The Sun.
London, England, 1842-12-17 00:00:00

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, " Downing-street, Dec. 15, 1842.
" Sir,—l am directed by the Chancellor of the
Exchequer to acknowledge the receipt of a letter
addressed by you to Sir Robert Peel on the subject
of the conduct of the City assessor, as regatds the
assessment of your property. Mr. Goulburn desires
me to acquaint you that he will cause immediate in-
quiry to be made into the circumstances.--I have the
honour to be, Sir, your very obedient servant,'
(Signed) " C. R. PEMBERTON."
Mr. Barkly concluded with some severe strictures
upon the nature of the tax generally.
Mr. Gu'rnßlE said, that, he for one, could not agree
in the sweeping denouncement contained in Mr.
Maitland's resolution. Taxes crenerally were un-
pleasant, but, like many other evils, they were neces-
sary. Mr. Maitland should have made a distinction
in his resolution between the surcharges which had
been made on rental, and those which had been laid
on income. He (Mr. Maitland) had made out a fine-
spun case in regard to the offensiveness of a return
-being doubted. Ile concluded by moving the
pre-
vious question, which fell to the ground withotit being
seconded.
The resolution having been then put, it was unani-
tnously carried.

A long discussion then took place as to the best
mode of proceeding consequent upon the resolution
which had just been carried.
Mr. PIPER moved that a copy of the resolution,
signed by the Chairman, should be transmitted to the
Lords of the Treasury.
This motion was seconded by Mr. REDHEAD, and
affirmed by the meeting.
Mr. IIuNT suggested that a memorial, founded
on the resolution, should be drawn up, and a depu-
tation appointed to wait upon the local Commission-
ers. No man had greater reason to complain than he
had. He had been surcharged, both in town and
,country, and it happened the day of appeal was the
game at both places. Mr. Hunt's suggestion was
finally adopted, and a Committee, consisting of Mr.
Deputy Finnis, Mr. Maitland, Mr. Barber, Mr. Piper,
Mr. Guthrie, and Mr. Hunt, was appointed to carry
out Mr. Hunt's suggestion.
Mr. PIPER having moved that the thanks of the
meeting be given to Mr. Finnis for the excellent man-
ner in which he had presided over the meeting, and
his motion having been seconded by Mr. Hunt, and
carried with acclamation, the meeting dissolved.

COMMISSION OF LUNACY.
On Thursday a Commission of Lunacy was opened
before Commissioner Edward Winslow, Esq., and a
highly respectable Jury, amongst whom ware Sir
John J. Hansler, Luke Flood, Esq., W. Beckwith
France, Esq., Valentine Knight, Esq., Captain Fitz•
gerald, James Pascall, Esq., Henry James Dixon,
and James Mansfield, Esq., at the Swan Inn, Fulham,
to inquire into the state of mind of Mrs. Charlotte
Thompson, a widow lady, residing lately at Canon.
bury-square, Islington, and now of Normand House,
Northend, Fulham.
Mr. FULLER, of Carlton-chambers, Regent-street,
said he had the honour to appear on behalf of
Mrs. Charlotte Gosling, the widow of the late
Mr. John Gosling, lately residing at Highbury,
and subsequently at Canonbury-square, a gentleman
whose name no doubt was familiar to many of them.
The object of this inquiry was the daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Gosling, and in 1824 she was married at the
early age of 18 to a Mr. James Maxwell Thompson.
In the year 1831 Mr. James Maxwell Thompson
died, and Mrs. Thompson then went with her three
children to reside in Highbury-terrace with her
parents. Immediately after her taking up her
residence with them she began to show that
her mind was fast going. She remained with her
parents on and off up to the year 1837, but in
the interval, namely, in 1834, she had not only
shown a total absence of mind, but at times
had exhibited a very peculiar and sudden species
of phrenzy. In consequence of acts she then exhi-
bited, and also in 1837, by the advice of her medical
attendant, she was removed to Normand House fot-
better protection. At the early period of the derange-
ment of her intellect she had a keeper to attend her
while at home, but it was not important that he should
adduce evidence of her acts previous'to 18.37, when,
in consequence of the violent manner in wh'ich she
treated her keeper, while accompanying her in a walk,
the assistance of a labourer was had recourse to, and
by him the unfortunate lady was sor.veyed home.
Her father at this time was compelled, reluctantly,
to part with the immediate custody of his daughter,
and she was removed to Normand House. Subse-
quently Mr. Gosling took a house at Walthamstow.
had a*wall built around it, and otherwise fitted
it up at great expense in order that he might
again have charge of his child. Mrs. Thompson
was removed thither from Normand House,
but her malady again exhibited itself in a
violent form, and Mr. Gosling was compelled to,
return to Canonbury-square for the purpose of ob!.
taining better medical advice. In 1841 Mr. J. Gosliiig
died, and Mrs. Thompson continued to remain with
her mother up to the month of August last. About
that time, while Mrs. Thompson
.was out with her
keeper, she took up a large stone, and tried to kill a
child of Mr. Vincent, solicitor of Canonbury-square,
with it, but happily was prevented. After this she
was again removed tor Normand House, where she,
had since remained. They would find that this WEIS
not one of those common cases of delusion that
generally came before a Jury. In this instance there
was a total absence of any delusion, but a complete
prostration of the mind, from some reason or other
lie wasunwilling to go into. Her fits of phrenzy
would suddenly come upon her, and, without the
slightest provocation or the slightest warning, she
would strike at and injure anybody within he,: reach.
This was one of many grounds that rendered her re-
moval necessary, as Mrs. Gosling was a lady of _
ad-
vanced age, being nearly in her 80th year. On' soniew
occasions she had not objected to the strait-..vaisteoat
being placed upon her, and the only answers she
would return to questions were simply 'Yes" or
"No." If she was asked if she understood figures,
she would reply, " Yes ;" but when asked_ how many
two and two made, she would say, ".,1 won't know."
When she had a book in her hind, if she
was asked whether she was reading..., she would
reply, " Yes ;" but if asked what the contents
were, she would merely ejaculate " No." Some
questions she would answer accurately, if they
related to matter previous to her return home. She
would tell the number of her children, and her age
when she was married ; but these farts 'were no proof
of a sound mind, as the memory was often known to
exist respecting some matters long after the mind was
gone. He should lay the evidence before them, and
he regretted to say that be believed the result of this
inquiry would be, after they had seen the unfortunate
lady, that they would entertain no doubt that not a
remnant of her mind remained.

A number of witneF,ses were examined, and bore
out the statement el Mr. Fuller, and in addition
stated that Mrs. Thompson had on some occasions
broken the panels of the room doors, struck at her
mother, destroye(l china and earthenware, and her
favourite place in the house was upon the first landing
on the stairs, where she would sit for days together,
occasionally neck:Tying herself by reading, and work-
ing, and looki-ag out of the window. Her mind was
stated by thr.! medical gentlemen to be in a state of im-
becility apriiroxirnating idiotcy.
The tilary expressed a desire to see Mrs. Thompson,
and the -unfortunate lady was brought in between two
female attendants. She appeared to be about3s years
of age, and has evidently been a very lovely
.woman.
Some questions were put by the Commissioner,
Mrs. Thompson's answers to which clearly attested her
insanity.
The Jury' returned a verdict, dating her insanity
from tb.e 19th day of January, 1834.
It vats understood that Mr. Gosling died possessed
of property to the amount of nearly 1.50,0001., the
greater part of which he realised in his trade as a
gi.s-fitter, in the neighbourhood of Lang-acre. He
'afterwards engaged extensively in building specula-
tions, and it was stated that the elder son of Mrs.
Thompson, should he survive Mrs. Thompson's
brother, would, on attaining his majority, come into
possession of a very large fortune.

DEA.TH OF TIIE HON. C. H.. STRATFORD.—Letters
have reached town which announce the death, at sea,
on his return from China, of the Hon. C.ll. Stratford.
(
Captai n in the 18th Royal Irish, and second son of the
Earl o f Aldborough.
A 1 neeting of the Customs' Revenue Commission
was I field yesterday, at Gwy dyr House, Whitehall.
The ( )omrnissioners present w ere Lord Granville So-
mers( A
, the Right Hon. WT. G 1 !oilstone, Mr. Bingham
ng, Mr. Alexander Prin gle, and Mr.ission
Mimes
G asikell .

he district have been sent back, and the amount et
the tax increased by an impropt r and VOZAtIOUR sr.
tem of surcharges ; which unwarrantable mode of in•
creasing the tax can only be done by doubting, with-
out investigation or reason, the accuracy of a solemn
, declaration, and it is, therefore, not only an act of
grievous injustice, but also a gross insult to the cha-
racter 'of all those whose principles of truth and
honesty have been so impugned."
Mr. MATT said he had great pleasure in second-
ing the resolution. It was impossible for him to
describe the trouble and inconvenience to which he
and his neighbours had been put by the proceedings
which had raised so much indignation throughout the
ward: Even his cellarman had been surcharged.
He hoped the, effect of the meeting tvou:d be to
procure some general and immediate remedy.
Mr. BARKLY said that before the resolution was
put, he was desirous of making one or two observa-
tions. He had sent in his return to the Commis-
sioners at Somerset House. It had been accepted,
and he had actually paid the amount, when a fresh
charge was made against him. He had written
immediately to Sir Robert Peel, complaining of the
treatment he had met with, and he had that morning
had the satisfaction of receiving the following answer
to his letter:—