The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1859-09-24

.--,EMU KUIFE7I 15,sIrsn1sIpIII Iss.---r'.
Judge Johss61s Of L. eoso1gSG lseilnG
Democrat, and gsnslsnsd = Nc = ki1h. 10
paint efAAilts, = any et1ss1n - essss, y shia
oen party. pAde De lollopi.S ~ 4 the
constitutional cpayeutise Ne Ass - . che
hSsSsion. Wslsonmsad - spooeh - - eArs-
|fd perusal Of such DsmsssAsis editoss and
|sssmpsrs = nil, persist II tytas ahsss shis
IAamlnm: ~ e5 SIS sawa asfsses sses s ss5ss's
NJ. JOHNSTON A this evening ssems to
| be considered good time Tor settling up old
scores, desire 20 say rev words 10 relation to
| q mastsr, in Justice to myself and some Of my
| friends nov absent. speak Of Il because it IL
| important that the truth sho1ld appear ID the
debates OF this conversation do so the more
cheerfslly because there 10 aosiing in the mat
ter Of . persoaal or antiad nature, and, there's
fore, hope the convention viii listen patiently
| % the few words have to say.
The other day, when We had presented to u,
/ the question OF. the permanent location Of the
State Capitol aud the State University at this
time, the gentleman from johnson NJ. Clarke /.
| in speaking OF the different asylams and their
locations in this State, stated that the commits
sioners, Who had located the insane aeylnm ii
| 1t! Pleasant. bad done 90 in violation OF Law.
do not mean that he had sAid that The location
WAS made In violation Of lay, bus that they had
exceeded their powers, and thus acted in viola.
ton OF law. do not suppose that the gentle-
| man from johnson Mr.. Clsrkel intended to
reflect personally upon the conduct Of those
| commissioners.
Iwould not At this time notice the matter,
because have heard something of the kind be-
| fore, unless it had gone irrevocably upon the
! debates of this convention. But being one Of
those commissioners myself think II il not
proper for me to cit here aud listen to this,
without endsavoring to let this convention, and
the world through cur debates, know the truth
about this matter. think It il due 70 myself,
aud to my coleagues-one Of whom is now the
Governor of this State, and another Doctor
Clarke) is a constituent Of the gentleman from
Henry, mr. Clarkel-and It is important, too.
that the people OF this State should know some
thing about this matter. And although it is
net kindred to any report that has been before
| this convention, think it is ~ much 30, and
will be agreeable to members Of this conven-
ton, - what we have already heard here This
evening. a ssseg
In the winter of 1854 and 1866, the legisls-
ture Of this Stste made an appropriation OF fifty
thousand dollars to commence the building Of
an insane asylum. The limitation was Fixed At
fifty thousand dollars, but . mere commence
ment OF the building was contemplated. The
Governor Of the State, DR.. Clarke, aud myself,
were appointed commissioners; and in accord
Apce with the direction OF the legislature, We
proceeded to the East Tor the purpose Of exam
lining other institutions Of similar kind through
the States. We found that ths legislature
had had very little idea of what was actually
needed for such an institution, and indeed We
ourselves had no idea OF the magnitude OF the
OF MI tad fhn p,oe nrNino pt
aui horities in relation to that mAtter-Among
others, Doctor Eirkb-ight Of Philadelphia, and
Doctor Bell, of Boston-we were advised by
them not to attempt to erect any building for
City thousand dollars They told Us further,
that it was impossible TO erect proper building
Of this kind, unless it was erected as whole
az entirety. ,.&sH,t i5lfFa 50 aT-
This was in the spring of 1855. Prior to that
time the commissioners had received letters
| from every part OF the State. We heard that
there were human beings in this State bowling
and CRASHING their teeth in all the uBgoyernabe
| phrenzy OF madness and insanity. That there
we're CHAINED by the legs in oul-houses, and
otherwise disposed Of, in the most miserable
condition, at least one hundred or one hundred
| and Fifty people all over this State. And the
question forced itself upon the commissioners,
whether they would abandon the attempt for the
time and wait until the session of the legislature
| tor 1856 an 81, before they would do anything
| in regard to the matter, or take the RESPONSE
| bty upon themselves Of building such build.
! ing as the wants Of this unfortunate class Of
! people demanded and the dignity and the honor
of the State required In view Of the situation
| Of these unfortunate beings. the commissioners
determined to take the responsibility OF building
such building according 70 the most approved
plan, and the latest model Of construction. The
I -, had
/ appropriated fifty thousand dollars they met
III extra session the following December. And
the same legislature, upon being informed YER
| bAlly, for the commissioners had not time to
make out report, Of the situation Of the insane
throughout the State, and the importance of
having different building from that they had
contemplated, this legislature repealed the linn
itation which had been before placed upon the
commissioners and made another appropriation
| of fifty thousand dollars. .a=.-
| Now the commissioners did not act in VIOLA
ton d !ay, There had ben nothing done up
! to that time bV the commissioners, but what
could have been repealed by the legislature, aug
nothing been lost. And again in the last ees-
sion OF the legislature . report was made by the
commissioners to the legislature, stating ali the
facts, somewhat in the same manner AS have
stated them here, this evening. And that legis-
lature made another appropriation OF forty thou
| sand dollars. And the only reason they did not
make an appropriation OF one hundred thousand
| dolluss was that there We're constitutional re-
strictiuns as they supposed, against going over
the sum of forty thousand dollars.
I This is the truth Of this matter, and desire to
have it 90 upon the record along with what has
| been said by the gentleman from johnson, Mr..
Clarke.l take pleasure in saying. that do
| not suppose that the gentleman had any inten-
4 a.. Itr fh.lp
| ers. But when the statement was make that
the commissioners bad acted in violation Of law,
is was important that should get up in my
| place here, and MAKE the statement l have
made. would have done 90 before; would
have done so A. the time, but the previous ques-
ton was called, aud have not had an opportu.
| nifty since until now.
/ There is another matter should like 10 speak
of very briefly, not because it relates to me
personally, but because it is matter OF public
interest. refer to the location OF these asy-
lums. There was something said in the debates
here about all these institutions being located in
the southern part Of the State. There Was an
| attempt, as thought, to array one portion OF
this convention against the other on that ground.
| Now let me say that it will not be leng before
| the State will require another insane asylum.-
There are, ut this moment, in the State, one
hundred and fifty persons who ought to De in
/ mates Of hospital for the insane. And two
hundred or two hundred ard fifty persons are
4 al that eau be Accommodated in one building
And but few years will pass away before we VIII
require another in the northern part OF the
State, BECAUSE it is web known that great injury
results TO this class Of persons BY being carried
q great distance. ea4ss1.sn f
Now another word in regard 10 the expense
1t was said that this building vas expensive
gentlemen emphasized that great DEAL II
true that go far as regards dollars and cents
that building is expensive. But 1t is Just th'
kind Of building that class Of sufferers demand
led, and no other building would answer thu
purpose. 1t ISIS building planned BY the highes
authority in this country in those matters. ADJ
ills building which We will DO proud Of in th'
future. ~. .....y. l.,..-....
Now let me say enc word about these build
ines, aud then will dismiss this whole sa1)eel
We lind that NO building Of the kind can b
properly constructed in Ibis country for les
than two hundred Thousand dollars Or Two hun
dred and fifty thousand dollars; that y tn
lowest amount 6xed by medical superintendent
} Of the insane, aud some go even beyond that