The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-09-03 00:00:00

COMMISSION DE LUNATICO INQUIRENDO.

Friday a Commission was held at Gray's Inn Coffee-house,
to ascertain whether a young man, named Cuthbert Rowth,
was of unsound mind, and incapable of managing his affairs.
The Commissioners were E. Whitmarsh, C. KAlurray, and
Blunt, Esqrs. The case excited much curiosity.
The Rev...liaac Fidler deposed that Rowth had been a pupil
of his for about twelve months from 1827, and during that pe-
riod never exhibited any mind at all, and was never capable of
any act which betrayed the faculty of reasoning. Rowth had,
however,. as good a memory as was possessed by any other boy
in the 'school. If worked at any particular sum in arithmetic,
he accomplished and retained it accurately for a considerable
time, but he was wholly, incapable of applying any rule ; and if
the least alteration was made in the sum taught to him, he was
quite unable to proceed. He could repeat all the grammar
rules better,than any other boy in the school in consequence of
excessive fagging,, but he never could tell how the rules were to
be applied for the purposes of education, although the moment
the cue was given to him. by the first word, on. he would go from
the beginning to the end. He had no idea 'of the principles
of religion, nor of any other principle, but was: just like a par-
rot. If he missed a word in his lesson he stopped altogether,
and seemed as if conscious of his inability, incap-
able
and totally
of substituting another of similar meaning. Notwithstand-
ing so glaring a defect of mind he improved in his education,
so that he could read as well as any boy in the school. He took
care of any money he might get so that nobody could rob him,
but he had.no notion of the value of money. in the opinion of
witness he had no reflection, no power of combination" ; in fact,
no mind at all. His ruling passion was selfishness, and he
manifested it by hoarding everything he-got in his box or his
pocket.• When he said Yes or no, he did so without reference
to the question, and yet witness never knew, him to tell a lie.
Everything was mechanical with them. If taught a thing he
would do it mechanically a, not a vestige of mind was traceable
in the performance, but it was as regular as clockwork. Ile
was an isolated animal, and no power of giving or receiving
amusement, neither had he any apprehension, but he possessed
the power of imitation.
Air. Commissioner Blunt.--In learning the Latin language
was he able to distinguish between the cases of substantives
and the moods and tenses of verbs. Could he, for instance,
say that musam was the accusative of muse?
Witness.—Yes, he knew the cases of nouns and tenses of
verbs from their terminations. The sound informed him.

Commissioner.—Did he construe passages into English ?
Witness.—lt is my practice to read over the leSsons to each
class, and I have found it necessary to fag him hard before he
could accomplish a translation, and in parsing I fagged him
too.
Jnryman.—Could he use a dictionary to aid him in constru-
ing
Witness.—Yes • when I have been with him I have made
him use -a dictionary.
Mr. Murray, the Commissioner.—lf a verb was in, the im-
perative mood, could he tell theindicative of the verb?
Witness.—He could; but it was all mechanical, all porroting:
Mr. Murray.—Do you consider a parrot to be capable tof
doing what you say he does ?
Witness.—l do; I'd venture to say that a horse would be
able to do it if taught. ' -
To other questions witness answered that he could-not tell
whether Rowth knew whether a letter addressed to him was
affectionate or angry ; never saw him exhilarated or depressed,
but had seen him abashed.
Mr. David Mori.—Knew Rowth six or seven years. Was at
school with him. Witnesses's father-had him to see whether he
could do any thing with him, but found him quite incapable.
Witness's father was in the haberdashery line in Fenchurch-
street. Rowth was constantly employed in putting goods
straight and keeping them so. In one instance he cut off some
goods for a customer, and put the money in the till without
giving any change. Used to go to church from habit, look in
the prayer.book, and behave well. Had no notion of religion.
What,he once learned he continued to.clo with great regularity.
Sothetimes called a shilling sixpence, and sometimes half-a-
crown. Used to go to the postoffice in Lombard-street with
newspapers, and knew where to drop them. Witness believed
him to be a sort of idiot. •

John Newman, the son of a.fartaer at whose house Rowth is
now taken care. of, stated that Rowth amused himself by pick-
ing potatoes for the pigs, and fetching wocd. He would read
when asked, but did not seem to understand any thing. Lost
himself one evening, and. was out all night, but couldn't tell
where he had been. Said' he had leaned against a wall, but
said he could never lose himself again. Was very dirty in his
person.
Mr. Martin, a surgeon, and Doctor Monro stated that they
had examined him, and found that he was very nearly an idiot.
Rowth was then brought in and questioned: He did not ap-
pear to have a spark of reason about him. Every word he
uttered corresponded with his appearance, which was decidedly
that of an idiot.

The jury then returned a verdict that he was of unsound
mind.

LONDON GAZETTE.-FRIDAY, AUGUST 30.

Aug. 28.—Thomas Fletcher, SWOiVia-EmNSTta. nley Roscoe, Richard Ro-
berts, John Tarleton, and Franeis.Fletcher, Liverpool, bankers.
BANKRUPTS.
William Ballantyne, Battle, Sussex, bookseller.
William Blotield, Hosier-lane, Smithfield, and St. John-street, car-
penter.
John Mannerings, Chatham, builder.
Richard Pheney, Fleet-street, 18. w-bookseller.
John Lucas, City-road, timber-merchant.
George Peacock, Catterick, Yorkshire, draper.
Robert Kay Snape, Manchester, victualler.
John Wakefield, Manchester, silk-hat-manufacturer.
Richard Clark, Newark-upon-Trent, line--draper.
Joseph Elliott, Devonport, grocer.
PARTNER SHIPS DI SSO L v ED.
Baekhouse, Robinson, and Lowe, Liverpool, merchants.—J. and J.
Stevens, Toxteth-park, Lancashire, corn-dealers.—T. Woodward and
G. Hiscock, Portman-market, cheesemongers.—T. M'Grath and T.
Maclear, Biggleswade. Bedfordshire, surgeons.—P. Crick and J.
Goodwin, Covent-garden-market, fruit-salesmen.—Lees and Merrett,
Theobald'a-road, newspaper-venders.—lt. Y. Booker and J. F. Bi-
ship, Nottingham, lace-agents.—J. and E. James, Swansea, Glamor-
ganshire, linen-drapers.—R. Winch and B. S. Boys, Rochester, mer-
chants.—J. and T. Mayhew, and J. Johnson, Carey-street, Lincoln's-
inn, attornies ; as far as regards T. Mayhew.—J. and J. Gregory,
Great Longstone, Derbyshire, farmers.—Ritehie, Steuart, and Co.,
Bombay ; as far as regards J. Ritchie.—Schofields and Brooks, Old-
ham, Lancashire, machine-makers.—M. Burkinshaw and Co., Bever-
ley, Yorkshire, woollen-drapers.—Gow, Ralston, and Co., Glasgow
and Little Govan, dyers; as far as regards W. Ralston. .

VESSELS ENTEB ED. TOR LOADING.
WESX INDIES, &C.
T 84 i Annie, B, Barbados
iMurray,l‘u"y
Sandbach,iTainne & co, 435 Sandbach, P. Demerara
C Turner & Sons. 232 Planter; Q, Berbiee

J J Hamilton & co,
Do,
T Tobin,

W & 3 Tyrer.

AFRICA.

191 Amelia Matilda, B, Africa
121 William, K, Do
165 Riipid, I', Do

SOUTH AbrERICA.
208 Jane Drowse, P,

_ UNITED STATES.
Battersby & co, 359 Mary; P,
Dennistoun, or Ker & co, 405 Mars, P,
Fitzhugh, or S Brown, 352 Dowson, P,
W Fairclough, Industry, Q,
W .7 Brown & co, 550. Pocahontas, P,
W Forde & 00, 373. C.oituallija, A",

Valparaiso, Arica,
lalay & Lima

Charleston
New Orleans
New York
Norfolk, Virginia
Philadelphia
Boston

BRITISH AMERICA.
Tinley, _Langston & co, 231 Partisan, B, Miramichi
C L Bahr,
,31)1' Tho's 'Wallace, B, Chtebec

Glen,
R G Benn,

528 Robert, B,
310 Endeavour, P,

Do
Montreal

S Rothwell,

MEDITERR ANEA N.
118 Anna Sophia,. S,

C L Bahr,
Do,

Trieste

•EUROPE.
250 Pedestrian, B,
Q,

St Petersburgh
Elsineur

..31npOrt0+
WEST INDIES AND M.4DEIRA.

Barbadian, Nagle, fm Barbados, with 300 hds 20 tea 23. brls . sugar,
54 bales -Cotton, Ibx sweetmeats, Hayes, Litherland and co-4 bxs
sweetmeats, Ker,_lmrie. and co-72 pkgs retd goods, Ibx turtle shell,
J Claypole—K Dk
Wilsons, Inglis. fin Demerara, with-1021ds 9 brls sugar, 22 pns 27
Ms 33 brls rum, 301 cks molasses, 13' bales cotton, T H Murray-10
salted hides, R Semple-1 hti rum, J Mondell-1 brl sugar, Order-30
hds do, N Waterhouse and Sons—P Dk
Montrose, _Mounsey, fm Antigua, with 50 pns molasses, 354 hds 20
tea sugar, C W and F Shand-111ds.1 tee do; J Jones and co-41 Ms
do, k:wart, Myers and eci--Titiclor, 1 windlas, Order—P Dk
SOUTH AMERICA. •
•Glorat, Hitherington, fm Ceara,' with 87 bags cotton, T llesketh-
-10 bags do, -Duarte Bros-10 bags do; -De Lisle and co-673 bags do,
262 c and o hides, R Singlehurst and co-200 do, Order-100 t fustic,
50 bags cotton, E Jones and co—G Dk
Adelaide, Damrell, fm Aricati, with 204 bags cotton, J Burn & co-
-40 bags do, Iladpeld, -Wood and co-380 bags do, Hayworth and co-
-25 bags do, Fostkr 13roS-201 bates do, R Singlehurst and co—P Dk
Melby, Williams,. fin Pernambuco; vith.lol6 bags cotton, Order—,
28 bags do; It Singlehurst and co-191 bags do, J Burn and co=-90tY
hides, Order-1481 do, J L Limme and bo-920 do, Ele3rworth and co
—2 bls retd goods, Order—K Dk
Buoyant, Ponsonby; ,fm :Bahia, with 1 .bx conts unkn, Turner.
Drade and 00-1 bx dó, Gibbs, Bright and co-8 bits 3 prcla do; G F
Dickson-2 tnks 1 cse do, .1 Atherton-486 bags cotton, .abt 1t 2 c
horns, loose abt 4 t tallocr; Order--58 cs 9 brks-sugar, (for exportation)
—P. Dk - - • •
UIVITED STATES...
•

Mary Young, Mather, fm Philadelphia, with 104 bags 10 hds 10 es
gum copal, abt I t fustic, abt 16 t lignum vita, abt 82 t logwood, 66
bds bark, 133 brls rosin, 15 bls sarsaparilla, 2 bls sponge, 13 bls jalap,
470 c and o hides, 5 t hache wood, 10 c quassia wood, 97 bags Colom-
bo root, T and W Davie -26 -bls snake root, abt 101 t fustic, abt 8 t
horn tips, Order—K -Dk• " • •
BRITISH AMERICA.

Mary, Wills, fin Montreal,- With 83-brls 'pot and 42 brls prl ashes,
2220 minots wheat, K Dowie and co-22 brls prl ashes, 252 brls 20 hf
brls beef, 4084 minots wheat, 487 ps boards for lining, 2 c 9 deals, W
Smith and Son—Q Dk
Harriet Elizabeth, Cooper, fm Newfoundland; with 26 cks train
oil, C and E Hunt and co-24 do, Graham and Taylor-1 pre] caplin,
Job, Bulky and co—'44o cks train oil, 1277 seal and 20 calf skins, 24
cow and 54 c and. o hides, 2 c old junk, 1 prel old account books, 2 old
anchors (retd) W Tarbet-8 Dk
Indian, Benthwick, fm Montreal and Quebec, with (fm Montreal)
8¢56 minots wheat, 199 brls flour, 238 c 28 staves, 1 c 23 handspikes,
i.c 20 deals, 4 c 20 lining boards, A Parlane—(fm Quebec) 603 minots
wheat, 451 brls flour, 1 mast, 3 spars, 81 c 13 staves, A Parlane-38
brlsD sot ashes, K Dowie and co-50 brls prl do, A Taylor and co—
P