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and that jury upon an ex parte inquiry having found the lady of unsound mind, and incapable of managing her own affairs, she applied to the Lord Chancellor, who granted (what, according to the constitution was her undoubted right) liberty for a trial before a jury of her countrymen; and an issue was accordingly directed to the Queen's Bench.

The proceeding partook in its form of a criminal character, for the Attorney-General appeared as a prosecutor on the part of the crown. Miss Neville's father was in his lifetime a member of parlia ment, and one of his nephews represented an English county. She, it appears, received an excellent education, and at an early age became deeply versed in the Holy Scriptures. Being of an enthusiastic disposition, she was peculiarly struck with the prophetic writings, and by the study of the prophecies, both with regard to those which have been fulfilled, and which are in the progress of fulfilment, her sympathies became peculiarly excited on behalf of the Jewish people who are scattered over the face of the earth, and she determined to aid as far as she could in their conversion. She did actually correspond with some of the most eminent people of the day in different countries; and her counsel asserted that through her instrumentality a school for Jewish children was established in Prussia, under the sanction and authority of the king. Unhappily she was destined to be a sufferer from her childhood-she was four years confined to her sofa with a complaint in her back. In the year 1813 Miss Neville, then a young and enthusiastic girl, fancied that the Saviour appeared to her

in a vision, and that he told her that she should be the means of restoring the Jews to Idumea. She expressed some doubts as to the incapacity of a weak woman for such an undertaking, and our Saviour told her that for her unbelief she should lose the use of her arm; and she did lose the use of her arm. She thought, further, that she was to be made the subject of another miracle; for that, upon receiving the holy communion, she should be able to walk. She had not walked for sixteen years before; and, to the surprise of her friends, she did walk upon the exact occasion which she herself assigned as the period of her restoration. She believed, that she was further told that her arm was to be restored to her as a sign of the accomplishment of her mission. This vision was the foundation of that mental disease which ended in monomania.

With regard to the miraculous restoration to the use of her limbs, an eminent surgeon, Dr. Maurice Colles,proved that he never believed at the time when he was in attendance upon her that she was unable to walk-that although extremely delicate, it was only a fancy of her own that she was deprived of the use of her limbs.

From the period of that vision up to that of the inquiry, the poor lady indulged in her favourite notion. She went to the expense of nearly 4007. in the printing of geographical cards for the instruction of Jewish children in Prussia; those cards were in the English language. And she engaged an engraver to print notes, by the circulation of which she expected to defray the expenses of the cities she intended to have built, which were to be called in as soon as

the mines with which, as she thought, the country abounded, could be worked. She drew plans of fortifications, executed so beautifully as to astonish one of the first architects in this country, and she had taught herself to a certain degree the Hebrew language.

Having upon two different occasions got herself into serious difficulties (her fortune was about 1000l. a-year), her family had to interfere; and having learned that she was duped by persons who, encouraging her in her delusion, extracted money from her under the pretext that they were negotiating successfully with the Pacha of Egypt for permission to allow her Jewish families to land in his territory, they deemed it right to have her placed under the protection of the Court of Chan

cery.

The issue to be proved embraced two questions. First, as to the sanity of her mind, or rather as to the extent of that one delusion, for she was admittedly sound upon all other subjects. Then, having determined that she did labour under a delusion, as to whether that was of such a character as to render her incapable of managing her own affairs.

Her counsel, Mr. Blackburne in his able speech, first reviewed the opinions of the Christian world as to the conversion and restoration of the Jews, and showed that the speculative opinions of Miss Neville upon this subject, were not opposed to those of many able, learned, and pious individuals. He showed that although Idumea, the Edom of the prophecies, is a sterile and desolate country, as described in the sacred writings, yet that many do hold that that

is yet to be the country of the Jews. Until lately, strange to say, the position of that country was unknown; its discovery, with the ruins of its thirty cities, is one of the most remarkable confirmations of prophecy of modern times, and, Laborde, from whom the learned counsel quoted, shows that it does abound in mines and in precious stones, the belief in which was one of the supposed proofs of his client's delusion. Mr. Blackburne proceeded to show that her ideas regarding the Pacha of Egypt were perfectly just. The Turkish power was in that state that its speedy overthrow was a likely occurrence, and that in such an event the Pacha of Egypt, one of the most remarkable men living, would be placed in such a position as to be the very person who would be looked to for the protection of the Jews, supposing them to land in Egypt.

The learned Gentle

man then argued that as it was no matter how idle such a prospect might be, by the issue of notes depending upon the working of mines in that country that she hoped to carry her plans into effect, and not by the means of her own fortune, that, therefore there could be no apprehension of her property being destroyed. He then went into a review of her yearly expenditure, for the purpose of showing that she managed her property carefully and well, and wound up his speech by a most affecting appeal to the jury.

Mr. Keating, in reply, said, that it was to rescue this lady, whose counsel he claimed to be, from swindlers who took advantage of the affliction with which God had visited her to make her their dupe; that her family sub

mitted to the pain of that public

exposure.

The lady herself, was examined by the jury in chamber, and it appears she there detailed her vision, and the impression it produced upon her, with perfect consistency, although she knew the object of the inquiry.

The Rev. Dr. Singer proved almost all that related to the opinions entertained by Miss Neville. He gave an affecting account of the methods he took to disabuse her mind of the delusion under which she laboured-of his partial success and final failure. The Rev. Charles Henry Minchin proved to his having met with an impostor named De Grave at her house, dressed out in Turkish costume. This man, it appeared, got an order from her, for 501.

Dr. Crampton, as a medical man, proved that he considered her incapable of managing her own affairs.

On the other hand, three medical men proved that they did not consider that her disorder did in. capacitate her from managing her own affairs. Surgeon Benson went so far as to say that very few people were sound upon all points. Dr. Orpen, who knew her intimately for a considerable number of years, could hardly admit that she was even a monomaniac. He said that he had never heard her utter an opinion upon the subject of the conversion and restoration of the Jews that he had not himself read in some book; and that he could account upon physiological principles for her mental ideas in some respects, as well as for those sudden affections which she called miracles. Every witness bore testimony to her active untiring benevolence. It appears

that she provided for fourteen cholera orphans; that she was gentle, affable, and agreeable in

manners.

The jury came twice into court, the foreman each time declaring that they were unanimous as to the delusion, but divided as to the second question. After deliberating eight hours, they at last agreed to the verdict-"That she was incapable of managing her own affairs."

16. STEAM-VESSELS ON THE THAMES.-After three years' delay a most important decision was pronounced in the Court of Queen's Bench, on Tuesday, respecting the right of the Watermen's Company to regulate the speed of the steamvessels in the Pool. Mr. Combe, at the time one of the Thames Police magistrates, convicted the master of the Star steam-packet in the penalty of 5l., for navigating his vessel at a greater rate or speed than five miles an hour be tween London-bridge and the custom limits of Limehouse Reach. The penalty was resisted by the Star Company upon the ground that they had no jurisdiction under the Watermen's Act. The magistrate enforced the penalty by distress upon the goods of the captain, upon which an action was brought against the magistrate, and a special case was raised for argument, the decision on which, it was agreed, should bind or inva lidate another conviction by the Thames Police magistrates. special case was several times argued before the judges, and on Tuesday Lord Denmandelivered the unanimous opinion,deciding in favour of the Watermen's Company, and consequently affirming the conviction of Mr. Combe, and the validity of the forty-second by-law

The

made by the Lord Mayor and aldermen, and approved by Mr. Baron Vaughan. Since the validity of the by-law has been questioned, the steamers have had it all their own way; numerous lives have been lost,and numberless accidents have occurred, from the rapid navigation of the steamers between London-bridge and Greenwich. The following is a copy of the by-law which is now confirmed by a solemn decision of the Court of Queen's Bench:-"That nosteamboat or vessel shall navigate upon the said river, between Londonbridge and the custom limits of Limehouse-reach, at any greater rate or speed than at and after the rate or speed of five miles or knots in one hour; and that if the master, pilot, or other person having the management or command of any such steam-boat or vessel, shall navigate the same within the last mentioned limits, at any greater rate of speed than as aforesaid; he shall forfeit and pay for every such offence any sum not exceeding 51."

THE WEATHER.-At a general meeting of the Horticultural Society, Dr. Lindley read some observations on the state of the weather, drawn up at the gardens. The last quarter of 1887 was remarkably mild, the average height of the thermometer being 51 deg., and on Christmas-day standing at 54 deg.; the lowest degree of cold being five degrees above the freezing point. The coldness of the night of the 14th instant was, as compared with tables given in Luke Howard's Climate of London, equalled in January, 1823, and exceeded in the same month in 1827, when the thermometer stood at five degrees below zero; but the mean temperature did not appear lowered to a corresponding VOL. LXXX.

degree. The meteorological register kept at the Horticultural gardens, from Dec. 5 to Jan. 16 gives, barometer highest Jan. 8, 30, 447, and lowest Dec. 20, 22, 273; thermometer highest Dec. 19, 55 deg., lowest Jan. 14, 4 deg. ; and quantity of rain 1,42 inches.

20. THE WEATHER.-The very low state of the thermometer, had not been equalled during the preceding eighteen years. The severity of the frost was of longer duration than in 1820, having continued, without intermission, from the evening of Sunday the 7th to Saturday, the 20th, without a change.-At half-past six A. M. on that day, the thermometer at the receiving-house of the Royal Humane Society, in Hyde Park, stood at 3 degrees below zero of Fahrenheit, which is 35 degrees. below freezing point. At eight o'clock, the mercury had, however, risen to 2 degrees above zero. At twelve o'clock it stood at 9 degrees, and at four o'clock 18 degrees, but at eight o'clock in the evening it had again sunk to 14 degrees. The most extraordinary depression of the mercury in the thermometer is noticed having taken place at Wellingborough ; where, at half-past eight o'clock, on the morning of the 15th, in an elevated station, with a northeastern aspect, the thermometer was down to one degree.

Loss OF THE KILLARNEY STEAMER.-The Killarney steam

boat sailed from Cork for Bristol on the 19th, with nine cabin and a number of steerage passengers. The wind soon blew hard; and the captain was obliged to put back in a storm of snow. He ran upas far as White Point, where he dropped anchor, but went to sea again about five in the evening,

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.. should be made authorities for some gulations in the future Cion of steamers on this st, and that life-boats, and such neans, should be resorted to for the preservation of life, &c.

SUFFOCATION.-On the night of the 20th, the cook (a man) and four stable-boys, all servants of General Wyndham, at Sladeland in Sussex, were suffocated by the fumes of a charcoal fire, which they left burning in their room when they went to bed.

THE

21. STATE OF RIVER THAMES.-The Thames was, on Saturday and Sunday, the 20th and 21st, completely blocked, the navigation was stopped in toto, and a spectacle which has not presented itself for many years was observed. Several men passed over the ice in safety from one shore to the other, below bridge, cold and hunger, and one and during the whole of the day seaman, was drowned in there was a regular communication

dearring to swim ashore. between the vessels lying in the

middle of the river off the Tower,
and the shore over the ice.
The river between Westminster
was nearly

restige of the vessel left; twenty- and Vauxhall Bridges,

hve persons went down in her. The inquiry into the cause of channel, which was covered with

one sheet of ice; a very narrow

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