The Sun.
London, England, 1836-05-25 00:00:00

COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX.

THIRD REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF
VESTRY, OF THE PARISH OF ST. GEORGE,
HANOVER-SQUARE, ON THE EXPENDITURE
OF THE COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX.
COUNTY PAUPER LUNATIC ASYLUM.
Your Committee have so fully in their First Report, de-
tailed the immense expenditure of the Pauper Lunatic
Asylum, at Hanwell, that the present Report, although a
short one, they hope will be to the purpose. The first Re-
port of your Committee, as it exposed the abuses that oc-
curred in the expenditure of the public money, naturally
occasioned a little irritation on the part of the Magistrates,
but it is not the intention of your Committee to notice all
the angry remarks, which their former report gave rise to,
contenting themselves with submitting to the Vestry a
few additional facts and documents on the subject.
First,—Your Committee showed from the 9th of Geo.
IV. c. 40, sec. 30 and 33, the illegality of the proceedings
of the Visiting Magistrates, in appropriating a surplus—
arising from an overcharge on the Parishes for " the main-
tenance and care, medicine and clothing, requisite for the
lunatics, and the salaries of the officers and attendants,"—
to the purposes of buildings, &c. &c.
The Magistrates in Quarter Session, have decided that
your Committee were right, by ordering the discontinuance
of such a misappropriation of the money of the rate-payers
of this and other parishes.
Second,—Your Committee submit to the Vestry a Re-
turn of the Deputy Clerk of the Peace, ordered by the
House of Commons, to show the extent of the misappro-
priation.

`‘ APPENDIX TO REPORT FROM THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON
COUNTY RATES, PAGE 17.
" MIDDLESEX.—The sum of 124,4401. borrowed on
mortgage of County Rates, for purchasing the site and
building, furnishing and fitting up County Lunatic Asylum,
which was first opened for reception of pauper patients on
16th May, 1831. In addition, the following have been paid
(out of monies received for maintenance of paupers) for
furniture and repairs, viz.:—

"In 1831
1832
1833

.£6,391 13 91"
Your Committee add, that from the
monies received for the Maintenance 1834...2,195 15 9
of Paupers, were applied to the same 1835...1,478 2 10
purposes

£10,065 12 41

Your Committee submit to the Vestry the facts of tte
illegality of the overcharges ; the discontinuance of the
practice of appropriating those overcharges to buildings, by
the Magistrates in Quarter Session ; and the amount re-
turned to the House of Commons by the Clerk of the
Peace, with the addition for the years 1834-1835, taken
by your Committee from the Magistrates' published accounts.
Your Committee, in the discharge of a painful duty, have
had occasion to disapprove exceedingly as to the outlay of
the public money by the Visiting Justices, at the Pauper Lu-
natic Asylum at Hanwell. It is now, however, the pleas,
ing duty of your Committee to approve . of one thing done
by the Visiting Justices ; they have adopted the plan of
the parish of St. George, Hanover-square, in the poor rate
expenditure, viz., all the demands on the Lunatic Asylum
for the quarter ending on the 31st of . March, 1836, were
p Lid during the quarter ; and on the county day of the
General Quarter Session of the Peace, 14th April, the
V s.t:ng Justices returned to the Magistrates, that there
was nothing owing by the Institution on the 31st March last.

Your Committee -feel quite assured that the Vestry w
v'r much apProve of this new practice of the Visitii

When your Committee commenced their investigation of
the county rate expenditure of Middlesex, the charge on
the parishes for each lunatic at Hauwell was, by order of
the Visiting Justices, Bs. per wok ; •it is now ss. 10d., be-
ing a teduAion since the inquiry began of 27 per cent.
Your Committee stated in their First Report, that the
charges ought nut to exceed -is. per week for each lunatic.
The statement of' your Committee seemed so preposte-
rous, that it ckppsea your Committee to some very strong
remarks, one of which your Committee take leave to quote.
(Vroea the 31st Report of the Visiting Justices of the
County Lunatic Asylum, page 0, Apri1,1835.) "Lunatic
Asyharns are not like prisons,—for the punishment of
crui! ; nor are they like workhouses,—places for the resi-
dence of the indigent of all ages, labouring under no dis-
eases except such as are casual ; and who have no right to
expect more than a supply of the necessary wants of na-
ture, and who, if wilfully destroying either clothes, bed-
ding, or any other article, would be instantly dismissed from
the house. Asylums are hospitals for the insane, for the
most suffering part of our fellow-creatures, but many of
wheni are disposed to continual acts of mischief and 'de-
struction, yet are themselves subject to no law, and ame-
nable to no tilhunal. The leading principle in the mnhog,e-
!neat of them is, not to keep•-their inmates at the minimum
for which human nature can be sustained ; but whatever
may have been the cause of the malady, to provide for the
health and cont./bit of the patients. It is true, that in a
very great number of cases, vice has brought on the disease;
but it is no less true, that the vice which has ruined the
mind, has left the body feeble and emaciated, and requiring
an additional supply of wholesome nutriment. In these
eases, a rigid adherence •to the diet table, framed and
a lapted only for the strong and the healthy, would indeed
be a matter of economy,—the patients would die, and the
parishes he relieved of all further expence."
Your Committee think the Vestry will be gratified to
learn, that a very great reduction in the expense has not
caused the death of the patients ; for in January, 1836, the
34th Report of the same Visiting Justices, page 4, states
" They have been also enabled gradually to reduce the
weekly payments for each patient to 6s. sd. ; and on ex-
amining the accounts to the close of the year, they find
the balance in favour, cf the Institution so much increased,
that they have directed the rate to be still further reduced
to ss. 10d. for each patient. This reduction has been ef-
fected without any diminution of the comforts qf the patients,
as their welfare is felt to be the primary object of the In-
stitution, at the same time, the strictest economy compati-
ble with that is uniformly practised."

But the practice which the Visiting Jciistices have
adopted of paying every expense of the quarter in the
quarter, will be productive of the most important advan-
tages—it enables the parishes to ascertain, for the first time,
the bona fide expense of the quarter.
Independently of the 10,0651. 12s. 41d. already shewn,
as derived from an overcharge for the weekly care of the
patients, there is an unappropriated surplus from the same
source, viz., an overcharge on the parishes—it amounted
(vide each Annual Report of the Visiting Justices.)
On the Ist of January, 1834, to • £B7 13 7
On the Ist January, 1835, it had in-
creased t 0... 1,133 8 7
On the Ist January, 1836, it had further
increased to 2,986 12 1
On the Ist April, 1836, it had still fur-
ther increased to 3,398 0 10
So that the overcharges for the care of the Lunatic pau-
pers, amounts to the very large sum of
£13,463 13 2fr--Of which has beenl
appropriated, as
shewn in violation 10,065 12 4I
of the Act of Par-
liament
Not yet appropriated... 3,398 0 10

X 13,463 13 2 X 13,463 13 2i
Your Committee make great complaint against the Vi-
siting Justices of the Lunatic Asylum, in withholding infor-
mation which your Committee think the rate-payers, or
their representatives, have a right to. Your Committee,
since their first report, caused the Vestry Clerk to apply
officially for certain documents to elucidate the subject of
the Expenditure of the Asylum ; to which application, the
following answer was received :

(Copy.)H
" anwell, 7th Feb. 1835.

" SIR-I have no orders from the Magistrates to furnish
any further documents ; but I will lay your note before
them at their next Committee meeting, on the 12th inst.
" I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
"T. B. Chappell." " W. ELLIS."

Your Committee waited patiently for an answer from the
Visiting Justices, but none was returned ; they therefore
caused' another official letter by the Vestry Clerk to be
sent, to which the following is the reply :
(Copy.)
" Asylum, Feb. 18th, 1835.
" am directed by Dr. Ellis to inform you, that
your letter of the 6th instant was laid before the Visiting
Justices at their last Meeting, but that he received no in-
structions thereon.—l am, Sir,
" Your obedient servant,
" Mr. Chappell." " WM. SKEET."
In consequence of the refusal to furnish the information,
your Committee deferred making another Report on the
Lunatic Asylum at Hanwell, until they obtained possession
of a sufficient number of the documents published by the
Magistrates themselves, to prove the charges made by your
Committee against the administration of the public money
at that public Institution. The last document your Com-
mittee refer to, is the Treasurer of the Lunatic Asylum
Account to the 31st March 1836, read in Public Court of
Quarter Session for Middlesex, at the County day, April
4, 1836.

TREASURER'S CURRENT ACCOUNT.
Cash ht band 654 3 3 1
Arrears due
Due for Maintenance from 31
Dec. tto 31 March, 1836 2,460 0 I
Due for Sundries

Billi:impaid

£3,39s 0 ioJ
Your Committee have s :own this was an increasing sum
derived from overcharging the Parishes for their patients,

and although the M'agistrates have " gradually reduced the
charge," still the sum of ss. 10d. has for the quarter from
31st December, 1835, to 31st March, 1836, produced a
profit to the Institution of 4111. Bs. 6d., being an over-
charge for each pauper of upwards of one shilling per week.
Your Committee make out this chargé against the Magis-
trates from their own documents.

Surplus on 31st March, 1836 3,398 0 10
Surplus on 31st Dec., 1835

Profit on 13 Weeks at ss. 10d. on
605 Patients £ 411 8 9

Your Committee thus show that the real expenditure on
the Paupers has been under 4s. 9id. per week for the
Quarter from 31st December, 1835, to 31st March, 1836 ;
and therefore, when your Committee stated in their first
Report, that the charge for each Lunatic ought not to exceed
4s. per week, to which opinion they still adhere, and however,
preposterous it might then have appeared, your Committee
now demonstrate from the Magistrates' own statements,
that 4s. 91d. is the present weekly expenditure, however
much more may be levied by the Magistrates from the
Parishes.

Your Committee further remind the Vestry that they
entertain no doubt but that still further reductions in the
weekly expense of each Lunatic may be made without any
injury to the patients—by a rigid system of economy in the
administration of the public fund—by a careful attention to
the Contracts—and by a searching investigation of the ac-
counts, so as to reduce tbe weekly expense of each Lunatic
to the sum, or even below the sum which your Committee
originally stated, of four shillings. Your Committee cannot
withhold the fact, that there is not deposited among the
archives of the County, in the custody of the Clerk of the
Peace, a bill, or a voucher for the payment of any hill con-
nected with the sums paid for the maintenance and care of
the Lunatics at Hanwell, or the bills for building, repairs,
&c., paid out of the Maintenance Fund, involving an ex-
penditure of upwards of Fifty Thousand Pounds.
Yoar Committee submit these important topict to the
serious consideration of the Vestry.
______

27th April, 1836.

JOHN LESLIE, Chairman.
JOHN GUNTER.
THOMAS HODGKINSON.

THIRD REPORT.

Your Committee present a Third Report on the import-
ant subject of Assessing, Collecting, and Expending the
County Rates of Middlesex ; and they regret the fact,
that for the parochial year ending Lady-clay 1836, the
parish of St. George, Hanover•square, has had to pay an
increase of County Rates to the extent of 696/. Is. 6d., as
ivill be seen from the comparison of the two years :

. .
Lady-day 1834, to Lady-day 1835, four quarterly
county rates paid £6,520 11 8
Lady-day 1835, to Lady-day 1836, four
quarterly county rates paid _ £7,216 13 4

. . .
The baunty Rates have taken from St. George's, Ha-
nover-square, more than one-fourth of the whole Poor Rate
assessment for the last two years.

Your Committee entertain a very strong opinion as to
the illegality of many of the quarterly rates, which the
Middlesex magistrates have assessed upon the county.
Your Committee have prepared a Table of the twenty-
four quarterly rates made during the six years ending on
the 2nd of April instant ; and the table shows, IN ONE
LINE, an analysis of the f rtancial state ,of the county
during each of the twenty-four quarters. Letter A,
sheds the date of the commencement of each quarter :
B, the amount of uncollected rates at the commence-
ment of the qtrarter ; C, the cash in hand at the com-
mencement of the quarter ; D, the amount assessed up-
on the county far the quarter ; E, the petty receipts dur-
ing the quarter ; F, the total amount of the four pre-
ceding columns ; and G, the actual expenditure of the
quarter. There is a blank line left after each four quar-
ters to separate the years.
Before insertinc tliis table, your Committee remind the
Vestry, that it was in consequence of the fraud committed
upon the county by Mr. Mainwaring, a former treasurer,
whose defalcations amounted to a large sum, that a local
act for the County of Middlesex was obtained, viz.:
" Third of Geo: IV. cap. 107,—Local Act for Middle-
sex." Tile preamble states, " Whereas abuses and irregu-
larities have occurred in- the office of Treasurer of tile
County of Middlesex ; and it is expedient to make further
provision relative to the appointment of such Treasurer, and
the security to he taken from him and his sureties for the
due execution of his (ACC, AND FOR PREVENTING THE
ACCUMULATION OF LARGE BALANCES IN THE HANDS OF
SUCH TREASURER IN FUTURE, and to make such further
provision and regulations touching the assessing, collecting,
and levying of the County Rates.
Your Committee direct the attention of. the Vestry to a
section of the Act of Parliament, which states the power
the magistrates have in make Rate to meet the actual ex-
penditure between positively defined periods, from the county
day in one Quarter Session of the Peace, until the county
day in the neft Quarter

The 9th section authorizes the magistrates " to make a
County Rate at each and every Quarter Session for the
quarter of the year then next ensuing, to be computed
from the county-day in every such Quarter Session until
the county day in the Quarter Session then next ensuing?'
Having now shown the spirit and the letter of the law as
to making quarterly rates on the county of Middlesex,
your Committee, with the aid of the table, will direct the
particular attention of the Vestry to the practice of the
Middlesex magistrates in this part of their duty to the law
and the county.—(See Table at the end of this Report.)

Your Committee will commence their observations with
the first quarter in the table :
1830. April 12.—Uncollected rates (B) 12,544 4 11
Cash in hand, (C) 3,162 18 6

£15,707 a 5

Letter G, shews the actual expenditure from the 12th
April, 1830, to the end of the quarter on the 3d July, was
15,1801. 13s. 6(1,; now, although there was already assessed
on the county, and cash in the treasurer's hands, equal to
the whole expenditure, and a surplus of 5271.—yet co-
lumn D shews a new rate was made, amounting
to 16,5501. Os. 3d. The second line shews the next rate
to have been almost as unnecessary. The 3d line ex-
hibits the ensuing quarter even worse ; and the 4th line
is so extraordinary, that your Committee extract it.

Line 4 in Table.
Ist Jan. 1831. Uncollected rates, (B)
Cash in hand, (C)

23,259 2 2
The Quarter's expenditure from Ist Jan. to 2d
April, 1831, (G) 12,944 5 11i

£10,314 16 23-
Your Committee think, that any person having read the
Local Act of Parliament, particularly the two portions
already quoted, would have thought the county was suffi-
ciently tilted, it having to supply the money equal to the
actual expenditure of the ensuing quarter, and a balance of
10,314/. IGs.‘24-d. towards the quarter to Midsummer,
without any additional taxation in January ; but the Mid-
dlesex magistrates were not of that opinion, for letter D
shows they assessed the county in another rate of
16,866/. ss. 6d., thereby increasing the balance at the close
of the quarter, from 10,314/. to upwards of 27,000/.
Your Committee will not weary the Vestry with an exa-
mination of each of the 24 quarters, but request the Ves-
try to compare the letter F, the assets of each of the quar-
ters, with letter G, the actual expenditure of the quarters.
Your Committee remind the Vestry that it has been said
that it is impossible to collect from the poor Parishee; and
with this fallacy many persons are deluded. Your Com-
mittee request the Vestry to recollect, that they had the
honour to be appointed to examine into the receipt and ex-
penditure of the County Rates of Middlesex, in the month
of July, 1834, and they in consequence began their enqui-
ries soon after that period ; now the amount of the uncol-
lected
rates, it will be seen, has been very much less in the
quarters subsequent to that period, than they ever were
before ; and the quarter which ended on 27th June, 1835,
spews a smaller amount of arrear, or, in other words, a
better collection than had ever before been known ; the
rate on that quarter was 'partially made upon the plan
suggested by your Committee in their Report of February,
1835, page 6, and if the system had been worked out
in all its integrity by, parties friendly to the plan, it could
not fail of success. The table shows that
On the 27th June, 1835, a balance was left of
uncollected rates, (B) 3,030 4 6
Cash in hand, (C)

£5,055 9 3,1
Your Committee must request the favour of the Vestry
to attend to the fact, that the uncollected rates were then
the smallest in amount that had been known. The system
was unpopular among the Magistrates, and they reverted
in the next quarter to the old prnctice, which introduces the
subject of the enormous rate assessed upon the County on
the 9th July, 1835, for 32,9911. 10s. Od. That rate was
discussed in Vestry in that month, and owing to the Tepre-
sentation of the County Treasurer to a deputation of the
Vestry, (no member of your Committee who •now report,
was of the deputation), it was agreed to pay the rate, and
not to appeal against the rate ; and which rate was paid by
the parish of St. George, Hanover-square, on the sth
August, 1835, 3,3351. 10s. Od., on which day your Com-
mittee beg to point out to the attention of the Vestry,
that (in 27 days from the making of the rate on the 9th
July), the Treasurer was in possession of 7,964/. 19s. of
the new rate ; and on the Ist of September he had ob-
tained in actual cash 21,535/. 6s. Gid. The total payments
from June 29th to 19th October, 1835, was 21,200/. 15s.
51d. ; now from the mode of stating the expenditure ae-
eit is impossible to state accurately what the cash ba-
lance nceiin the Treasurer's hands was on the Ist of Septem-
ber ; but your Committee incline to the opinion that it was
about Seven Thousand Pounds ; and at the close of the
quarter the cash balance was 11,0011. 10s. 11d., during the