Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-11-18
Protecting the Insane.

0 !
ton of the am ndments proposed by the
special committee.
The committee proposed to strike out
that part of section second which allows
patients TO write letter, to other persons
than the board Of commissioners, provided
such letters are first sent to said board of
inspection.
Mr.. Bovnton. of Woodstock. said he
>ympathized with the feeling of this House
in regard to this bill. lie could not, how
ever, favor the bill. and for reasons that
he wished to state ut this time. He then
Intercepted the chairman of the special
committee rs to some of the provisions of
the bill, and drew from him the statement
that public and private hospitals and aSy-
lums for the insane of the state referred to
Just such Il hospital As We now have, which
is mixed in its nature, being partly public
and partly private: that the statute dctin-
cd no lrga1 dutie, for the trustees, superin-
~tcnicnt. officers. attendants and employees,
and that the present insane asylum
was under the direction of Il board of
trustees; that other states have considered
that they hal power to interfere with the
duties of the officer of their insane asvlums
and hal enacted substantially the provis-
ions of this bill. and without any detri-
ment to the institutions. He then said he
did not see what power the Legislature
had over the the affairs of the Brattleboro
Insane Asylum. any more than over the
affairs of any other corporation III the
state. He said the officers of that %institu-
ton are under the direction of the bylaws
of the Institution. and not under the di-
~rcction Of the Legislature. He then object
ed to the right of the Legislature to send
commissioners to Brattlrboro with power
TO discharge any superintendent, officer,
Attendant or employee. He said the Brat
llcboro asylum is Il private corporation
chartered toI' 4 special purpose. and has
f an individuality independent of any out-
side Interference. 1t WAS endowed by Il
benevolent l,dv, and her endowment has
been Increased and is perpetuated by
the trustees having the management of
. the Institution to the present day. lie
then referred to the difference between
lpublic and private im>titution.-ovcr one
class the Legislature has perfect control :
over the other no control at all.
: Mr.. Bolnton said that the institution,
having lis Foundation in private charity,
htl ali the rights of 4 private corporation.
and the lady might have retained in her
own right all the vi>itorial powers of the
Institution. or transmitted it to the trustees
Y who succeeded in the thereof
but She preferred to put such vi>itorit.
|. powers in the Judges OF the Court of Chan
Gerry. and there alone these power, ;tnc
rir.t> are vested today; amt the Lrgl>Et
turc has no power or control Overtime mat
ter. II this Legislature has any more power
over the mat CT today than 1t had at TIT
time it was chartered, 1t must have beel
acquired by the state. and must exist u,
> reason of the additions TO the endowment
which have been made 10y the state SIM,
he original endowment. The state 0
Vermont has at various times donatt'
about $4,000 to thi- Institution. bat under
= no restrictions or reservations except
L lien on lie institution for rtimbur>emrn
II of the fun! in ease an emergency should
tri-r in viii Ii we should wish to with
draw the fund. We have not acquire,
any vi~iturial powers, or rights over til
- institution 10y reason of any such dont
II ton. but such Ni~i(orial powers still re
Il. main in tIr Cuurt "f Chlncrry. This b
1t ovrtriucs all the rights of thi~ institution
and we have no m'rc power To aIthorIA
pf | butrJ OF commissioners to 20 To Battle
,ut boro and punish OF di>ylltr-r the officer
II that Institution than We have to sen
y that board into any private family in I'll
Sc state. Thtt is tine : Olr of this Dill IN
X exercising poWcl~ that do not belong I
he STATE originally, and have never bee
acquirr hy ~. H.. desired some one
" tell him when the state of Vermont I,
iuircd ANY vi>itoritl powers over the II
-|titutiou ut Brtttlebpro, and until tn.
N ION i answered. he had no mo:e
-, -lv on he subject
VA MIR. Henry. of Chester. said the ln-,itl
= -: - " .., ,..+i..,, aud al ,,I-t,,lt
charters are under the control of Il
ON. Legislature 10 alter. amend or repeal
J. the pahlir good now require; AMI thepl
lie good HOW requires the amtndmcn
'hd PROPOSED in this bII. Another reason +
Tie passage, Of this bill i the right OF Il
,h. state to protect il own citizens; amt lac
: 4 class of unfortunate" citizens That 4
ILL., incarcrrAtcl in the institution nj Braltl
lei ooru and ATE beyond the protection tn
the they have I rirlt /" Receive from the on
am i'd world. All the evidence that h
been pro- lurrd 10y the committee I" lnvt
t'' tiratr lhr affairs OF tlat Institution. can
from the officers and attendants of I
y. Institution itself. AMI i Il bad cnou.
ON showing FIR the infringement of the In
tuition. He did not claim that the pre>c
'N Superintendent WAS Is hlrd-iietrt"d ~ h
ap- been his predecessors: he Thought that |
ion der the present management perhaps
NJ nrr, have no fears for the oppression
the inmates: hut he may he >uptrcct
- bv = man les human. and one over VIII
fll- the state should have Just the control 4:
linz cI this bill. He thought the lcLi>latl
II nluht To have the control Of these matt
hcrcn :. curci.
7'" MIR. Iolutun. of Woodstock. rtpl
III that there IS II" dWcliin" in Vermont il
which there i not Il lcLal method of
~. tanning entrances; and Just 80 win
~, institution III lirtttlcboru. The doer-
i'f opcn to every conner Just II freely
any private dwelling. and the lr
+ methods OF Obtaining access are just
applicable to this institution Il to Il PRIV
dwelling. That asylum Is free ior
Judges of tn courts and the people
walk into in Il legal manner but we {
not creep in by any back door OF le%i-
tive enactment, composed of physic
he III a LAWYER and Il Woman
Mr.. Buell.. Of Middlctown. said We Ii
:, ri"lt To protect the Wnturtunate> of
-tatr. an the provisions of this bill
H.. u wholesome. and we have the RIGHT to
and that we Will give to the inmates OF
ould nsNlHm the protection herein arcofic'
river diem
NJ. Martin, of Londonderry, sud
" to his mlnu there are olJrclloh> 10 lnle
When we have constituteda board of C
m~i-sioncrs. and they 90 to Brattleb
that board will he met at once with
"''' objection that they have no right to e
wing the department, of Il public corpora
.li.r: aultsS the officers of that institution 50
to allow them to do 50. There were II
reasons why thebill ought not to pass.
uh'li moved that the bill be dismissed.
Mr.. Wells. of CRANKY, said If We
n h no control OF TIN, mstltutloh' he h"le,'
nix it s,"ui' l'Ne 'n '"'n m' Ta
~ in hn1a ,hn .nn,rnj Which Immunity dem
we better at once set about building Il