The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — 1824-05-11 (London, England)

THE EDITOR OF TUE BRITISH PRESS.  Sta,—The number of suicides, which has increased to such an alarming extent of late, has drawn the public attention to this crime; and as prevention and not punishment is the only means of putting a stop to this dreadful practice, I would ask how Is it that these means, wisely appointed by our ancestors for this end, arc rendered for the most part entirely nugatory ? I need hardly particularise what I allude to, viz. the Coroner's Inquest. Ido not impugn the conduct of the humane juries who compose such inquests ; but I would submit that this institution is become a mere form, whilst in forty-nine cases out lof tifty the verdict is the same. lam aware this is no new 1 complaint ; it is at least as old as the time of Young, who I alludes to it in a pointed manner in his Night Thoughts. If you think the following extract, from one of our old ecclesiastical writers (Wheatly), wiU be the means of inducing a stricter inquiry into cases of self-murder, it is at your service ; and I only wish the suggestion at the end may not he thrown away on the parties to whom it applies. If they would but act up to this advice, I am Confident we i should have fewer instances of this horrid crime than now disgrace the national character. - ...  I am, Sir, Your obedient servant,  1,ont1" Slay 8. " The scandalous practice of Coroners and their inquests, not. withstanding the strictness of their oath, in almost constantly returning every one t,,uilty of self-murder to be twit comets niextir (though the very amrists:tees of their murdering themselves are frequently a proof of the worminess of their ;mites)' sufficiently shew how h their verdict is to be depended upon. They plead, indeed, that it is hard to give away the substance of a family : but these Cattlemen should remember that they arc not sworn to be charitable, hot to be just ; that their businese is to inquire not what is convenient and proper to be thine with that which is forfeited, but how the person Mlle by his dattli—whether by another or by him, self ; if by himself, whether he wss fish, de se or son rumpus metals. the cr, indeed, summons srl he pleases on the jury, And then delivers to them what charge he pleases, it is easy enough for hint to influence their judgments. and to instil a general Rupp°. anion that a self-murderer must needs be mad, since no one would kill himself unless he were out of his senses. hut the jury should consider, that if the ease were so, it would he to no purpose for the law to appoint a formal inquiry ; for, according to this supposition. such inquiry must be vain and impertinent, since the tact itself would he evidence sufficient. It is true, indeed, there may be a „,,,,„/ • imuinois; that is, a misapplication of the understanding, in all self-murderers. Hut this sort of madness does not conic under the cognitance of a jury ; the question with them being not whc- • ther the understanding was misapplied. but whether there was any understanding at all.—ln short, the hest rule for a jury to guide themselves by in such a cass is, to judge whether the signs of madnom, that are now pretended, would avail to acquit the same person of murdering another man if nut, there is no reason why they should be urged as a plea fur acquitting hint of munlermg himself."  • Voting say--" I grant the deal is nuttiness, 11,1 t the niatltstms of the heart."  eniTISII A VI) FOREIGN Arnow,