Sacramento daily record-union., 1883-10-24

| oe the indirect result of the discussion re-
mains to be seen, but it is certainly deslra.
| BILE in the interests Of justice that the Eu.
! glish criminal law should be so amended
as to take cognizance in judging OF mans
sanity, nov simply of MS knowledge or lg'
norance of the nature of his act, but OF his
power also, or lack Of power, to resist the
impulse which prompted him to commit the
act. 1t appears, too, that
THE LUNAcY LAWS OF THIS COUNTRY
Need revising in other respects than the
one now under consideration, for if DR..
Mortimer Granville, well-known author.
ity on diseases of the brain, who was en-
ployed by the Lancet to visit and report
upon the condition of the lunatic asylums
In London and vicinity, is to be believed,
one. third of the patients found IN these
places might be out of them with advan-
tage to themselves and the public, since
their "powers of self-control are equal to
those of average persons of their class out
side of asylums, and they ought to be self
supporting" This opinion was given be-
fore Parliamentary committee, and was
backed 40 by similar testimony from DIR.
Bastilles of England, or the Lunacy Laws
at Work." from the pen of Mrs. Louisa
Lowe, formerly honorary Secretary OF the
Lunacy Law Reform Association, the con-
clusion is drawn from the statements OF
these eminent persons that there ia " an
aggregate of more than 10000 persons in
England and Wales not only deprived,
without cause, of all civil rights, but sub
jected to the mostabject personal slavery on
FALsE ALLEGATIONS OF LUNACY;
In fact condemned, and perhaps for life,
to doom often worse than felOn's, with
out trial, or even knowledge whereof they
are accused" As matter Of course the
principal objects of Mrs. loves assault
are the private asylums, which, under the
existing law, makes the question of sanity
depend upon the attestatIon of two medi-
cal men, obtained at the instance of some
relative of the alleged lnnatic, allowing the
greatest latitude for abuses. The indig
nant authoress finds the explanation of
this dark feature of England's social life
in three main causes-frst, in the unscru
pulous greed and malignity of relatives and
acquaintance of so-called lunatic patients
secondly, in the avarice, ignorance or
prejudice of medical men thirdly, in the
apathy, incompetency and compatibility of
the officials charged with the administra-
tion of the Lunacy laws. The remedies
suggested by Mrs. Lowe are numerous,
chief among them being the substitution
of judicial for medical examination and
the determining of coercible lunacy by
acts alone. In the mean time, the report
of the Commissioners on Lunacy, Just
Issued, shows insanity, or what passes for
it, to be
RAPIDLY INCREASING
In this country, the total number of luna
tics, idiots and persons of unsound mind
registered in England and Wales on the
first of January last being 76, 765, or l, 923
more than the number returned for the
previous year. Making due allowance
for abuses, these figures are indicative,
doubtless, of a bona fide increase in
this class of persons, and q grave social
problem is thus presented. But in coun-
try where the social conditions are so op-
pressive, and where such multitudes of the
lower classes are engaged constantly in so
tragic struggle for life, it Is not difficult
to find the solution of this problem, how
ever difficult or even impossible it may be
to provide an adequate remedy. Speaking
of lunatics, how slightly removed from
condition of mental non.accountability
must the Aldermen of this city have been
when they departed from immemorial
usage and detied the unanimous wish OF
the voters in the
PRESENT ELECTION or LORD MAYOR.
Both by seniority and by choice the Office
belonged to Alderman Hsdley; vet, with
out word of explanation the Aldermanic
Court bestowed it upon another. Every.
body ia puzzled, many are disgusted, and
there is g big rumpus all around. The
only mooted reason for Hadley's rejection
is that he is bachelor. But the gentle
man showed that this could be no proper
bar from the fact that one.third OF those
who had filled the Office for the last tWen
ty-hve years we're in the same deplorable
state Of single wretchedness. The next
few days may develop other and more &C.
rious reasons. Meanwhile the rejected
candidate rides on the top wave of popular
favor, and his disappointed ambition bids
fair to be solaced ere long by an election to
the House of Commons. But what shall
be said of English methods of government,
when NOT only in legislative but in NUM-
cipal bodies, those supposed to represent
the people can, with impunity, set at
naught their clearly expressed will 1t is
pleasing to reflect, however, that the day of
reform is at hand, for, at the next session
of Parliament measures will be introduced
and passed which will greatly improve
both the legislative system and the moss
backed forms by which at present the
affairs of this great metropolis are man
aged. h. T..