NEW INSANE ASYLUM.
The Senate returned to the consideration of Mr. Rahm's bill [S. 87] for the creation of an additional Insane Asylum at Evansville.
Mr. McCULLOUGH favored concurrence in the minority report, and the selection of the location by the General Assembly, rather than to delegate that species of legislation to four or five men. Evansville has many advantages among others the purchasing of supplies, probably, more cheaply than in any other portion of the State. If a location is selected in any other part of the southern portion of the State, it would be doing injustice not only to Evansville, but also to the entire State. There is no reason why the location for the southern part of the State should not be fixed at Evansville.
Mr. VOYLES did not like to be placed in the attitude of favoring any one locality over another, and it is unjust to designate but one point in the bill, leaving others to be selected by a Committee.
Mr. MAGEE favored the minority report, and was very anxious to see the bill advanced to the final vote and passed.
Mr. FOULKE opposed the minority report. The theory of referring the question of selection to a Commission is that the claims of every locality may be fairly and justly considered, and one locality should not have any advantage over another. The minority report does not propose a logical or fair solution of the question: it simply would shut out the presentation of claims from other cities in the southern part of the State.
Mr. SPANN could not see the force of the argument just made. There should be no Hesitancy in adopting the minority report. Evansville is located in the proper place geographically and has all facilities for ingress and egress, besides the advantage of climate. Conceding these facts why not concur in the minority report &s the necessity is apparant for more and better accommodations for the insane? The same movements will be made before the Commission proposed to be created as have been made before this Senate: and as no city in Southern Indiana has come up here asking for an Asylum, except Evansville, that locality might as well be adopted and without further delay.
Mr. FLETCHER regarded Evansville as the only place the southern portion of the State for the location of one of these Asylums, from the fact it has among other advantages cheap building material, and a large population about it. In the northern portion of the State there are several sides presenting equal claims, a selection from which it may be well to leave to the Commission. He favored the minority report.
Mr. Van Voorhis contended if such be the case the matter can be safely left to the Commission because it can not go around Evansville as a location.
The minority report was concurred in by yeas, 33; nays, 14, and the majority report, as amended by the minority, was recommenced.
The bill, as amended, was ordered engrossed.
