The Sun. — 1851-11-22 (London, England)

LORD MAYOR. An attempt to introduce the cab reform which we have already advocated, viz., a sixpenny charge per mile, brought snch annoyance on the enterpriser, that he soon found it expedient to abandon the project, at least for the present. Now, if a gang of unconscionable rascals are to be permitted to levy black mail with impunity, and fleece the public at their goodwill and pleasure, why the public have themselves to blame; the public expression of feeling can very easily and effectually make itself heard through its accredited organs, if it will but resolve on speaking out. Meantime if the railway companies would but establish a tariff of charges for the cabs at their respective termini, as we suggested on a former occasion, it would go far towards effecting the desired amelioration. The theatrical campaign is commencing with spirit. The Haymarket has opened under flourishing auspices, and this evening the Princess's will unclose its portals for the winter season. There, if anywhere, is the Shaksperian comedy to be seen carefully, we may say reverentially, represented. The perennial JULLIEN regales the multitudinous visitants of Drury with an excellent and inspiriting "concord of sweet sounds," whilst Astley's and the Adelphi are as usual crowded to the ceiling. In conclusion, we cannot refrain from complimenting M. LAURENT on his good taste and tact in refraining from vulgarising his salle de dance by the monstrosity of a " Bloomer ball." To such scurvy exhibitions is the handwriting on the wall peculiarly applicable—" Decency forbids."  In the able and excellent pamphlet by Dr. WOOD, " On the Flea of Insanity, and on the Management of Criminal Lunatics," to which we yesterday directed the attention of our readers, we find some admirable suggestions for the classification of persons who are at present confined as criminal lunatics. Dr. WOOD complains, and justly complains, that many persons who are perfectly sane are yet detained as criminal lunatics, and adds— " It surely reflects somewhat upon our system that we continue to commit an error which our continental neighbours uniformly avoid, and that we continue to shut up the sane with the insane, as if we had no means of distinguishing between them. We find nothing of this sort in the continental asylums. In France, there is not a single sane individual in the criminal department of Bicetre, nor, as I am informed by Dr. FEBRUS, the distinguished Government inspector of asylums and prisons, in any of the kmatic asylums in the country ; indeed, the law of Prance does not permit of the continued detention of a criminal lunatic after his recovery, whatever his offence may have been. This certainly seems to be carrying the principle too far in the opposite direction ; and even Dr. Farina, whose experience on the subject is second to none throughout Europe, is disposod to press on the Legislature of France some modification of the law in this respect;' We entirely agree with Dr. WOOD, that it would be dangerous to society to discharge in every instance any criminal lunatic after his recovery. h cases in which be has not been guilty of any &See% endangeringwe consider that he ought to be humandischarged, but life,inles in which the criminal lunatic has either des'royed, or attempted to destroy, human life, he ought never to be permitted to leave the asylum; Dr. WOOD contents himself with proposing that he should be always kept under some sort of surveillance; we are inclined to go further, and to contend that ,such a person should, in order to ensure the public safety, be kept under restraint in an asylum. But this circumstance only renders it the more necessary that some proper classification of persons detained as criminal lunatics should take place, and the convalescent should not be forced, as they are at present, to associate with the really insane, nor should the person of refined habits and education be forced, as at present, to associate with the coarse and brutalized murderer who, through the