THE INCURABLY INSANE.
Mr. Branham called up, by way of a motion to reconsider the vote on its adoption, the concurrent resolution of yesterday requiring the joint standing Committee on the Benevolent Institutions of the State to prepare and report plans for buildings for the care of the incurably Insane; to consider the Governor's recommendation to divide the State into Central, Southern and Northern Districts for this purpose, and to report a bill providing for the same. And when the vote was reconsidered he said he had doubted a little that this resolution might have passed the House without the proper consideration. He wanted the resolution to express what the House sincerely requires. The order of the resolution requires a great deal of work to prepare the plans and make the estimates; and the committee do not want to go to this expense without assured and unmistakable authority. He would have the resolution passed by yeas and nays.
Mr. Butterworth. It was his opinion that we ought to have but one institution for the care of the insane in the State.
Mr. Richardson. I hope the House will put itself on the record in favor of the proposition for another hospital for the insane.
Mr. Branham. It was not in the mind of the committee to do anything more than to district the State according to the recommendation of the Governor, and to propose the plans and estimates for the buildings. The committee do not want to act unless it is necessary - unless it is the settled mind of the House - and we are satisfied that it will not be possible for the State during the next two years to do more than the preliminary work. He doubted if the House were intelligently determined to go on with the work; and whether they did or not, he wanted to know it expressly.
Mr. Barrett was in favor of enlarging the present hospital - or of making twobut did not know why we should have three. But as the gentleman from Jefferson says we will not be able to do anything for two years, he would prefer to do something now - to do something at once to relieve the present demand for patients.
Mr. Richardson was decidedly in favor of enlarging the capacity of the Hospital for the Insane, and in favor of two more buildings. He believed that would be done. If there is not money enough in the Treasury, he would be willing to authorize State officers to issue bonds for a loan for that purpose.
Mr. Lenfesty said the people of the State are ready to take care of those unfortunate insane, and they desire that all the money that is necessary may be expended in that direction. The House should adopt this resolution without a division, and thereby encourage this committee to prepare the necessary legislation. It was a disgrace to the State that these unfortunate people are in so many cases entirely without attentive care.
Mr. Shirley understood that the House has once passed this resolution, but he had no objection to the call on the part of the Committee for the House to pass it by yeas and nays, tor the assurance of earnestness and sincerity.
Mr. Branham. It was the intention of the committee to make the Hospital for the Insane near Indianapolis as large as it can be made under the original design; and the committee will recommend the expenditure of as much money as it is prudent to expend on the present hospital; but from the information we have, we understand that it can't possibly be made to accommodate all the patients that should come into it.
Mr. Miller desired to know whether another bulding is practicable on the same grounds?Mr. Branham. There is plenty of room. But it seems to be the unanimous opinion that there are certain limitations to improvement in those buildings, and that about $50,000 would be what should be expended for the economical management and administration of the institution.
Mr. Miller was unable to see why there could not be an additional building put up on the same ground that would give immediate accommodation and relief to patients. After that is done he might be willing to divide the State into districts for the more complete accommodation of the people of the State.
Mr. Furnas had rather a limited acquaintance with this institution; but he was satisfied, if the opinion of the present Superintendent was worth anything, that the building there is as large now as it is necessary to make it. The original plan is complete; and if attempts were made to enlarge the design, it would throw the whole thing out of order, and it would not succeed. He thought that if we were to undertake an entirely new set of buildings, it could not make it much better; and the fact remains that page: 51[View Page 51] only one-third part of those wanting homes there can be accommodated. We placed ourselves on the record at the last session for an increase of our per diem, while the wants and sufferings of those patients have been calling on us for relief all this time.
Mr. Thompson, of Elkhart, was interested in this question on account of the expense of the transportation of inmates, and was in favor of dividing the State into hospital districts. As far as his part of the State is concerned, he knew of counties that stand willing to donate the land for a hospital site; and the expense of another building would be saved in two years time out of what is now paid for the transportation of patients. And then we want a separate institution building for the incurably insane.
Mr. Woollen, if in order, would like to offer a resolution to test the sense of the House on this question. It was read for information to the effect, that, in the opinion of the House, all appropriations made at this session for the purpose of increasing the accommodations for the insane should be applied and confined to increasing the accommodations and enlarging the capacity of the present buildings.
The Speaker. This is a concurrent resolution and can not be amended in that way.
Mr. Woollen. I withdraw it then.
There was an unsuccessful motion by Mr. Hardesty to amend by striking out the words, "Central, Northern and Southern."
The resolution was then adopted - yeas 81, nays 1.
Messrs. Blocher, Cline, Cole, Given, Isenhouer, Lenfesty and Schmuck obtained temporary leave of absence - all till next week.
The Speaker laid before the House the Senate message announcing their concurrent resolution for a hearing of the American Woman Suffrage Association this afternoon in this Hall at half-past two o'clock, and it was concurred in.
The Speaker also (informally) announced to the House an invitation to witness some Fire Extinguisher on wheels somewhere this afternoon at two o'clock P. M.
Mr. Branham presented a claim, and Mr. Brett a petition.
The House then took a recess till twenty minntes past two P. M.
