The Sun.
London, England, 1828-04-30 00:00:00

LUNATIC ASYLUM BILL.

In moving the Order of the day for the second reading
of the Lunatic Asylum Bill,
The Earl of MALMESBIJRY said the Mil for erecting
County Lunatic Asylums was, in fact, a consolidation of
former Acts ; there were very few additional points in-
troduced, and it only tended to confirm the efficacy of the
preceding Bill. The object of the Bill Was to afford an-
asylum to those unhappy objects of the lower claSses, Who
were afflicted with that dreadful malady. The present
state of those who were the victims of lunacy embraced
two great evils ; they were not ealy deprived of the power
of procuring subsistence for. themselves and families, but
were perhaps confined in the same house,- in which their
wires and children were witnesses of their sufferings. The
object of the present Bill was to establish a curative pro-
cm—_to Lake measures for ti appointment of parish
officers, to akcover who were stt4ect to lunacy, and to
enable the Magistrates to send them to aeyltuns. Hi 4
Lordship then wov'ci that the Bill should be raa4 A second
time, which was care. Ced, as also that it shoUld rom-
mined and referred to a CoYNCittee.
Lord CALTHORPE was atiokit to make Soule observ.t-
time, when he was told that thi`V did pot refer to the pre-
sent Bill. -

The several petitions presented for and agling the Bill
were ordered to be referred to the Committee.

The Earl of MALMESBURY rose to move the second
reading of another Bill, differing in its object, but of
nature similar to that which their Lordships had just heard
read—it was a Bill for providing for the more effectual
cure and proper treatment of Pauper Lunatics. It was not
his intention to trespass long upon their Lordships, but he
thought it necessary to state a few of the reasons which
rendered, it expedient to repeol the 14th of Geo. ILL and
also briefly to advert to some of the evidence received by
the Committee of their Lordship.* on the subject, as it was
his firm conviction, that the evidence taken before that
Committee justified the new enactment contemplated in
the Bill; and if their Lordships gave credit to it, they
would perceive the expediency of repealing the 14th of
Geo. 111., which was the principal grievance complained
of. It would be seen Uy the evidence of one witness, that
in two Lunatic Asylums, in Middlesex, each of which
contained 500• persona, grievances existed, which must
appear to all to demmid redress. 'They were represented
as being too muck crowded, and in every respect
inconvenient for the purposes for which ,they were de-
signed. It appeared also that practice existed, not only
useless and unnecessary, but even .cruel—it was that of
closely confining patients suffering Antler paiodical pa-
P3xPnis from Saturday until Monday. Lle could
however, see the expediency, nor did he think it at all
necessary for restoring persons to their ressoP, W confine
them every Sunday throughout the year. It appeal-ea to'
him that sue!,
Procedure would have quite a contrary
effect, and. he Aid thiukAlkat the system was carried on
,more for.the convenience of the persons who had adopted
;t,, than with any other view. t might be said that such
proceedings were Cot resorted to elsewbete, but what he
had stated must convince their Lordships that the existing
laws were, at least, defective. It would be reuleAcbered
that Dr. Frampton, on his examination before the Com-
mittee, bad stated his conviction that both these institu-
tions were conducted on a par- Aud from his testimony,
as well as that of several other respectable witnesses, he
was persuaded that the evidence would be deemed sufficient
to support the Bill. Their Lordships were aware, that
the power of granting or withholding 'licences' for Lunatic.
Asylums was invested in the President and Members of
the Royal. College of Physicians; hut if they would take
the trouble of looking into the laws, strange as the anomaly
might appear, they would find that by .the earioth
restrictions thrown in their way, they were totally
prevented from exercising it, and so continued to have
the responsibility without possessing the power, for•
every individual who wanted a licence had only to apply
to the proper authority, who were in bona fide, and were
prevented under almost any circumstances from tefo.-
ing it. The law enacted that whatever information had

been obtaiiiedtlative to Lunatic Asylums,.and of any thing
appeared which was deserving of notice, it should be duly
noticed on tablets, which were to be hung up in the hall of
the College; but it appeared that the College of Phy-
sicians had not complied in this respect with the enact-
ments of the Bill; for one of the oldest .Physicians exa-.
mined before the Committee stated, that never in his re-
membrance was such a rule observed. One of the objects
of the present Bill was to take away those powers which
were invested in the Royal College of Surgeons, and trans-
fer them to 15 Commissioners, of whom five should be me
died men, to be appointed by the Secretary of State.. 'lt.,
was proposed that the power of licensing, and also that of
revoking licenses, should be invested in the same hotly.—
He was perfectly aware that strong objections would be
made to various parts of the Bill, and yet he did not feel
himself entitled, nor was he inclined to go into a detail of
all the particulars contained in it, but would content him-
self for the preient by moving that it be referred to a Com-
mittee of their Lordships up stairs..
Lord CALTHORPE expressed himself fully satisfies
with the measure proposed by the Noble Earl. He had
been himself an eye witness to many of the shocking
abuses alluded to, and felt much satisfaction in the hope •
that the Bill now before the House would afford sufficient
security against a procedure which all must equally and
deeply regret. With regatil to one point, however,, to
which the Noble Lord had alluded, he must say, that he
claimed very great attention from their Lordships ; for he
knew that many Members of the Royal College of Phy-
sicians had greatly exerted themselves, and deserved much
credit for their united endeavours to amend a system
which appeared injurious ; he, however, could not desire
any thing more than that all the petitions, and every thing
which might be argued for and against the measure,
should be submitted to their Lordships ; and while he cor-
dially supported the motion of. the -Noble Lord, that the
Bill be referred to a Committee, so far from wishing that
any thing should occur in the Committee to stop the Bill,
he was anxious the result of the measure might tend to
forward its progress.
The Marquis of SALISBURY hoped that his Noble
Friend would permit him to take the present opportunity
of stating his wish that some means might be adopted of
limiting the power of Magistrates to confine persons la-
bouring under insanity in the Lunatic Asylum. Two
cases came under his own immediate observation, in which
the parties were certainly labouring under temporary in-
sanity, but by no means to so great an extent as to war-
rant such a measure ; one was that of a person who was
in this way sent to the Asylum, and was afterwards dis-
missed ; and lived for many years in the perfect possession
of all his faculties,---he should, therefore, strongly object
to the power of confining such persons being placed in the
hands of the Magistrates, unless they had committed any
Mischievous act, which would render such a step necessary.
Lord MALMESBURY said, that proceedings of such
a nature could not occur under die present Bill.
The motion for the second reading of the S3ill, and also
for referring it to a Committee, was thed.put and agreed to.