ii
was very small, and the number of troop-ships was also small, we were threatened with a
partial return to the old costly practice. No time was lost in representing this, and, pending
final orders, the rule of numbers was suspended for the current season.
11. Having ascertained that in other colonies and dependencies of England all
insane soldiers were sent home with invalids without regard to their condition, I now
suggested that all such men should be sent direct to Bombay with the invalids and time-
expired men of regiments, instead of following the old circuitous route with its
fatigues and expenses. This proposal involved many considerations and some tedious
references, but was adopted in its entirety. Lunatic soldiers from the Presidency Division
of the army and exceptional cases from Upper India alone remained for transmission to
Calcutta; and these, under a later arrrangement, have been sent for shipment to Bombay in
due season. The change did not take full effect till 1873, from which year till the end of
1876 there were received into the asylum only 28 soldiers, of whom 19 were sent to Bombay
without cost to the Government, and one only, a convict in peculiar circumstances, was
despatched with civil lunatics at the cost of the Military Department. It is understood that
the cost of transport by troop-ship is about £25 per man.
12. The effect of these several measures on the admission of soldiers to this asylum is
seen in the following figures :—
From 1856 to 1871, average ... ... ... ...
1872 ... ... ... ... ...
1873
...
...
...
...
...
1874
...
...
...
...
...
1875
...
...
...
...
...
1876
...
...
...
...
...
Yearly admission.
35
18
5
2
8
7
I presume the cost of transport to Europe has been recovered in former years from the
Military Department, so that the local Government has derived no advantage from the alter-
ations ; but with the reduced admission of soldiers it is otherwise. Formerly, this Govern-
ment received payment for an insane soldier only to the amount of his hospital stoppages, viz.
two annas per diem, and more lately only at the rate of Rs. 12 per mensem. Now every
soldier in the asylum costs this Government about Rs. 30 per mensem in actual outlay on his
account. The difference between these sums has, therefore, been saved on every man who
would have, but has not, been admitted.
13. It now appeared that towards reducing the asylum cost and cheapening the
removal of soldiers nothing had been left undone. There still would arrive, however, a few
men every year for whose maintenance no adequate payment was obtainable. Other adminis-
trations have shown no disposition to withhold their claims against Bengal for reimbursement
in similar circumstances, for it has been ruled that while pauper lunatics sent from this
asylum are detained at Bombay, pending their embarkation, this Government shall pay
Rs. 45 per mensem for each one of them. There seems, therefore, no just reason why this
Government should be put to any charges for persons who are not its subjects. The local
Government, as I have said, receives from the Military Department Rs. 12 for each soldier,
and pays on his account Rs. 30 per mensem. The payment is no more than that now made
to the native asylum for maintaining a sepoy. Act XII of 1877 ordains that a soldier's
maintenance shall be paid for, but no amount is specified. Therefore, on 26th July last, in
letter No. 198, I enquired through the Medical Department whether the sum hitherto received
would in future be accepted as sufficient. No reply has yet been given. If adequate pay-
ment be ordered from the Military Department, I shall have to admit that I can see no
further prospect of reducing the cost of soldiers in the institution.
14. With regard to lunatics in civil life, the first step towards reduction of asylum
expenses was taken in 1863. Chronic cases had been accumulating for years. They were
all supported at the cost of Government. The place was crowded, and the necessity for a
new asylum was forced on the attention of the authorities. The old inmates had not been
removed to Europe because they were not known to have living relatives.
15. By studying the affairs of pauper asylums in England, it became clear that, even
if the State should have to maintain these persons to the end, the saving in annual charges
would soon cover the cost of their removal. Certainly some, and probably many, of them
would recover with change, and relatives of others might be found to support them. It was
proposed, therefore, that a large number of old inmates should be gradually shipped off,
which was done. The question of a new asylum dropped. The average number of inmates
fell from 53 to 26, and the purveyor's bills from an average amount of Rs. 19,650 in former
years to Rs. 9,331 in 1865.
16. In the same year, 1863, a proposal was submitted that insane seamen should be sent
to England under the Merchant Shipping Act, at the cost of the Board of Trade, as other
distressed seamen were. For reasons unknown to me no orders were issued, and matters
went on as before until 1872, when, it appears, the Secretary of State, noticing that seamen
were annually sent home at a heavy cost to India, presented bills to the Board for the expenses
of that year. The Board repudiated liability for anything more than their own small
statutory payment. Orders were then issued that in future insane seamen should be
despatched through the Shipping Office. This Government has since been relieved of all
charges for the despatch of 26 seamen, who would otherwise have cost about Rs. 18,000, and
perfect immunity is secured for the future. It is perhaps pardonable to add that, if the