Litchfield enquirer., 1868-05-14

privileges of intelligent citizenship. :" It is doubtless the wish of our people that every
 deaf mute, of suitable age in the State,
 should enjoy the benefits of this noble In-
 stitution, which is one of the oldest and
 best managed of it's kind in the United States .. .-.... ...
 Inc whole number of patients in the Re
 treat for the Insane, receiving aid fr@n the
 State during the year, was one hundred
 and nlnety-fve, or forty four less than the previous year. This falling off in the num-
 Der of patients thus aided, is attributable,
 not to any diminution in the number of
 this unfortunate class of persons in the
 State, but to the fact that the orders of al-
 lowance have been strictly confined to the l lndlgent insane, as required by law. Of the
 whole number confined, sixty-two have 1 been discharged during the year, leaving
 the number in the institution on the 1st
 day of April 1868, one hundred and thirty.
 three. An acknowledgment is due the ad.
 mirable manner in which they have dis
 charged their duties and obligations to the State, voluntarily assumed nearly half a century ago, and carried out with the ut-
 most fidelity and good faith During this long period it hes cost the State only $24,- 600 in addition to the actual expenses of in digent patients in the Retreat; and it is questionable whether any State in the Un- ion has derived so many advantages, espe- clally ln the kindly care of the insane and their restoration to health. at so small an outlay of means, as our own State has se- cured by the arrangement originally made with this institution. The completion in part, of the buildings of the General Hos- pltai for the Insane. at Middletown. and the transfer of the State benefciaries to that institution, necessarily terminates the connection of the State with the Retreat at Hartford. In severing this connection I have deemed it proper that some recogni- tion or acknowledgement of the blessings conferred upon our people by thislnoble In stitution, should be made, as most justly due to it's officers and managers. GENERAL HOSPITAL FOR INSANE. ,,..
 In 1865, commission was appointed by the General Assembly to inquire into the number and condition of the insane per sons in the State, and report at their next session. As the result of their inquiries, they reported over seven hundred of this unfortunate class of persons in the State, of which number only about two hundred were provided for in the Retreat at Hart ford, the rest being in the almshouses, and under private management. From consid- erations of humanity and duty to this af- ficted class of persons, the Legislature, in 1866 provided for the establishmentof''T ''The General Hospital for the Insane of the State, to be located by board of trustees selected under the act, anl appropriated thirty-fiye thousand dollars to carry it's pro visions into execution. On the 1st of May 1867 tho board had proceeded so far in the execution of their design, as to fix upon an eligible site Ill Middletown for the location of the institution, appoint competent phys- siclan as superintendent, procure their plans and specifications, and lay the foun- datlon of the principal building or build- ings. Coming into the board at that time, and examining for the first time the plans which had been adopted by the trustees, I was satisfied that the appropriation asked for, at the last session, was wholly inade- quate to the completion of the work, and frankly so stated my views to the members of the board. The trustees will ask an ad- ditional appropriation, at the present ses- sion, to enable them to complete the work, and there are, it seems to me, vital consid- erations why it should be granted When the act was passed creating the board, the necessity for such an institution in the State was fully recognized and appreciated and the trustees were authorized and di- rected to go forward and complete the work without any limitation as to the expense. The design manifestly was to make it an institution which should provide ample ac- commodations for the insane, and at the same time be an honor to the State. The object of the trustees has been to carry out this design, and it Is due to them to. say that the work thus far has been thoroughly done, and that the building, when compile ted, will be a model of strength and dura- bility, and admirably adapted to the ob- jects for which 1t is erected. The State in my judgment, cannot afford to be parsim- onous or niggardly in this matter Build ings of this kind should be of the most sub stantial character, and constructed with view not only to the present but future wants of the State. True economy in the end requires that they should be well built and complete in all their appointments. The trustees have generously devoted much Of their time and attention to the work, which has been pushed forward as rapidly as could have been expected under the cir cumstances. There is no greater or nobler charity than that contemplated by the act creating this institution, and am conf dent you will feel with me the importance of finishing what has been so well begun. The work cannot be delayed without great detriment to the structure, and still great CT injustice to that unfortunate class of our citizens required to be treated in this ins- titution. The able report of the trustees will give you the plans, progress, and ex- pense of the work, with all the details ne- cessary to full understanding of the sub ject, and of the importance and prospective value of the institution to the State. r"
 Reports will be laid before you, showing the condition and management of the Con necticut School for Imbeciles, the Soldiers Orphan Home, Fitch's Home for Soldiers, and the State Hospitals at Hartford and New Haven. These several institutions fare believed to be we'll managed, and enti- tied to the continued confidence and sup port of the State.
 REFORM SCHOOL.
 aThe reports of the Superintendent and Trustees of the State Reform School show that this institution has been especially well managed the past year. The whole number of boys in the school is two hun dred and sixty four, or the same as last year, the number received and discharged being equal. There has been no death in the school during the last two years, and
 but very little sickness, which shows it's
 location to be healthy one, and it's sana- tory management not only good. but ex-