The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1859-03-18
The Asylum for Inebriatss.

The application for State appropriation, in
behalf of the proposed State Inebriats Asy:um.
is now pending before the New York Legisla.
ture. There seems to be great difference of
opinion. to the prc"~ le efficacy Of the Institu
ton for accompl. ing the reformation of the
drunkard. bnt there is a general disposition to
give the measure fair trial. Says the Jour
nal of Commerce:
1t has been asserted that men are not to be
found who would voluntarily commit them
selves to an institution for inebrates ; but this
is refuted by the fact that almost before the
foundation stone was laid, there had been 2.sOO
application for admission. of whom according
to DR.. Turner. Corresponding Secretary Of the
N. Y. State 1nebriate Asylum, "more than
four hundred are women in the high walks of
life. educated and accomplished" There ap-
pears to be no room for reasonable doubt on
this point The chief divergence in public
opinion is occasioned by doubts as to the per
manency Of the cures effected by an inebriate
asylum. the belief being prevalent that where
disease has once 80 far ad vanced as to deprive
the individual of selfcontrol, a RELAPSE to for
mer habits would almost inev tobly ensue upon
the removal of external restraints; that organic
changes already wrought in the system, would
defy all attempts at correction.
1t Is to this feature. the pathology of inc.
briefly. that the N. Y. State Asplum prop,ses
the stomach and brain, which is Fl rst constitu
tionai. and then hereditary in it's character
According to DR.. Turner, "tne time and the
only time. when this institution can reach the
inebriate, is when he has lost self control and
The law regards hlm as q dangerous citizen, or
when he can can tie induced to enter the asylum
voluntarily" A large proportion of cases as
ehown by the experience Of some Of our insane
asyiums. may be cured in a year-within whcl,
time the morbid condition of the stomach will
tie removed, and the powers of the constitution
renovated, 80 that the unnatural craving for
artIhcIal stimulants will no longer exist Though
tins Ia the first institution of the kind in exst-
ence specially designed for the treatment of
TINS disease. 1t has the substantial endorsement
Of all the prominent physicians in the State.
The Last Congress-The Post Office Bill.
The House has concurred in the Senate pro-
vision for the reissue of the twenty-three mil.
lions OF Trea sury notes. which gives the Trea-
sury standing credit to tha: amount. and " III
relieve it from serious embarrassment. The
House yielded this point at the last hour to
avoid extra session.
But the House has sacrificed all the mail
steamer appropriations. The various Sennte
amendments to the Civil bill, including a pro
vision for the mail service by the Panama and
!ehuantepec routes to the Pacific were ahan.
~ '"c oS"d1e W save the treasury note
provision. and an extra session.
The existing contracts above mentioned do
not expire till the 30th ofSeptember next. The
important provision for mail service in the
Gulfof Mexico is thus lost. The Post Office
appropriation bill was sacrificed to a point of
tiqnette-nothing more.
The Senate undertook to force the House 70
abolish the franking privilege and to increase
the rates of postage by providing for the same
IN the Post Office appropriation BILL The
House resented this attempt by denying the
right OF the Senate to originate a measure for
the increase Of taxation, and they sent back
the bill upon that objection to it The Com
mittee of Conference proposed a new bill, in
substance. the same that which passed the
House on the 9th February last. The House
adopted this report. but the Senate debated it..
and the hour Of II arriving the session term
mated leaViog the Conferen report unao ed
upon.
Some of the Senators, Messrs Toombs. Ma
son and others, we're as indignant at the pre-
tensions Of the House as the latter body was
ut the assumption Of the Senate. Thus, fer
the first time, Congress leaves the mail service
unrrovided for. 1t cannot be sustained after
the lst Of July.
The question is, whether the President will
deem 1t necessary, for :hIs cause, to call an ex
ira session. Other causes may combine with
this to force an extra session.