The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-11-22

State Charitable GnSfitufiOns-hctio
Of the Military ConrnissiOE-Bnfe-
resting Facts,

PURSUANT 10 Specal DrdcT NO. Zi4,
military commission, composed of the
Lunatic Asylums DrS. Brewer and Strib-
| lng). the superintendent Of the Deaf,
Dumb, and Blind Asylum (Major j. {.
| CoVelD, Mr.. J. w. Lewcllcn Of Richmond,
| The medical director Of the First Military
| District (Dr. Moore), and the surgeon in
| charge of Towards Grove Hospital DIR.
| De Lamater], met in this city on the 18th
! instant 10 take into consideration the finar-
! .ial condition and present necessities OF the
| Abovc-namcd institutions, and to submit
n estimate Of the means required to meet
/ heir necessities until the Legislature Of the
state shall bc enabled to act upon the qucS-
| ion.
| The commission were further instructed
% consider the subject of making tempo
rary provision for the insane and the deaf,
and dumb. and blind, of the State not pro-
vided for in the asylunS, and report suggcs-
tons in relation thereto.
The commission organized by calling DR..
Stribling to the chair and appointing DR..
! Brewer secretary.
WESTERN ASYLUM.
DR.. Stribling. from the Western Asylum,
-avc IN interc>tin" account OF the institu-
tion under his charge, and the management
Of its inmates. He had about three hun
drcd and forty patients always on hand, the
places of those discharged being promptly
| iiiled by new subjects DR.. ;. had been
compelled to reject the applications of
cightv-one lunatics-ffty-li females and
tWcnty-siX malcs-i0r want of accomm0-
dationS. Some Of that number had pro-
| badly cone to aSylums in other States, whilst
Others were provided for by their friends ut
home, or confined i'll county prisons. The
LEGISLATURE had annually appropriated
$50 900 to the Western Asylum, besides the
amount received from paying patients,
which was Just sufficient to meet its cN-
pcnses.
The commission then resolved to recon-
mend appropriations to meet the expenses
of the various institutions, foT six months
OF the present fiscal year, beginning the l>t
| October, 1869.
GA motion, an appropriation of $50, 900
was recommended Tor the Western Asylum.
EASTERN ASYLUM.
Or. Brewer stated that the Legislature
had annually appropriated $1,000 for his
asylum. and that he asked no increase for
the present year. He had about 30 patients,
none Of whom were able to pay. We're the
buildings and grounds in complete order,
SO 900 would pay the current expenses, but
that wa, hot the case. Besides the destruction
Of property incident 10 its occupancy by
the two cOntcndng armies during the late
war. no repairs were made from 1912 until
! 1868, and. as Il consequence. the buildings
became dilapidatcd, the furniture broken
and destroyed. the watcr-tiXtrrcS worn out
and useless, the waStc-pipes obStrlcted, and
the basement Of the asylum submerged i'll
water.
Out ofthe annual appropriation, not only
the buildings, but the grounds, had been
improved and bcuutiticd. new sources Of
attraction for The inmates had been pro-
cured, and he hoped and believed that most
Ot tho needed improvements could be fin
iShcd this year, and paid for out OF the an
nual appropriation. The asylum was filed
TO its utmost capacity, and he had heen
compelled TO reject the applications OF forty
ltmatics who desired admission.
DR., Stribling concurrcd i'll all that had
hccn said relative to the previous and pre-
sent condition Of the Eastern Asylum. and
complmentcd Or. Brewer very highly on
his admirable management and sound judg-
! iIent. None knew save those who had the
work to do the thousand and one repairs
and alterations necessary to insure the
health and comfort Of the unfortunate per-
sons confined in the asylum. lie thought
the annual appropriation small enough for
the present, and hoped the usual amount
would be recommended.
The commission thereupon recommended
| III appropriation ol Iop,oOU Itl SIN IuONlnS.
DEAF AND DUNE AND BLIND.
Major J. c. Covell, the superintendent,
gave an interesting account OF his helpless
charge, and the embarrassmcnts under
which he labored, for want OF proper lcgis
lation. He now had Us scholars entered
for this year, each of whom, for feeding.
clothing, etc, would cost $500.
Before the war this institution received
an annuity of $4,000, gold value, which
gave about $500 each for the pupils. Since
| the war 81, coo in currency only had been
| supplied and to meet the current expenses
| he had been compelled TO draw on the trea-
sury in advance, until there is now left but
10000 to meet the demands of the present
fiscal year. lie asked an appropriation OF
| 81 800 to meet the expenses of the current
quarter ending 3lst December, and the like
sum to meet the expenses OF the quarter end
ing 3lst March, 1870.
On hearing all the facts, and estimating
the increased cost of all the neccsSarlcS Of
life, the commission recommended that an
appropriation of $4,000 be made to this
institution.
| DEAF, DUMB, AND BLIND UNPRovIDED FOR.
Major Covell reported that he knew Of
none of this class Of persons. When the
Legislature meets he designs urging the
establishment Of Il permanent home ut the
Asylum for such of the blind pupils as may
desire to remain there and be useful. The
educated deaf and dumb could generally
provide for themselves.
THE INSANE UNPRovIDED FOE.
Drs. Stribling and Brewer, after full and
free conference, came TO the conclusion that
there were about fifty achite lunatics in the
State who had not been provided fer. Of
col0red lunatics there were now ABOUT 80
unprovided for by the State, and forty in the
Eastern Asylum. This number, it was
feared, would be largely increased by the
suffering and starvation of the coming win
| ter.
OF the $50 lunatics referred to above, II
were now confined in Howard's Grove Hos
pital, and provided for by the Freedmen's
Bureau, but General Howard himself could
not tell at what moment that institution
would be closed, and the unfortunate luna
tics be thrown upon Richmond city and
Henrico county, OF upon the State. Of the
II lunatics now in hospital, some few were
residents of other States, and these, with
the aged and the decrepid, would be taken
to the National Hospital at Washington.
The remainder of the 130 colorcd lunatics
are in the county jails, where many Of them
are kept in chains and badly cared for for
want of proper accommodations.
The commission carefully considered the
| best means of providing for the unfortunate
beings alluded to, Both of the asylums