The Sun.
London, England, 1829-12-28 00:00:00

bitants of Edinburgh have no doubt indirectly
reaped the benefit of the diminished price of
coals ; and as Edinburgh consumes at least
300,000 tons of coals per annum, you may see
that I hare not over stated the matter in saying
that a sum equivalent to the' fee-simple of the
canal has been annually saved to the inhabitants
at large. It was my intention to have employed
these facts to illustrate some of the bearings of
the great analogous undertakings which are at
present in contemplation in France, and to have
concluded with a few observations on the pro-
bable effects of that spirit of national emulation
which is now so active on this side of the chan-
nel with reference to England, and which may
become so powerful in its influence, for good as
well as for evil ; but for the present my time, and
I fear also your space, is exhausted, so that I
must reserve myself for some future opportunity
of renewing the subject."

The Commission, lunatico de inquirendo,
after sitting eleven days, has suddenly terminated,
by the interposition of the Jury, who after hear-
ing only a few of the witnesses on behalf of Mr.
DAVIES, stopped the proceedings by declaring
him to be of sound mind. We congratulate
Mr. DAVIES—We doubt whether there are
many men of sound mind who could have under-
gone such an ordeal and remained so. We
doubt also whether any other country in Europe
,could have exhibited a similar spectacle ! Eleven
days consumed in establishing a fact before the
Commission, which had it been tried as an issue
before the Court of King's Bench, would pro-
bably not have taken more than one day to de-
termine I—and then the expence! I—lt seems
that it is only necessary to accuse a man of in-
sanity, andthen:half his substance must be con-
sumed toestablish or negative the fact.
Much public good is, however, likely to re-
sult from the proceedings under this Commission,
which has demonstrated the evils of this part of
our judicial system, and at the same time put
the public in possession of the calibre of mind,
sound wisdom, profound acquirements, humane
feeling, professional bias, and other attributes
necessary to make up one of these " mad-men
hunters, twist-finders, delusion-fanciers," whom
Mr. BROUGHAM, to avoid circumlocution,
temmed " Mad Doctors," and which, for the
same reason, and with no greater intention of
disrespect, we shall do likewise.
Many singular facts and disclosures were
elicited in the course of th• investigation, and
in the examination of the witnesses.
One great Mad Doctor, when under examina-

tion, had the same question thrice repeated, and
when at length an answer was extracted—that
answer, so reluctantly given, was—favourable
to Mr. DAVIEII 11
Another Doctor admitted he signed prescrip-

Lions without examining the state of bodily health
of his patient !—boldly asserted Mr. DAVIES
was insane on the 7th of December, because he
would not admit himself to have been insane on

the Bth of August ! !—Considered the purchase
of the Crouch End estate an act of insanity,
considering his circumstances." Question by
Mr. BRODERICK—What do you know of his
circumstances ? Answer—l know nothing of
his circumstances !! !

Another Mad Doctor, with the candour, ele-
gant diction, refined sentiment, and taste pe-
culiar to the craft (inter alia), informs the
public that it is " a common practice to fig a
lunatic," and that sometimes, when he was to
give evidence, he Pigged himself! !

Another Mad Doctor (who probably had also
figged himself), when under examination, con-
stantly repeated, " allow me to take my own
" course—l will tell you all without being
" asked,—l will disclose every thing to you"
—yet he did not admit, but dared not deny

that he had signed a certificate to send
an alleged lunatic to a mad-house with-
out seeing the man H and at last, " taking
his own course," " telling all without being
asked"—treated the jury with an interesting tale
of a young lady, who, during a nine months' re-
sidence in the "Retreat," had concealed all de-
lusion, but whose delusion returned before she
passed his garden wall !! happily, for the Mad
Doctor, who, AS the SOLICITOR-GENERAL

has said, " desires his establishment to be full,"
whatever it might be for the patients.

Mad Doctors, we understand, have a creed
of their own—short, but pithy—consisting of

only two articles :
Art. 1. All men are more or less insane—there-
fore any man may be safely pronounced mad
whenever it is convenient, there being no ques-
tion except as to the degree.
Art. 2. A man once pronounced insane, can never
Lecome sane, until he admits his previous in-
sanity,—that is, until he gives absolution to
the Doctors!
Admirable creed !—Most sane and sensible Mad
Doctors. The SoLICITott-GENERAL has truly
said—,, any man may be mad in these circum-
stances. Ido not see who is to escape a system
of this sort." Of all the visitations of PRovI-
DENCE there is none so heavy as insanity, unless
indeed it be the case of a SANE man confined as
LUNATIC. Take all the crimes enumerated in
the Statute-book, and there is none so base, none
so infamous, as that of a wretch who, for the
or lends his aid, to ac-
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