Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-04-21

grounds:
l. That in selecting a site for the location
of said asylum, the trustees d;d not rive
any examination st all to three a.
least OF the sites offered to be donated by
the county Of Madison and only a eatrsory
glance at one or two Others. and thus coald
notform a correct judgments of the eIieibiI
ity of the various sites. -
=. Ihat the elShthc ongressional district
consisting Of nine out of the twenty-oDe
counties in West Tennessee, was not ner-
United TO have any voice in said Location.
). That one at least of the trustees was
directly interested in securing the location
of said Asylum at Humboldt.
a. That The site selectedIis situated Inn
medla1eiy on the border Of the swampso of
forked Deer river, whereas the sites offered
in Madison county were an from II IN Z
miles distant from any swami al all
), That the lands offered by Na5ison
county were all easy Of access nom fhe
railroads, and sufficiently distant I'd he out
of reach and hearing Of the noise biisfIs
and confusion always attending A larps
railroad crossing, which is not the case with
the site selected, as il is almost immediate
ly on the railroad. That the sites rendered
by Madison county fulfill every requirement
OF the law-eTel, rich, well timbered and
highly improved, with clear streams If
never falling water, fed by the purest of
freestone springs running through each
site.
o. That the city Of Jackson and Madison
county are, without dispute, the healthiest
portion OF West Tennessee, there having
never been here a case of yellow fever. or
cholera, on. epidemic OF any kind, and that
hundreds of the citizens of Memphis and
other points have, during the prevalence of
epidemicS in their own homes, fed 10
Jackson and remained here in safety.
Z. That the fact seems to have been To-
nored in selecting the site aforesaid as 10
the intrinsic value of the lands proposed to
be donated to the State for the purpose. as |
none Of the lands Madison county offered
to donate in fee simple can be purchased
for less than $4,000 to $4,000, and would
have cost Madison county that much to
have given them.
In view Of al the facts set forth, and a
great many other reasons which are too
yoluminoas to record here, we, the Board
Of Mayor and Aldermen Of the city of Jack
son, IN tehalf Of or people and of the
people OF Madison county, and OF the
eighth Congressional district do most
respectfully pray your Excellency
that before approving the said
location at Humboldt, you would, if
if consistent with your duty, cause a more |
careful examination to be made Of all the
various sites, in al the counties. offered 10 |
be donated 70 the State for the purpose
aforesaid; and il upon a full and impartial
investigation being made, the location is
decided adversely to this county, we will
submit to it with a great deal of cheerful
ness.
In granting the prayer Of this petition.
your Exeellency Will deserve and receive
thanks of all right thinking men. and voGIr
petitioners will ever pray, etc.
Adopted unanimously and Alderman i.
c. Pybas was ordered TO proceed 10 NASH
vile and lay petition before Gov. brown,
IN pelsGn, and 10 repTesent the Board be-
fore him. j. A. ARHaNGrOS,
X. W. MAY, Recorder. Mayor.
ACTION OF THE COUNTY COURT OF HAv- !
WOOD. \
STATE OF TENNESSEE, HAYWOOD
CoyEFY-CGVETY CGURT, APRm TERsi, |
lsI4.=In the matter-of the application of
suhdry citizens Of this city and county for
an asylum for tn. insane for West Tennes-
see as contemplated by an act of the Legis-
lature, it appearing to the satisfaction of
III E|tAA NANfA ~ GU oCNFAAI -AIE- hLLIAu /
the prescribed limits. IS mentioned in said
act, which would be suitable for such lOca-
ton, said sites Possessing All the natural
advantages requisite, healthy, with an
abundance Of puFe water, accessible. with
good tillable land, and well timbered. Il
IS Therefore ordered 10y TIE cGg.t that the
suR Of ten thousand dollars be.
and the same IS hereby appropriated.
for the purpose Of securing such
site, to be paid in five annual payments of
two thousand dollars each, said payments
TO commence as soon as the Said ssylum
Tor the insane shah have been located OIL
one of the sites near brownsville, but this
appropriation is made upon the condition
that said asylum shall be located in HAY
wood county near Brownsville, and until
the same is located, as above, no paTt of
the said ten thousand dollars shall be paid
out, and in the event said asylum Is not
located nsar the city Of Brownsville. as
contemplated by this order. within the pre-
scribed limits Of said act Of the Legislature.
this order and appropriation shall be null
and void
In 4ies on the Importance OF selecting a
suitable and proper location, the Governor,
upon whom the duty of approving the Sc
lection devOlves, invited to accompany him
DR.. Calender, the Superintendent of the
State Insane Asylum, DR.. Vim. \. Cheat
ham, who was for many wears previous to
the Federal OGcupauOn-Orthi city, the pop
ular and efficient Superintendent OF the
State Asylum, DIR. Jones, who succeeded
DR.. Cheatham during the war by appoint
ment of Gov. johnson, and DR.. Atehison,
who has been fox several years chairman Of
the Board Of Trustees for The Asylum. The
following communication prepared by the
Governor for the consideration of these gen
tlemen, viii explain the views which he
enteTtains of the duties deyOlvcd upon him 4
10y TIC act Ofth6 General Assembly: {
LETTER OF GOVERNOR.
EXECUTIVE OFFICE, NASHVILLE,
Tenn, April IL, IS74-Gentlemen: As I
You are already aware, the General Assem- '
bly, of Tennessee, at its last session, by an J
act approved the 22d Of March, lsT3, chap
ter 46, entitled IAN Act to establish addi-
tiOnal Hospitals for the Insane" provided c
among other things for the erection of a I
Hospital for the Insane in West Tennessee.
. certified copy of that act is herewith d
transmitted to you, marked A, for your in =
Z
For the discharge OF the duty imposed
upon the Executive BY the first and third e
sections, DIR. WE Rodgers, of Shelby, Geo. b
w. Day, Of Gibson, and Col. John a. 4
Gardner, of Weakley county, were APP u
Directors ito select and build a b
for the Insane in West TenneS- n
See" Two OF the Directors have reported d
Inc selection of a site by them, at or near o
The other Commissioner has n
lied a dissenting report. Copies of each b
herewith submitted, marked respect
vely b and @.
4 clause in the second section Of the act
"The farm, or tract, so selected,
hall be reported to and dpproUed 6y the
GOrerROT, III tvritiRg, before the purchase
money shall be paid" e
Under any construction ofthe act, theDi- ~
are clothed with the sole power to
and recommend sites. The Governor =
.annot select. lie can only dpprOre, or l.
lisapprove of sites selected by ~ Directors.
/ would be -OiliciOusness, and an unwar-
anted usurpation of the powers lodged by
aw with the Directors, were the GovsrnOr Al
o do more than determine whether a site "
and recommended by them, met "
lie requirements Of the act, and the objects u
Intended. Therefore, | propose to examine W
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