Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-11-17
THE VERMONT ASYLUM.
Of the late Report OF the Com
missioner of the INSANE,
ny THE OFFICERS OF THE INSTITUTION.


To The Joint Committee on The Insane, and
the Insane Asylum, Of the Senate and
House of Representatives. Of the General
Assembly Of Vejmont, non in session:
Tho Commissioner of the Insane, having
In his Report for the past :wo years taken
occasion to reflect most severely upon the
Vermont Asylum for the Insane aud its
management, the officers Of that Institu-
ton deem il their duty TO review said Re-
port, and correct the misstatements and un-
Just criticism therein contained.
The origin of the Institution in private
bequest OF $4,000 from Mrs. Anna Marsh
OF Hlnsdale, N. H., is correctly stated, as
is also the aggregate amount of subsequent
State aid at $4,000.
The earliest legislation in reference TO the
Institution was in 1884, when the act of in
corporation was passed in conformity 10
the expressed wish Of the founder, and in
accordance with the provisions of her will.
1t gave TO the trustees, and their successors,
the "sole superintendence and direction Of
tho Asylum" as stated by the Commission
er, aud any idea of associating her bequest
with that Of any other person, or OF coup
ling II with State appropriations in such
manner as to vest its management in any
other authority than that provided for in
her will, was not in any manner intimated
by the donor, aud the question Of associat-
ing with it State aid, was not debated or
considered, at the time the act Of iLcorpora-
| ton was passed, W either the Assembly or
the Council.
The first act Of the Legislature appropri-
aling money to The Asylum was passed
Nov. 9th, 1895, and was for the expressed
| purpose OF enabling the said trustees, 10
moro elieclually promote the benevolent
designs OF said institution" and provided
"that said trustees should take no benefit
from the provisions OF the Act, until they
bad so far erected the buildings and organ
lied said Asylum as TO receive patients
therein
The appropriation was for the payment
of 1.-TWO thousand dollars annually for five
successive years." and provided further
that "auy future legislature might alter,
amend, or repeal this Act"
Tho second appropriation was for the
sum of Two thousand dollars, and was with
out any special slipuations, or provisos,
passed Nov. 18th, 1896.
The third was in Oct, 1887, and for the
sum of four thousand dollars, "for the pur-
pose of erecting another building for the
Asylum" and provided that in future
admissions to the benefits of said Asylum,
preference should lie given 10 the resi-
dent citizens uf this State.'
The fourth was passed Oct, 1910, for the
sum of four thousand dollars, and for the
purpose of 'enabling said trustees 10 erect
an additio onal wing 10 the building Of that
instiu tion," aud was conditioned upon the
proviso "that this amount, together with
the amount above granted by the legisla-
ture, should be exclusively appropriated TO
the purpose for which the institution was
established, aud II the said institution
should at any time cease 10 exist, the real
estate OF said corporation should lie held
as security 10 the Slate for the amount so
granted, and might be sold under the di-
reciOn OF the legislature for The purpose Of
raising snch amount, aud The said real es-
tato should al 10 time be sold by said trus-
tees without the consent of the legislature"
Tho fifth aud last appropriation TO the
|
for the sum of three thousand dollars. II
was "to enable the trustees 10 extend one
wing of the building, and TO make repairs
for the purpose OF further accommodating
the patients OF said institution" and con-
tained The same provisos as the preceding.
BY careful examination of these vari-
Gus acts, it will lie seen that the third and
fourth contained those provisions which
are of interest 10 the State. By the former,
that of 1887, preference in the matter oi
admissions was secured 10 the residents OF
Vermont; and by the latter, that OF 1910
indemnitication for the appropriation made
was secured, in case the institution should
cease 10 exist. Such in brief were the ella,
tions established in the beginning between
the Asylum and The Stale. They have
never been changed. 1t is only in respee
/ TO applicants from other States that selec'
: tion has been exercised all from Vernon
t have been received who have applied, with
out regard to durability or incurablity, oil
t any other conditions, If insane, and prope
subjects for care and treatment. 1.-The finan
cial relation TO the Stale" shows the value
of the Asylum property and gives The
whole cost of the establishment prior 4
= 1873 as s234, $1,000 which is substantial.
Q correct. Since that time there has been ex
+, pended in the erection of two addiliona
Q wings, boiler house, ETC., as shown by th
! report of 1874, $50, 6,2l4.1S; and subsequently
: rs shown by the report of the present yea
| (lS76), for the introduction OF steam heat
= ing apparatus Sl7, ,319.54, or the sum of S73,
Q 527.72, in the past four years, making th
g total cost of tue Asylum TO the presen
Q time sSOs, ,397.s2, but in making these recen
r improvements, the trustees have incurre'
@ a debt of $450 900 which at the present Tim
:. remains unliquidated. The construction
OF 1873 are spoken of in the Commissioner
report as "large additions" implying a
least a corresponding increase in capacity
n hence liable TO mslcad the public. BY rel
erence to the report of the Asylum 1874,
a will be seen that these enlargements of III
d buildings, wero not in fact so much exten
slons Of receiving capacity, as the creatio
"a of improved accommodations, for simulta
o neously with the occupancy of these ne'
wings, that of tho entire basement whic
q had previously been occupied by patient
"a was discontinued, and devoted TO otLe
4 uses and the twenty-six additional room
gained for use of patients by the erection {
l. said wings, have subsequently been off-st
10 and practically lost, by the substitution {
n tiers of rooms in the old wings for oih6
necessary uses, SO that in reality there hs
/. been no extension of the capacity of the Ii
N stitution for the past fifteen years.
n II from the cost of the Institution (S30S
- 997 70) the original beuuest of the fOundG