The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1874-04-02

the offender to be punished as required by section
twenty eight chapter one hundred tortythree Vi
the revised statutes.
SEC. 5. If any wlful injury shall be inflicted Nv
any officer attendant OR employee of the hospital,
upon the person Of any patient therein, and know
ledge thereof shall come to the said committee OF
visitors, they shall report the fact Immediately 10
the said trustees aDd superintendent, and If the
superintendent fails forthwith to complain thereof
as required by the statute aforesaid, of the said
visitors shall enter complaint thereof before the
court having jurisdiction Of such offenso and
conviction the offender shall be punished as ply
yided by law And in all trials tor such offenses the
statement Of any patient cognizant thereof shall be
taken and considered for what it may be worth
ana no connected with the hospital shall be al
lowed to sit upon the jury which shall try the
case,
SEC .. In case Of the sudden death Of any patient
in file hospital, under circumstances Of reasonable
suspicion to the innocent cause thereof, Il cor
oner'S inquest shall be held as provided by law in
other eases, and the committee Of visitors shall
cause a coroner to be Immediately notified tor that
purpose.
for the commitment Of any person to the hospital,
the evidence and certificate Of at least res pec-
able physicians based upon due injury and per
sona' examination of the person to whom insanity
is imputed, shall be required to establish the fact
of insanity.
SEC :. II the committee OF visitors shall become
satisfied that any inmate of the hospital has been
unnecessarily and wrongfully committed, or is I'M
necessarily detained and held patient therein
t!leS SHE'LL apply 10 any Judge OIL tle supreme luQI
ciai court or judge of probate within the county
where the restraint exists, writ of habeas cor
pus, who shall issue the same and said in
mate to be brought before him, and after notice to
the party procuring his commitment and a hearing
OF all interested in the question at issue, if satisfied
that such inmate is not proper subject for custody
and treatment in the hospital shall discharge such
inmate from the hospital and restore him to his lib
eTty. But this section shall not apply TO the
OF any person charged with, convicted Of crime
ana uulE committed to the hospital by order OIL
court.
SEC. .. The names Of the committee Of visitors
and their post office address shall he kept posted in
every ward of the hospital and every inmate shall bs
allowed to write when and whatever he may please
to them or either Of them unless otherwise ordered
by Il majority of the committee, IN writing, which
order shall continue In force until countermandei
by said committee in writing. And, for this pur-
pose, every patient, if not otherwise ordered
aforesaid, shall he furnished by the superintendent
on request, with suitable materials fo< writing en-
closing and sealing letters. And the superintendent
shall provide. the expense of the state securely
locked letter boxes easily accessible to all the in
mates to be placed in the hospital into which such
letters can be dropped by the writer thereof No
officer attendant, employee of the hospital shall
ne allowed TO have the means Of reaching The con
tents Of these boxes but the letters In them shall
he collected weekly by some member Of the
mittee, or by such person as the committee may
authorize for the purpose, who shall prepay such
only shall he addressed to some one of the COM
mittee, and deposit them in the post 0hce without
delay.
SEC. 10. 1t is hereby made the duty Of the super
intendent, party having charge of any person
confined on account of insanity, to deliver said
person any letter or writing to him hev directed
without opening or reading the same provided this
letter has been forwarded by the committee or il
directed to such individuals the committee have
authorized To send to receive letters without the
committees inspection.
| SEC H. The hospital shall be visited as often as
nee in every month, by at least one member OF the
onmittec, and this visit shall be made at irregular
nd not at stated periods previous notice, infot-
nation, or intimation thereof shall be given al
lowed 20 the supern tendent, any officer, atten-
dant or employee Of the hospital but as far as
poss bic, all their visits shall be made xpecedly
70 the superintendent and all others having the
are of the hospital and its inmates; in no case
shall the committee be accompanied by any officer
or employee of the hospital when making their
visits through the wards, except upon the special
request OF some one of the committee.
SEC. II. The committee of visitors shall make
report to the governor and council the first day
Of December, annually, and as much oftener as the
welfare of the patients or the public good may re-
quire, setting forth their doings and any facts with
regard to the hospital which they may deem i'm
p0rtant to be laid before the public. The compen-
saton of said committee shall be two dollars each
per day for the time actually spent In visiting the
hospital and actual travelling expenses; provided
the said committee do not receive compensation as
councillors, for the same days in which said official
visits made to said hospitals and their accounts
inclu!i reasonable sum for the letter carrer