The Sun. — 1845-05-27 (London, England)

INSANE CRIMINALS IN SCOTLAND.  Mr. ELLICE begged to call the attention of the Right Hon. Baronet the Secretary of State for the Home Department, to the case of a person who had lately been convicted of murder in Scotland. It appeared that the man was found to be insane, and was acquitted of the charge of murder on that account ; but notwithstanding that, the unhappy man had been refused admittance into any lunatic asylum, and he was now in a state of raging madness. The Hon. Member then read a letter he had received, stating that the man was in a dying state yet there was no accommodation for him in the prison in which he was confined—namely, that of Cupar, in Fife. Sir J. GRAHAM said he was aware that this was indeed a melancholy case ; but, unfortunately, by the law of Scotland, the man could not be removed from Scotland. By the same law, no public lunatic asylum could be compelled to take him in, and no private one would. The man was at present in prison, where he was to remain during the Queen's pleasure, and could not be removed ; but all proper care should be taken of him, and further than that he (Sir J. Graham) could not interfere.  Mr. ELLICE could only state to the House what his informant bad told to him. He said that there was a ward in the first Penitentiary in which lunatics could be received. Mr. ESCOTT wished to put a question to the Noble Lord (Lord Jocelyn) in relation to a case which involved great individual hardship, as well as an important general question. He wished to ask whether any Government return had been received from Bombay, referring to the case of Lieutenant Collins, who had been tried by a court-martial in that Presidency, and illegally dismissed the service of the East India Company—whether the Court of Directors and the Noble Lord did not think that if this decision were illegal—if it were unjust, full reparation might not be made to the individual who had been so dismissed by this illegal sentence ? Lord JOCELYN said that, by the last dispatches received some weeks since, it was determined on that the case of Lieutenant Collins should be reconsidered. The Government had not since that time received any official information that the subject had been so re-considered, and therefore he was unable to satisfy the Hon. Member on the matter in question. Mr. COLLETT said that, before withdrawing his amendment, he should wish to be assured that a House would be made on Wednesday.—( Laughter, and " Oh, oh.") If he were not so assured, he should press the House to a division. Strangers were ordered to withdraw, but no division took place, the original motion being carried. Mr. CHAPMAN presented apetition against certain clauses in tho Merchant Seamen's Act.  Mr. S. CRAWFORD presented a petition from Liverpool on the subject of Lord John Russell's resolutions. The petitioners stated that some of the resolutions were objectionable, inasmuch as they had no reference to the extension of the franchise. He begged leave to present a petition, signed by three thousand silk handloom weavers in Middleton and its vicinity, expressing their great distress consequent upon the want of a law to protect their labour; and also a petition from the Protestant Association of Cork, praying the House to withdraw all support to Maynooth College. A petition was then presented from the Wesleyan Methodists of the county of York, against the use of spirituous liquors.  Mr. MILNER GIBSON presented a petition from the working classes of Manchester, complaining of the want of drainage and sewers, and praying for sanatory regulations. Mr. FERRAND presented several petitions, having reference to the resolutions of Lord John Russell ; one from the delegates of artisans in Nottingham, Derby, and Leicester, complaining of the increase of machine power, by which many of them were thrown out of bread ' • also calling the attention of the House to the Fields Garden Bill, and praying for some provision in it which would save them from dying in a union workhouse. Also petitions from the inhabitants of Hartlepool, who complained that they had been deprived of many of their most valuable privileges, amongst others of votes in the election of the Corporation.