Year: 1872

TO me EdftOr Of The Trtoune.


SIR: Not long ago the Legislature of Penn


sylyana reused action by startling developments


unfOldod in the courts with regard to Kkbdes Insane


Asylum. 1t proved IN apertam curam in the
OF Stewart Haskell and Others, that men had been
imprisoned for months years their property seized
by relatives interested intimate their correspond
opened and stopped and themselves maltreated,
their every action of anger and despair being eagerly
caught up and distorted be used against them In
der these circumstances the Legislature interposed to
defend the rights of the citizens, and to put stop, If
possible to this dis graceful but lucrative traffic. law
passed providing that person should be imprs-
oDed in insane asylum except upon the certificate Of
two respectable physicians who within a week must
have had personal interview with the alleged lunatc
said certificate be 10 before judicial officer
who should attest the genuneness OF the signatures
and the respectabity Of the physicians Another
ton of the law provided that be penal Oense
punishable by ne for any physician, empl0ye official
OF an asylum TO stop, open, delay in any manner
whatsoever any letter from patient to his her coun
sell This put stop TO the intense secrecy with
which these institutions conducted and which
due In great measure the assumed right though an


illegal and dshOnOrable practice, Of suppressng lette
the will aud pleasure Of some Tailor doctor Another
the effect that any respectable person
making affidavit before Judge that person was
incarcerated in asylum the Judge should issue writ
OF habea corpus and have such person brought into
Court, where he she should have, If necessary the
right OF jury trial This excellent provision tended
do away with those disgraceful inqustons Of
lunacy by which O questionable jury of six
men could meet in some obscure place
aud cOnsign a TO hopeless imprisonment.
Beside this, there passed another bill providing for
OF Inspectors 10 visit all the charitable nsttu
tOns in the State. The asylum keepers struggled hard
against the inspection OF their establishments. There
surely good for this opposition their
part II those establishments properly conducted,
they should challenged the fullest investigation


These semi-despOtc Institutions however, do more
than merely incarcerae their yctms their grasp
reach into neighbOrng States TO pluck man from
bis Own hearthstOne.
When police officer pursnes a felOn into neighbor
Ing State he must have warrant from the Executive
when that elOn condemned and imprisoned he knows
for what and for how long, He knows that when his
term OF confinement is ended, the strong arm
OF the law will open his prison door again.
surely our legislators are not so unskiued, and
our laws not defective that the |
same watchflDess may not be extended to the ward Of
unatc asylum as is exercised the cell OF the
Vlced telOn Institutions that yearly issue plausible
appeals Tor assistance, whose existence depends
upon popular permission, should never be allowed 10
close ther doors against that thorough inspection which
citlzens have rlght 10 demand They should be de- |
PflYed OF at most potent weapon, secrecy Nor should
they ever be permitted TO enyelOD themselves in a
mantle or niabity and 70 constitute themselves the
sole arbers VI citizens fitness 10 enjoy personal O-
eTty. N


Philadelphia, Aug TO- 1872.