be bad enough, but they
are as a drop of the bucket compared with the usurpa-
tions, the violence, and the worse than Star-Chamber
cruelties which have for some years now gained the
Church Courts of Scotland such unenviable notoriety.
No clergyman, nor layman either, unless he can pro-
nounce the " Shibboleth" of a dominant party, is safe.
The one is excommunicated, the other is deposed as
well as excommunicated; and even those who
sympathise with them are threatened with the
same punishments. While these things are going
on, the arm of the law is paralysed, or makes
such tardy movements that the sufferers doubt
its efficacy in bringing them relief. Such a state of
things is at utter variance with good order and the prac-
tice of true religion—two of the main objects for which
the Kirk was established, and for which its ministers
are paid by express enactments of the Legislature.
or disobey the law as suits
These rebellious priests obey
their purposes. They accept the State money—they col-
lect their stipends to the uttermost farthing, not one of
which they could levy but for the law which they set at
defiance. A speedy and effectual remedy for these crying
abuses is imperatively demanded on the part of the nume-
ous ministers of the Scottish Church who have borne their
sufferings with such Christian patience, and who, con-
scious of their own rectitude, have, with unexampled
submission, left their case in the hands of the Govern-
ment and the Legislature. They therefore have reason
to complain, that a hile the small grievances of
the English Church have a conspicuous place allotted to
them in the QUEEN'S Speech, their cruel deprivations
and persecutions are passed over without notice. In
justice, then, to a respectable and useful class, Sir ROBERT
PEEL and Lord ABERDEEN are bound to state explicitly
and without delay, whether the Kirk or the Constitution
is to rule in Scotland

Madrid journals of, the 27th ult. have reached us.
We regret to learn from them that the Archbishop of
TOLEDO has resigned his pastoral functions rather than
support the project of law submitted to the Chambers,
forbidding appeals to Rome, and virtually vesting the
supremacy of the Spanish Church in the Government. This
Prelate was a Liberal in politics, and hitherto lent the
weight of his episcopal authority to the constitutional cause.
M. Or OZAGA defendee .he conduct of the Government on
the etiquette question, but manifested much tact and de-
licaeY in alluding to the conduct Of the bench Go- I

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