The Sun.
London, England, 1835-04-17 00:00:00

COUNTY LUNATIC ASYLUM.

Colonel CLITIIEROW moved that the following regulation,
recommended ,by the visiting Justices, be adopted :—" That
Dr. Ellis be directed to regulate the number of patients re-
ceived into the lunatic asylum according to their rental. The
asylum being cap Ale of containing 570 patients, about 70 of
which are chargeable to the county, 500 would then be left
for the parishes; the rental of the county being about
5,000,0001., would give one patient for each 10,000/. ; in
smaller parishes, where the rental does not amount to that sum,
they should be allowed to have one only, according to' riority
of application."
Captain Actmom seconded the motion.
Mr. Wax s, M. P., objected to the regulation, and doubted
the justice of the principle. The poorest parishes might
happen to have the greater number of lunatics.
Sir P. LAURIE regretted that parishes tampered with their
insane patients and suffered them to become incurable before
they were sent to the county asylum.
Mr. BROUGHTON asked whether it was intended to enlarge
the asylum ?

Colonel CLITIIEROW said there was no intention of the kind.

The motion was agreed to nun. con.
The 31st report of the visiting justices was then read.
Since the commencement of the year, 27 patients had been
received, 7 discharged, and 19 died. On the 31st of March,
246 males and 324 females remained in the asylum. All ex-
penses up to that day had been paid, leaving 319/. in hand.
The report then proceeded to notice the charges urged by the
vestry of St. George's Hanover-square. The building was
originally erected for 300 patients, at a cost of 124,4821. Os. Bd. ;
but it was afterwards made capable of accommodating 570, at
a further expense, which made the whole cost only 130,0001.
Every care was taken to prevent jobbing. This parish had
not had one-tenth of the number of patients in the asylum,
and if a county-rate had been levied, that parish would
have had to pay a much larger sum. That parish has at
present fifty-three patients in the asylum, and but for the al-
terations of which the vestry complained, twenty-eight only
could have been received from this parish. The report justi-
fied the allowance of IL to Dr. Ellis, and fees to Mr. Allen,
the clerk, for attending the Committees, as being no more
than just and necessary. It was right to include the price of
cows and cultivation of land under the head of housekeeping,
because the milk and vegetables were consumed by the pa-
tients. Out of the 570 patients, 320 were employed in various
ways, and a piece of ground had been levelled by them, which
would have cost 1,3001. The item, " clothing, 4,0001.," in-
cluded the expense of bedding, table linen, and other articles,
of which a reserve supply was necessary in such an establish-
ment. The accounts of all the proVincial lunatic asylums had
been examined, and it was found that the cost was much greater
at all of them than at Hanwell, except in the case of Wake-
field, where, however, the charge for attendance and salaries
was even more than at Hanwell. _ . _ _

The report was ordered to be printed for the use of the Ma-
gistrates, and to be considered at the County day in July.

COUNTY RATES.

Mr. FYLER rose to-Move, " That no new rate shall be
levied on any parish while the amount of money in the
treasurer's hands, together with the sums due for uncollected
rates, are sufficient to meet the estimated expenditure for the
ensuing quarter ; and that, prior to a rate being levied, a due
estimate be made of what may be the probable expenditure
of the county until the next quarter, or period of the next
rate being levied." He grounded this motion upon the act
of the 3d of George IV., cap. 107, which provided that such
estimates should be mae. The 9th section regulated the
period of the rate from quarter to quarter; if the period of
making the rate was always fixed, and the rate enforced, as it
could be under the Act, within 37 days, there would be no
difficulty in calculating the required rate to be next proposed.
For instance, the present expenditure for the quarter was
18,000/. On Monday last 3,3081. remained in hand, and the
arrears amounted to 5,616/. A halfpenny rate for the next
quarter, including these sums, would give 19,9211., being quite
sufficient to meet the approaching demands. The motion of
which he bad given notice he now wished to withdraw, be-
lieving that it would be sufficient for him to move that com-
pulsory means be taken to enforce the payment of the rate
within 37 days after levying it, which would answer his object.
Mr. GIBBON seconded the latter motion. _

NVILsoN thought it would be premature in the Court to
decide upon the question without further consideration, and
hoped it would be postponed.
Captain Acimou thought the scheme proposed by Mr.
Fyler would be impracticable.
Mr. BROUGHTON was of opinion that the Court could do
nothing in the matter beyond the Act of Parliament, which
was imperative, and authorized the County Treasurer to en-
force payment.
Sir R. BAKER said he could only summons the party before
a Petty Sessions of Magistrates, who disposed of the affair as
they pleased.
Mr. FLOWER said, he had attended at a petty session with
other Magistrates, for the purpose of assisting Sir R. Baker,
and they had succeeded in reducing the arrears from 11,0001.
to abont 3,000/.—( Hear.)
Mr. BALLANTINE and Sir P. LAURIE opposed the motion.
Mr. FYLER said, his object was to take off the odium to
which the county treasurer was subject, by making the enforce-
ment of the rate the general act of the Court.
The Court divided, when there appeared 15 for, and 20
against, the motion.
Mr. FYL'IR proposed that an arrangement be made with the
bondholders to defer the time for paying the interest due to
them.
Sir J. S. LILLIE moved, and Sir W. CURTIS seconded, that
the question be postponed sine die.
Sir P. LAURIE moved the previous question.—( Laughter.)
After some desultory conversation, the amendment of Sir
J. S. Lillie was agreed to.
The report of the committee on the county treasurer's ac=
counts stated that on the 3d of January last the balance in
hand was 3,368/. ; since which, to the 4th of April, 14,944/.
had been received, and 15,176/. paid, leaving a balance of
3,308/. The committee recommended a halfpenny rate for
the next quarter, arid that a printed estimate of the expenditure
of 18,900/. be sent to each parish with the order.
The rate was agreed to, and the recommendations adopted.