The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-01-29
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The Governors Message. No. =.

! CARDS of primary importance, is the
! West Virginia Hospital for the Insane,
| located at Weston, whose Board OF
\ Managers, appointed by himself, he
says are gentlemen of integrity and ef-
! ticiency, and who confidently expect by
next June, to have room for one hun
dred additional patients, and accom-
| plish it with the appropriations already
| made. But 1t also appears, he saws, by
their report, that there are now pend
ing more than eighty applications OF
| parties who are still waiting for vacant
I room for their accommodation: and
| that 1t is not probable their number
| will decrease SO that when accommo-
dations are provided for these, there
| will still be no provision Tor the one
hundred of this unfortunate class of
| people who are yet in AsyIums in Vir-
| ginia, and therefore, he feels it his duty
| to recommend a liberal appropriation
FOR the purpose of proceeding as rapidly
! as possible with the construction of the
| Institution; and also that II will be ne
cessary in estimating for the support of
the insane, to make provisions for
those remaining in the Hospital of Vir-
! ginia, being one hundred as before
stated. Upon this plausible statement,
l see committee of the House have
reported bill for appropriating $780,
0O0 more.
I see from the Auditors, report that
the Governor, to make up the ''estima-
| ted ordinary expenses for the current
year, from 1st of October last TO ISt of
october next includes $50, coo, balance
| remaining unpaid of appropriations
made last winter for the Penitentiary
and Hospital; which reduces the ''or-
| dinary expenses" proper, as estimated
| for the current year, to S27l, ,l5O Ii
items like these, S75, 900 for Hospital,
to cost near half million, as is doubt
less contemplated by its managers, and
| $4,000 toward erecting a Penitentiary
10 cost no one knows how much, are to
what amounts and what objects will
constitute our extraordinary expenses
As this Hospital is the only import
ant public work our authorities nave
had in charge before the Peniteutiary
was commenced, 1 propose to state
some facts in relation 10 II.
The Legislature by act passed the 22d
Of March ISIS; Session acts lS57-5
page III incorporated the Luna
tic Asylum of Western Virginia, ap-
pointed nine Directors and Commission
ers to select and purchase a site not to
exceed 800 acres, and construct u COM
modious house or houses tit for receiv-
ing and accommodating persons in
sane" provided the whole expense
thereof. site and buildings, should not
| exceed 81, 600. The Legislature of 49,
go appropriated 100000 more, to be
pau Al L"O aHnual lLSEalUnGnLS OIL A-gO.-
600. Session acts 1853 90, page los.
The Legislature of the Re-organiZed
Government by act of Jan. 27Th 1868,
Session acts 1868 page p, appropriated
$40, 900 to be expended in completing
and finishing the south wing and the
balance on the main building. The
Legislature of the New State has ap-
propriaIed, as follows, toward its CON
struction, Viz= in 1851, SO 600; in 1865
$1,000 ana in 1866, S75, 600; making
the aggregate appropriations for pur-
chasing the site and constructing the
building S26O,OOO which have already
been made; and it Is proposed by the
present Legislature TO appropriate $780,
200 more, making a grand total of
$40, 600. This VIII be quite an enlarge
ment of the original plan contemplated
by the Old State which limited all cost
to SIS, coo in 1855.
1t does seem that the Legislature
should Investigate carefully into the
whole matter before they appropriate
more money to this object. No State OF
the age, size and ability of ours has ap-
propriated as much as we have already
for similar object, while we at the
same time, have all our other Public
Buildings to erect.
I learn from the Governors Message
OF JAN 1865, that after being delayed In
consequence of the Rebels stealing
blankets, &c, the Hospital was finally
opened for receiving patients the 18th
OF Nov. 1864, and all those that had been
in the Hospital of Ohio, and those in the
jails of this State were collected and put
therein, leaving the 100 still in the Hos
pitfalls of Virginia.
Let US next see with what economy
and efficiency the affair has since been
managed. There was appropriated by
the first legislature OF the New State,
December Z, 1868, for those then expect
ed to be in the hospital 81 500: in 1854,
for the support OF the insane, $40 900; in
1865, SIC, 600; in 1856, the last legislature
appropriated as follows: For the
current expenses of the West Virginia
Hospital for the fiscal year 1866, S16,-
000." For expense of lunaticS contin-
ed in jails and carrying them to hos
pital, S. ,0OO." "For the support of the
Iun4tics in the Virginia hospitals, S23,-
OOO;" making 81, 600 for their support
one year.
BY the Auditors last report, he esti-
mates for the present fiscal year, which
the Governor endorses, S20, 600 TO meet
the current expenses of the hospital;
S23, ,7O0 to support the insane in the VIr-
ginia hospital; and 5000 to support
those still remaining in our iails, max
ing a total of SIS, 700, which is to be
drawn from the treasury the present
year to support our insane, besides the
profit aud income of the; hospital farm,
and rent of buildings that have already
cost rising $500, 600, the interest on
which, added to The money to be paid
out, will amount TO over sixty thou
sand dollars 10 support our insane the
present year.
do not know the number of patients
in the hospital and jails, but the Gov
eruor has told US that there are one hun
dred in the Virginia hospitals at Staun
ton and Williamsburg; So, 200 distribu-
ted among that number Will give to
each S237 90 year, and 81 50 per week
The estimate for those at homeI in the
hospital and jails, is S25, 600, and whoev-
er knows their nam bercan readilymake
the figures as to them. Ihappen to have
the annual report of the Trustees OF the
State Lunatic Hospital at Worcester,
Mass, for 1850, one of the best conduct
ed in the country, and owned and man
aged exclusively by the State The
trustees d K the price OF board, the first
of each fiscal year, and it is fixed for 1850
at IS 90 per week, for the first six
months after entering the establish
ment, and - 20 per week afterward.
The cost of living, generally Is greater
now than then, but is always much
higher in Massachusetts than in West
Virginia. No patients are received into
that hospital, except by request Of
friends or overseers of the poor; in both
cases sufficient bonds are required to be
given TO the treasurer to pay all ex-
peuse and damage done; or by order OF
the courts, in which cases security Is re-
quired on the patients property, il he
has any, and II not, the town in which
he has his legal settlement is held re-
sponsibIe TO pay. By this means and
proper management otherwise, the in
sfitution supports itself. It had at the
close of the year 1850, 33I patients.
Chapter IS OF the code of 1850, which