Litchfield enquirer., 1843-05-11


 ommend that it constitute the basis of an a. mendment to the Resolution of this State on that subject. In the want of your concur renee in this recommendation It may De- come necessary for you to provide that pu0- lie benefciaries admitted under the age of twelve years, may, at the discretion Of the Commissioners having charge of the matter, remain at the Asylum for a longeB period than is now provided by law.
 cannot too strongly urge npon you the necessity of making further provision for the relief of the Insane Poor of our State. PIT- suant to a recommendation contained in my last annual message the General Assembly benefcently appropriated the sum of two thousand dollars, annually, towards the supp port of that most unfortunate class or our citizens, at the Retreat for the Insane. As: the Commissioner to carry into effect the oD- jects of this appropriation soon after the ad- journment of the last regular session. Eenter- ed into an arrangement with the officers or that institution for the support of the public, beneficiaries at two dollars and fifty cents each, per week. Under this contract, orders. have already been issued in favor of thirty persons and several applications have been' presented upon which have not had time to- take any definite action. Ofithe whole num- Der two have died, and two others have. been discharged. Six have been inmates oF the Retreat for period of from'four to twelve years, and although enjoying cofDtortables bodily health. have long been deemed incur-- able. Six others constitute class of hope- less cases, all of whom, with one exception. have been admitted during the past years one of them has been deranged more than two years-two are cases of servile insanity which is never cured-and the other three: are in hopeless state of mental imbecility.- Five others constitute class of hopeless ca-~ ses ;one has been in the Retreat one year andi is much mproved-another was admitted iEa
 August last. and is also much improved the remaining three, though much improved, pre- sent strong evidence of incurable organic lesions. Eight others constitute class of cases whose advanced convalesence affords satisfactory evidence that a cure will be ef- fected: three of them have already been. or soon will be discharged fourth will leave at the expiration of his term of three months It is impossible to fix upon the time when the remaining four will be in situation to leave the institution, on account of the recent peri- cd of their admission. The expense incur. red by the State for the support of fthese per- sons since the passage of the resolution au- thorizing it, has been 8 By infor- nation recently communicated by the phy- sician at the Retreat, regret to learn, that
 of the large number of insane persons in the SulC WuO JuSlGy tHC OulCCbS OA puOhS- | charity, forty only, with existing arrange ments, can be permanently furnished with accommodations at that institution. Such a. state of things is much 10 be deplored and ought not to be long tolerated in this eEa- ! frightened community.
 l Several of our sister states have already 1 provided comfortable asylums for their in. sane paupers, with the most gratifying rec 1 suits. And will Connecticut, with all her l boasted resources and advantages, longer he- sitate to go forward in the same benevolent and God like work! Will she continue t0 see that wretched portion of her popuationA who are suffering under the greatest of hu.
 man woes, confined in loathsome cells and dungeons, and deprived of all the comforts of P life, while she has means so abundant at
 hand tS relieve them? A permanent appro-
 pratiom of five thousand dollars a year for | the support of our insane poor, at the Retreat for the Insane, would, have reason to be- lieve, offer to the prOprictorS of that Institu- ton sufficient inducenent to erectthe neces- sary bsildings to accommodate all who might deserve the benefcence of the state.-
 commend this subject to your humane and generous consideration.
 | We have reason 10 congratulate ourselves
 and the people at large, upon the happy con~ 1 sequences which have resulted to the state. | from the acts and deliberations of the last
 General Assembly. Especially have we I cause to rejoice that our statute book has ceased to be stained with law which, how> ever well intended. by treating honest power.
 " as crime. and punishing it as felony,
 was pafpable invasion of the rights of per> sonal liberty, and at war with the spirh of our republican institutions.
 | l have thus in obedience to the requires ments of the constitution, briefly made ] known to you the condition of the state, and suggested for your consideration such meas sures as deemed best calculated 70 sub- serve the public interests. But coming, as you do, fresh from the bosom of the people,
 and understanding well their various wants and necessities, shall be ready to co.ope> rate with you in all such constitutional measures as shall tend to promote their hap. piness and welfare, and advance the honor and prosperity of the state and it's institu. tions. Urging upon you the necessity of A prompt despatch of the public business, and speedy termination of your present ses-. sion, invoke the blessings of Almighty God to rest upon your deliberations.
 c. F. CLEVELAND. Erecutips Office, Hampton, May 4, ls4s. l A GREA9 DISCOVERY IN MEsMERIsM.-Df. Globes, of Columbia. whose experiments in Mesmerism have attained much celebrity, writes to the Editor of the Charleston Cours fer as follows:
 Al ~fS H.nyS