The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-03 00:00:00

COMMISSION OF LUNIiCY:

A commission of lunacy was opened on Saturday, at
Court-house in 11'e:1h:10a-square, St. (surge's-in-the-1:::at
before E. Winslow, Eaq., master in luracy' and 16 FIN (.1:A
jurors, chiefly magistrates of the county, of whom Ororge
Tindall, Esq., was foreman, to inquire as to the state of
mind of 3.1i,s Sarah Carey, a maiden lady of the advanced
age of 83, described in the commission as of " Ne. 8, Cannen-
street, St. George's, Middlesex, spinster." The eommi,siee,
which was unopposed, was taken out by the next of hie,
being S. J. B. Sumter, al., of !lend( n ; *Mrs; Page, wife f
a City merchant; and a Mrs. Verrall. of Brinley, the neebew
and nieces of the lady, who is possessed of funded property to
the amount of about 15,000/., and nonce prorem ty, thnth
nearly 5,0001. more.
Mr. Warren and Mr. Willes appeared in suppett of the
commission.
Mr. Warren, in a speech of great length, opened the ca-e.
He said Miss Carey was a maiden lady, upwards of 83 veers
of age, and had resided in Cannon-street-road for the last
10 years, chiefly by herself, tallith would in some ileg ra
account for the development of her insanity. She had con—
siderable property, and as it was believed that large sums
Were concealed in the house, that circumstance and her sin-
gular mode of life had attracted much attention. She lived
in the most desolate condition, cloeeiy shut up, and the windew
barricaded, many of av Nell were broken bv mischievous heys,
&c. She was attended by a female named Hammond. It I. ad
been found neces,ary for the police to keep a vigilant wry ch
for her protectien' as whenever she was seen, boys would
assemble round the house and call out " You old witch of
Cannon-street, come out." Several attempts ha•l been made
to break in. About three years since her delusions began,
when her mind appeared to have quite given way. She cot,-
eiders she has no ineney, and buys neither victuals nor elm he,
in fact, she lived like a wild animal, and was in a most her i-
bly loathsome condition, insensible to the calls of nature, end
altogether of most disgustingly filthy habits. Iler hoe;-e
might indeed be compared to a pig.tye. She kept her fie d
till nearly rotten before she ate it, and was in the habit e f
hiding food and other articles. A dead cat, nearly putrid,
thrown into her area in August, she fancied was a rabbit, met
said she would have it cooked. One delusion was that tite
French had landed and tat en England, and were marching
down the street. She imagined some men were enamoured
of her, and had eat at her window for six hours with an old
cloth round her Lead for a turban. She fancied that a pub-
lican in the neighbourhood had murdered his Idle, buried her
in the house, and afterwards married a beautiful girl, whore
lie had served in the same way ; also, that other people lad
been murdered in Hatcliff-highway, whose bodies were to ha
brought and laid out in her house. She mistook the seas( ne,
fancying snow was on the ground in June, and that morning
'was evening, &c. -She would pick up pieces of glass and
dirt in front of her house, and hoard them up. She did not
use either knife, fork, or spoon to her food, but tore it with
her hands, and ate like a wild beast. She had a notion that
a gentleman had offered her 4,000/. to marry hint. She did
not appear to know what property. she had. As safety was
the object of the commission, which but from motives of de
licacy would have been issued long before, if the facts he lied
detailed were proved in evidence, the jury, he would submit,
could come to no other conclusion than that the poor creature
was of unsound mind, and would have the satisfaction of
knowing that they had been instrumental in shielding her
person and property from it-jury
Elizabeth Hammond, the attendant, Dr. A. J. Sutherland,
Mr. Qnekett, surgeon, and other witnesses, gave evidence
bearing out the statements of the Learned Counsel, adding
that she had not clothes even necessary to cover her, and
these -were literally falling off. She objected to dress, and
would not wash herself for fear of wasting soap. She hail
not changed her under linen twice in twelve months, and
her hair has not had a comb passed through it for years, and
it was a perfect must. She occasionally kept her bed for
three or four days without taking a morsd of food, and
during that time ro one bad been allowed in her house.
The jury expressed a desire to go to Miss Carey's house,
but on their arrival with the Learned Master, a&c., could not
at first gain admission at the street door. This object was
at length effected by means of ladders being placed at the
back of the house, and sonic men entering by a back window
and opening the door. A mob of at least one thousand
persons had by this time assembled in front of the house. So
great was the effluvia' emitted, that the windows we,
directed to be all thrown open for ventilation for some time
before the jury, &c., could be induced to enter.
On proceeding up stairs, her bedroom was found to be faea
tened, which she did not attempt to open, notwithstanding
loud and repeated knockings. The door was at length forcer!,
and she was found by her bedside in the most wretched state.
The room and furniture were most filthy, particularly tLe
bedding, See„" which was very ragged, and her flesh literally
bearimed with dirt.
The jury appeared satisfied, certainly glad to escape front
the wretched place, and on their return to the Court-house
found a verdict—" That Sarah Carey was of unseund mind,
and had been so from Ist October, lki."
The jury expressed a desire that immediate steps shou'd
be taken to protect the poor creature, which it was intimated
would be promptly earned into effect.

THE CORN CROPS OF EUROPE.
We extract from the Gazette d'Augsburg the following
article on the crops of 1815 in Eur Ope :
" Accorriing to the custom we have adopted, we shall
divide our account of the results c.f the last crop into tm
parts—one referring to the east, and the other to the west
of Europe. For several years past the east threatened us
with sterility ; it first of all began in Russia, spread over
Poland and Prussia, and appeared even this year likely to
diffuse itself in the cast of Germany. Experience has ge-
nerally proved that in the boreal latitude the rainy years are
more sterile than the dry ones. This fact has again been
confirmed during the last years. It was humidity that
diminished the crops a few years ago in Russia, and which
produced the like Oka in Poland, Gallicis, and Lipp r
Silesia in the course of last year. In Germany the humi-
dity has not produced any unfavourable censequences, but
in certain districts, there are others, on
~.the contrary, which
have suffered from want of rain. The results of the crops are, in
the mean time, far from being satisfactory, awl, from the
calculations whi7h have been made, will nut suffice the public
cons= pt ion.
" It is far from our intention to represent the situation ef
things in more dreary cttleurs that; belongs to it; but we do
not wish, and we ought not, to exaggerate the advantages
of it, desirous as we arc of attaining our present object,
which is to furnish an exact appreciation of actual circum-
stances. We shall separately Lame the different couturier,
and indicate the supplies they stand in need or can dispose of.
"Russia will have sufficient corn for the whole empire,
without purchasing any foreign corn. Its Governments are
in a position to assist mutually each other, but it is very
doubtful whether they can send much corn abroad.
" The crops of Poland arc nut sufficient fur its general
consumption; and, unless it has been previously supplied,
will suffer front a scarcity, or be obliged to receive corn front
abroad. But whom can one have recourse to when one's
neighbours have only had themselves but middling crops, and
have not wherewith to supply the deficiency? Money a!so
is i carte in Poland, and important sums cannot be sent
abroad to purchase corn.
"The kingdom of Prussia has greatly suffered last year and
this from inundations, which have ravaged precisely its most
fertile countries; and want, which is generally felt there, is
on the paint of transforming itself into actual famine.
"The news from Pomerania agrees in stating that the re-
sults of the last crops are very mediocre.
"In the Grand Duchy of Posen only a middling crop has
been obtained, and anterior provisions can alouc prevent a
scarcity. The author does not remember having heard such
numerous and general complaints, unless it be in the years
1804 and 1817. God grant that the unfortunate events of
that epoch be not again reproduced! There are in this pro-
vince whole countries where the usual corn-sellers will be
obliged themselves to make purchases the next spring. The
situation of Gallacia is still worse. The price of rye rose
60 per cent. immediately after the crops; it is still on the
rise. _ _

" In Hungary, which is usually so productive, the Govern-
ment has been obliged to lay in large stores of corn to prevent
a famine. The hope entertained of having good crops has
been still more cruelly disappointed than in
1" In Austria, Moravia, and Bohemia, the results of this
year's crop are below those of the averge ones, and must
scarcely suffice for the general consumption.
" if we consider the west of Germany, we find, first of
all, that the crops in Saxony have not preCisely failed,
although they are very far from being abundant. The same
may be said of the provinces of I3randenburgh, and of Mag-
deburg.
" gyaria, like other :countries, has suffered greatly this
year from hail-storms and water-spouts; the results of the
crops have in consequence been diminished, as likewise by
the state of the atmosphere, which has shown itself but
little favourable to the cultivation of corn.
I'Vurtemburg, the country of Baden, Westphalia, and
the Rhenish provinces, have been better treated ; but thd
disease which has ravaged the potato crop will be severely
felt. Nevertheless, the potato crop has been fre,,oranz, good
throughout Western Germany ; ;t viii supply many defi-
ciencies in the crops of other places, although they are not so
much grown as in other parts of Germany.
" Belgium and Holland have had but bad crops; end
the news from France sufficiently proves that this year has

not been a productive one. - -
" Spain occupies but an inferior rank among corn-growing
countries; still reports from this country do not mention
that the crops have been deficient.
" England, where the states of the European continent
generally find a market for their surplus corn, appears to-
day to be reassured on the wants of its juteinal consump-
tion, or at least the alarming news which arrived from that
country has been succeeded by much more favourable in-
telligence. Those who count upon corn supplies from the
Baltic and provinces of the North Sea will be greatly de.
ceived ; the prices of these productions will first of all be very
high, and in the second place the quantities that can be
supplied very small. A great quantity of wheat has this
year been struck by blight: and this disease, which hai
spread throughout Germany, Poland, and Hungary, has de-
teriorated the quality of the corn as well as diminished the
quantity. Further, it cannot now be accurately known
whether at a later period England will not be reduced to
supply- itself from abroad, for it is well known that it is
only in case of an abundant crop that enough corn will Le
grown for the country. In the contrary case, she will look
to supplies from America, or from the countries bordering cn
the Black Sea.

" In Scandinavia, that is to say Denmark, Norway, and
Sweden, the crops have nut been satisfactory. Ina few
words, then, it may be said that for many years past there
has not been so unfavourable a year as the present one; and
if it be added that last year only furnished but indifferent
crops in comparison with the preceding ones,
_ this circum-
stance ought to give rise to measures being taken to prevent
the danger which threatens us."

PERFORMANCE IN AID OF THE SANATORIUM.—
The amateur performance, at Miss Kelly's Theatre, of Ever !I
Man in his Humour' and A Good. Night's Rest, by Mr. G.
A. a Beckett, Mr. Dudley Costello, Mr. Charles Dickens and
Brothers, Mr. Evans, Mr. Forster, Mr. Douglas Jerrold, Mr.
Leech, Mr. Leigh, Mr. Mark Lemon, Mr. 'Mayhew, Mr.
Stanfield, and Mr. Frank Stone, which so delighted an
audience composed, perhaps, of a greater number of intel-
lectual and accomplished persons than ever before assembled
on a similar occasion, is to be repeated, with the additional
assistance of Mr. George Cattermole, on the 15th inst., at
the St. James's Theatre, in aid of the Building Fund of the
Sanatorium—an Institution in which the distinguished men
engaged in the performance have always taken the deepest
interest, both from a full conviction of the excellence of its
principle, and because it is designed fur large classes of per-
sons in whose suffering they naturally feel a strong sympa
thy. Their purpose has been responded to in a spirit cordial,
like their own, by all who are Acquainted with the nature of
figernisfie to atbioe n
startie thet
1,.
the Institution, and by none more al &fitly than its President,
expressedjile Iperformance loirigmha
pnosptectAolibebreti,ngwphtoesta elnst.
private, as on the former occasion, and the following ladies,
noblemen, and gentlemen have already consented to form a
special committee for issuing invitation cards. namely:—The
Earl and Countess of Clarendon, the Duke of Devonshire,
Count D'Orsay, Lady Duff Gordon, Lord and Lady Robeit
Grosvenor, the Marquis and Marchioness of Lansdowne, the
Bight Hon. S. Lushington, Viscount Morpeth, the Hon.
Mrs. Norton, Lord and Lady Nugent, the Earl and Countess
of Radnor, Lord and Lady Shelburne, Lord Dudley Stuart,
• Dr. Southwood Smith, &c. All acceptances are to be sent on
or before Monday, the 10th of November, to Dr. Southwood
Smith, 38, Finsbury-square, when a ticket of admission wi it
be returned.