The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-09-10 00:00:00

ir-41 • THE QUEEN.
-op- •
Der Majesty continued, throughout yesterday, free
from pain, and, on the whole, something better than
.on Tuesday. At six o'clock she dined in her cham-
ber, and ate rather heartily, at the same time con-
versing with the Princesses much more freely than on
any day during the last fortnight ;: and up to eight
o'clock, she remained in the same favourable state.
The Duke of York arrived at Kew, about one
o'clock, from 04tlands, and soon afterwards went
on to London. The Prince Regent arrived from the
Stud•house, soon after six o'clock, and passed nearly
an hour with her Majesty. his Royal Highness
then dined with the Princesses, and after dinner
again repaired to her Majesty's chamber. It was
expected, that as her Majesty was in so composed a
state, his Royal Highness would retire to the Stud-
!louse much sootier than usual.

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To rEE EDITOR OF THS

SIR,—In my last letter, I asserted that Parliament
took up the subject of Private Mad-houses at the
latter end ; they begat; upon the necessity of secur-
ing persons confined therein from ill.treatntent when
there, whereas they ought to have began by snaking
provision that no person shbold be improperly sent
there. 'lwo cases have come to my knowledge—one
of a verdict of damages for false imprisonment--the
other of the Mad-house-keeper buying his peace
with the injured party, by a compensation in money.
Nothing is mote easy than to deprive a British sub.
ject of his liberty, while these places exist in their
present state—one single Physician or Surgeon's
certificate is sufficient for the purpose ; and if there
is a considerable property to be got at by the con.
finetwent of such a person, a bribe can be afforded ;
so that while the British Nation have been expestding
their talents, blood, and treasure to secure their li-
berties, they suffered to be established twenty Bullies
in and shout the county of Middlesex, under the name
of Private Mad-houses, into which a British subject

may be thrown by a conspiracy of two or three per-
sons, without any sort of investigation, by the bare
. signature of one individual, and there held for years.
It is of no use to argue upon the scarcity of such in.
stances, or the improbability of their recurrence, they
have happened, sod are now existing—they are a
dreadful evil that calls aloud for the interference of
every individual to exert their strength to insist oil
Jaws which shall guarantee them against the possi-
bility of false imprisonment. Many persons have
been confined for years without a Statute of Lunacy,
or any satisfactory examination into their case ; so
that it may be safely asserted, that there is no suffi-
cient check to prevent persons from being sent to,
end held in, those places on improper grounds ; so
neither is there any to prevent those that are afflicted
from being held therein for years after their re-
covery. A man may be afflicted with • fever which
produces a delirium—the relatives or persons about
him, unaccustomed to the vagaries of persons
labouring under mental derangement, become
frightened ■nd send him to a Died-house. It is the
Master's interest to keep him as long as he can, and
know they do it. The man soon gets well, be-
trays much uneasiness at being kept from his busi-
ness, and perhaps frets himself mad ; fur it is a
practice in these places not to show the patient with-
out it is required. The relative or other visitor is
shown into r parlour, where the Master makes his
appearance and tells his story. The College of Phy-
sicians have the inspection of these places and a con.
' troul over them, but I could never hear of any pa.
tient being liberated by them / they leave it to the
friends or relatives, and the Mid-house-keeper. I
. cannot but consider them as a set of persons who
have had confided to them the care and 'interests of
thousands of their fellow-subjects to whom they
never paid the least attention. The fact is, that the
present system of Private Mad-houses is a chaos of
crimes and miseries, more of which shall be deve-
loped in my neat Letter.
am your obedient servant,
S. CALVERT.

Loi.doc, Sept. 7.

FROM A CORHESPONDENT.—In addition to the no-
internee frauds practised upon the Public and the
Revenue, by the dealers in tea, coffee, &c. may be
added one of greater magnitude, which, it is said,
Government have suffered to pass with impunity,
although apprised of it several years since, viz. that
of subs'ituting sail :eater for salt in the manufacture
of bread and biscuit for the public service.
COVENT.GARHEN THEATRE.—The musical drama
of Guy Mannering was performed last night. There
were several appearances in new cite racier's. Mr.PYNE,
late of !Nor'-lane Theatre, performed the part of
Belfry Bertram,Mrs. YATES, the Lady who made her
&hut in Lady Macbeth, sustained that of Meg filer-
rilies, and Miss MATHEWS was the Lacy Bertram.
Mr. PYNE was very well received, and executed the
part with considerable success, hut the want of Stu-
ctsta was sensibly felt. Mr. PYttic is in this part
but a very indifferent substitute for SINCLAIR, whose
best introductions he could not venture upon. Mrs.
YATES was very successful in the masculine and pro-
phetic gipsy, but it was rather • disadvantage for her
So come after Mrs. EcanTom„ upon whose acting the
Public have formed their notions of this character.—
Miss MaTnEws most agreeably disappointed us in
the musical part of Lucy Bertram. She gave more
spirit to the songs than Miss STEPHENS, and what is
on small compliment, sung some of them nearly as
sweetly, and was encored. Miss FooTz played
Julia Mannering in a very pleasing manner, and
larrost was as amusing as ever in the unfortunate

Dominic.
The affair at the Mansion•house between the show.
man, the sailor, the monkey, and the MAYOR, has
given rise to two titles perfectly new; one in the
East, the other in the West. The judgment of the
MAYOR, partaking of the famous scriptural judg-
ment in the case of the two women and child, has,
In the City, conferred on his Lordship the title of
Solomon: and the Beau-Monkey, with his ear.
rings, Bc. who so adroitly t►seaked the Showman's
nose, has been admitted an honorary member of a
very prevailing Society, under the denomination
(borrowed from StIAJLEteDADJCS Lear) of the
" Bandy DANDY."