Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-07-17
~o-,herp Lunatic Asylum.


morning 5 Leader with the above caption, reflects
severely upon the Senator and Representatives
of Cuyahoga county for neg!eeting their duty
in falling 10 provide means to enable the North
ern Lunatie Asylum to meet Unreasonable ex-
penses for ;the current year. SO far as any
reflections upon myself are concerned, they are
totally unjust and uncalled for, and l believe
they are equally unjust to Senator Slade and
Messrs. Watson and Gardner.
TIE facts are briefly these. The appropriation
bill which provides for all the States expenses
and expenditures, was not introduced by Judge
Marsh, (Dem.,) until within three or four days
| Of the close of the session. then observed
that the app, p,opliatiOn for the Northern Asylum
was for a less amount than that foa the South
srn. and that debt of $4,000 due by the
Northern Asylum principally to citizens OF
Cleveland and vicinity, which it had created
without authority of law, was wholly unproyi-
ded for. had several times during the session
called the attention Of the Committee on Fl
nance to this debt, and urged its payment as a
matter of Justice to my constituents. But the
Committee wholly refused TO incorporate the
debt into the Bill. After the Bill had been read
the second time, Mr.. Andrews. of Auglaize,
/ moved that 1t be referred to a select committee
of fire, to examine the same, and report back
any amendments they should deem necessary.
To enable me the better to aid the Asylum, /
Immediately left my seat and asked Speaker
Woods to appoint me as one Of the Committee,
which he kindly consented to do
| When the Committee met, l called their at
tention to the debt of $4,000 due by the Asy-
lum, and also to the fact, that the Northern
Asylum had a less sum appropriated for its
use than the Southern. Mr.. Pan, of Licking, in
formed me that the amounts had been agreed up
on by the Committee on the Asylums' after full
examination, and they had found that the North
ern Asylum did not require or need as much as
the Southern. Ny friend, Mr.. Hubbell, of
DelaN are, twas the only other Republican on
the Committee, and Of course the minority could
not overrule the majority of the Committee
! In justice TO the majority of that Committee
| will say, that / am perfectly confident they
had no design to prevent the Northern Asylum
from having its full allowance for actual and
necessary expenses, but were governed entirely
/ by the action Of the Committees on Benevolent
Institutions.
At this meeting urged to the best Of my
ability the Committee to amend the Bill, so
as to pay the debt Of the Northern Asylum,
but without ayail-they refused entirely
Before the Bill was finally reported back,
(Which believe was on the last afternoon of
the SESSION., had an interview with DR.
Slusser, the Chairman of the Committee on
Benevolent Institutions in the House / said
al to him 1 deemed proper, relative to the pay
ment Of the Asylum's debts, and he induced
the Committee to insert as an amendment to the
/ Bill, clause paying all the debts of the Asy-
/ lum TO the extent of about $4,000
The amendment was adopted By the House
the Senate agreed to it, End it became Law
/ may add also that DR.. SlUeser told me that
the allowance for the Northern Asylum, was am.
pie, and / am confident he believed il to be so.
What more could the Representatives from
Cuyahoga County dot The majority of both
Committees in the House and Senate on Benev-
olent Institutions and on all Committees We're
Demoeratic-the majority of members in both
Houses were DemOcratie-the appropriation
bill was drawn by Democrat, and based upon
facts supplied by Democrats. To charge the
Republicans from this County with neglect of
their duty, in not having more money appro-
priated by that Democratic Legislature for any
purpose, is to find fault with them for not per-
forming impossibilities.
regret the action of the Board in voting to
close the Asylum. have no doubt from what
| know of the character Of majority of the
Legislature, that if the Board was TO run in
debt four thousand dollars, to enable them to
meet current expenses for the present year, that
the Legislature would cheerfully allow the
same to be taken froW the $4,000 Appropriated
for the expenses OF the first quarter Of the next
year. This mode would not add dollar to the
expenses Of the State.
The evil Of any) in this course, would be far
less than TO close the Asylum, and send its un-
fortunate inmates home, or to the jails and dun
geons of the different counties. | am confident
no member of the Legislature would sanction
this course, while the former in all probability
would meet almost entire approval
To this end l advise the Board to correspond
at once with the Committees on Benevolent
Institutions Of the House and Senate, and 9TH
er members of the Legislature. If their views
concur with mine in this matter, the whole
difficulty may be easily adjusted, and while the
Board may be compelled TO violate the letter Of
the law, they will not trznsgress its spirit.
trust the above explanation viii entirely sat
isfy you, (as well as all others interested upon
this subject,) that in attaching any blame to
the Representatives of this county for the pres
ent unfortunate position Of the Asylum, you
were in error, and that you viii most cheerful
ly make haste to correct It,
RIcHAKD c. PARsoNs.
Cleveland, July IL, 1898.
The above statement of Mr.. Parsons be-
lieve to be correct. No part Of the duty re-
quired Of the Members Of the Legislature iron
this county was more earnestly, cautiously OF
carefully attended to than that portion re-
lating to the Northern Lunatic Asylum. Our
Mr.. Gardner was member of the Committee
on Finance, and every movement made that
might in the slightest degree affect the Asylum
was most earnestly watched by all the members
from our county. The provision made to pay
Indebtedness was only carried through by the
most determined effort. Ii the legislation requi-
red By that institution was not attended to prop
erlv / am conscious no blame should be laid to
the charge of either the Senator or Represents
tive from Cuyahoga county as they most as
suredly did all that could be done under the
circumstances. If things are wrong it is not
the fault of Cuyahoga county members.
JOIN WATSON
Beres, July II, 1858,