The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-03-01
TIVE DISPATCH BUILDING rs ON go To-
VERNON sTREEr, NEAR TO n,spA Tcsy
NEARLY opposITE THE OLD DisfAAon
CORNER. -.
- u,,,n.. ..h.rr Lanatle Asylum.

IN. wili.m.bars Lanatic Asylum.
y,hsa been no novelty during the last rev
,,.,hs IN hear strong and forcible complaints
90 ,hnses alleged to exist In the control ana
...,,rement of the Eastern Lunatic Asylum,
"a the appointment Of joint committee OF
','u uouses Of the General Assembly to con.
-. i,s condition caused y general and wide
a.a s,tisfaction The joint committee have
~, presented their report, and 1t will be
s,a % sxpose the operations OF system OF
Item malyersation far worse and more deli
,.-,,a than any that the least sanguine
,a"n1st ms had looked for or anticipated.
Tho committee state that, from the evidence
ZION ;. Il is manifest that The patronage and
Offices OF the Asylum have been perverted to,
.,and used for, party and political purposes !"
that LExrEL G. BowDEs, the President,
:. holds an office Of trust under the United
estates Government; {. e., as assistant col
..,ector. which not only takes him from Will
% iamsburg, but i n the opinion Of the commit
% tee. yscates his Office Of Director" They then
rs,ort that several Of the Directors have re-
moved from Williamsburg, while others have
not signified their acceptance of their commits
s;ons and that, IL not impracticable, 1t is very
announcement, to get legal board OF three TO
oxamine and receive patients so that the ma
;ority of patients have been necessarily taken In
nv the superintendent in an illegal manner, he
relying on the future course Of the Board for the
ratification of his actions. Also, that within
Williamsburg, or within eighteen miles there.
of there are not five Directors to constitute a
legal business Board and the business has gene
rally, therefore, either been transacted without
warrant Of law, or left altogether unattended
10.
The committee state that radical change
in the administration Of the asylum is neces-
sary, or instead of its being home and
hospital for the cure and maintenance of
"our unfortunate fellow creatures, it will con-
..tinue to be made a machine TO be used by
.sthose having its control to reward friends
cor purchase Offices" Supplies and moneys
belonging to the asylum have been improperly
DISPOSED of, and the committee are of the
opinion that it is the duty of the Directors to
hold the person or persons responsible there
for to settlement by civil proceeding, if not
otherwise accounted for.
II appears that the records Of the institution
have been mutilated, "and the proceedings for
"aconsiderable length of time have been taken
2aWay, anu INV III thC SuotOu9 Va AALNhA
IN. BowDES, of Norfolk city, who exhibited
ga portion of them to the committee, and de-
cleared his purpose TO retain them for his own
"yindicaton-saying that his superior, one
"Dr. WATSON (appointed to office by Cover
"nor PEIRPoINT before the close of the war;
chad ordered him to take charge of and keep
chem" The committee suggest that unless
these records are surrendered to the Directors,
steps should be taken by them, by civil or
criminal proceedings, to compel the surren-
"der of them, or to punish the offender"
The committee, believing that a reformation
In the management of the institution might
be effected by a change of Directors, made
special report TO the Governor upon the sub
ject They state that there are in Williams
burg gentlemen of the highest character
''who have not been, and could not be, in
"duced to be parties to the unfortunate
"squabbles had over the spoils of the asy-
"lum,'' and that they understand that the
Governor has commissioned q new Board.
They hope that the abuses complained OF
"will be cured, and the rights Of the asylum to
property and records alluded to, be looked
Into and redressed."
The committee were unable to get all the
testimony they desired, and therefore asked
for the permission to visit the Lunatic Asy-
lums, and the Deaf and Dumb, and Blind
Asylums, during the vacation, with power TO
send for persons and papers