The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-01-20
Tho Lunatio Asylum.

my ii.disposition to appear in tho public
prints, 1t Is due to my honor that should
ADOPT tho present means Of exoulpating my
sell from the responsibility, which you said
editor1ally, yesterday, in an article entitled
Another Swindle Exrosed-.The Lunatic
Asylum and Coal," attaches to "some of the
regents" OF that institution.
The hiatory OF the transaction Won alluded
to Is succinctly this, so fer 40 am concerned: !:
At meeting OF the Board OF Regents. held
ON the 9Th OF September last, DR.. Ensor. the
superintendent OF the Asylum, ma de report.
IN which, amongst other matters. he called
attention to the fact that.a quantity OF coal
had been delivered at the asylum without his
order, and without the knowledge of the
steward, and added, that iIlasmuoh as the
transaction 'wss directly in violation OF the
py-iaws. which require all purch ases for the
.nissIlntlon 70 oe made under the direction Of
tue superintendent. he wished the Board to
adopt some certain practice on the subject. in
ingly. '' :
Taylor and Orews. claiming that they had
heeA appointed by ths Board COMMITTEES for
this purpose, had furnished the coal in a
quantity nAld to amount to LOO tons. Having
no no., teco1eotion OF the appointment Of any
such committee, and being in possession Of
no o!9plai information to that effect. I noti-
fed the Board that should withhold nv an.
proval OF the bill when it was prescpted: but
moved that when the bill for the freigM Of
the GOAL was presented, the Superintes esaent
be authorized to endorse the approval Of the
Boaru upon the Notwithstanding this aa
simple act OF Justice to tho South Carolinx
railroad Company, which had furnished the
transportation. '-'o
Ihls motion vas adopted, and, Immediately
afterwards, ] offered the following resolut;on.
Mhefeas the meaning Of Section G. OF the
bylaws adopted by the Board OF Regents for
the &Ryernment OF this institution, seems TO
haveDeen misinterpreted heretofore:
+ Resolued, That hereafter The Board x,,, not
pay any oilis Tor the supplies Of the institu-
tion, the purchase Of which was not author
izsd 10 writing by the Superintendent.
upon the passage of this resolution cslle d
the yeas and nays. and it was lost by vote of
yeas 2, nays 4-one other regent and mvseif
voting in the affirmative
Inls virtually ended the transaction. 90 far
as am concerned. Neither officially. nor
otherwise, do know how, or when, the com
make tho purchase Of the coal was appointed. /.
Nor 90 now know OF whom, or by whom. it
was pought; how much OF 1t was delivered at
the asylum, or TO other parties, il any at all;
whetiior II has bosn paid Tor 10y the asylnm, or
by anybody else; or how much, if any. ia on
hand noW-excePt 30 far as 1 have derived MY
Information on these subjects from tho COM
nunication Of DR.. Ensor, published in your
issue OF yesterday.
have been present at every meeting Of the
which has been held during the past twelve
months; and. whilst courting the most rigid
scrutiny OF all my official acts, l appeal to the
record to prove that, in the discharge OF my
duties, have been actuated wholly by the
most sincere desire t0 promo TO the best into
| rests OF an institution which appeals alike to
private and public hum anity for its projection
anu maintenance HENRY SPARNICK.