G.'O.

117. (Assembly, 88.) An act to authorize the common council of the city of Buffalo to borrow money and purchase additional fire engines and fire apparatus.

118. (Assembly, 86.) An act to provide for a supply of water in the city of Yonkers.

119. An act to authorize the leasing of certain real estate belonging to the corporation of the city of New York.

120. An act to drain and improve certain lands of Thomas Hunt lying in the eighth ward of the city of Brooklyn, between the Third avenue and New York bay and Forty-fourth and Forty. ninth streets, and to alter the commissioners' map of said city in conformity thereto.

121. An act to amend chapter 717 of the Laws of 1870, entitled "An act to authorize the sale of real estate in which any widow is or shall be entitled to dower in satisfaction and discharge thereof," passed May 6, 1870.

122. (Assembly, 67.) An act to authorize the Lockport and Cambria

Plankroad Company to collect certain additional tolls.

123. (Assembly, 73.) An act to amend an act entitled "An act for the completion of Westchester avenue, in the towns of White Plains, Harrison and Rye, in the county of Westchester," passed May 13, 1872.

124. An act to amend an act entitled "An act to provide for the endowment of the Unadilla Academy," passed May 3d, 1872. 125. An act to incorporate the United States Improvement Company of New York.

126. An act to amend an act entitled "An act to suppress intemperance and to regulate the sale of intoxicating liquors," passed April 16th, 1857.

127. (Assembly, 74.) An act relative to the improvement of the town of Kingsbridge, in the county of Westchester.

128. (Assembly, 75.) An act to provide for the laying out, improvement and preservation of burial grounds in the several towns of the State.

129. (Assembly, 44.) An act to incorporate the Guilderland Mutual Insurance Association, and for other purposes.

G. O.

4

[SENATE No. 39.]

130. (Assembly, 53.) An act to amend the charter of the village of Akron, in the county of Erie, and to extend the limits of said village.

131. An act to amend an act entitled "An act to release the interest of the people of the State of New York in the real estate of which William Long, late of Minerva, Essex county, died seized, to Isaac Hagan," passed May 20, 1872.

132. An act to enable the commissioners appointed to revise the statutes and incorporate in their report the political and penal codes, or so much thereof as they shall deem advisable.

133. (Assembly, 24.) An act to release the interest of the people of the State of New York in certain surplus money derived from a mortgage foreclosure and sale of certain real estate to Michael Doyle.

134. (Assembly, 14.) An act to authorize writs of mandamus and of prohibition to issue to the special term of the Supreme Court, or to any justice thereof holding such term or sitting at chambers.

135. (Assembly, ) An act releasing the interests of the State of

New York in certain lauds under the waters of the Hudson river, near the lower docks, in the village of Peekskill, Westchester county.

136. An act to amend an act entitled "An act to revise the charter of the city of Auburn," passed April 22d, 1869.

137. An act to provide for the publication of election notices in the counties of this State.

138. An act in relation to the powers and duties of county treasurers, and to authorize certain actions and proceedings against them. 139. An act to amend an act entitled "An act to amend an act to establish a department of police in the city of Buffalo, and to provide for the government thereof," passed April 26, 1871, passed April 23, 1872.

140. An act relating to the town officers and local government of Newtown, in Queens county.

141. An act authorizing the election of a police justice in the town of Newtown, Queens county, and prescribing his duties and compensation.

No. 40.

IN SENATE,

February 17, 1873.

OF THE

REPORT

COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED TO INVESTI

GATE CHARGES AGAINST LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN THIS STATE; ALSO AN ACT ACCOMPANYING THE SAME.

To the Senate:

STATE OF NEW YORK:

EXECUTIVE CHAMBER,

ALBANY, February 17, 1873. (

I herewith transmit the report of the commission appointed by my predecessor for the purpose of visiting, inspecting and investigating the charges made against lunatic asylums in this State; also an act accompanying the same.

JOHN A. DIX.

[Senate No. 40.]

1

REPORT.

To His Excellency JOHN A. Dix, Governor:

SIR.-On August 20th, 1872, his excellency, Governor Hoffman, addressed to the undersigned the following communication:

"STATE OF NEW YORK:

"EXECUTIVE CHAMBER,

"ALBANY, August 20, 1872.

"GENTLEMEN.-Charges of abuse in the Bloomingdale Lunatic Asylum have lately been made in the public prints, by parties who give their names, and avow their ability to prove their allegations. This asylum is, in common with others of less note, a purely private establishment, subject to no supervision of the public authorities. Our laws permit the confinement of alleged lunatics as well in these private institutions as in the public asylums of the State, upon the order of magistrates of the grade of justice of the peace, issued upon the certificate of any two physicians. This condition of the law giving opportunity for abuses, I have, more than once, asked the Legislature to correct. At the last session, two bills passed the Assembly, furnishing better safeguards in connection with the commitment and care of lunatics; one of these provided (very properly), that no person or institution should undertake the care of lunatics, except when licensed by the State Commissioners of Charities, and thus subject to their inspection; this bill failed to pass the Senate. It was publicly asserted (and not denied), that the failure of the bill in the Senate was due, chiefly to the personal efforts, at Albany, of the chief physician of the Bloomingdale Asylum. An aversion, thus manifested to proper supervision of the public authorities, makes it the more important, as well to the repute of the institution itself, as to the public interests, that the charges now made should be investigated.

"I therefore appoint you as a commission for the purpose of investigating these charges, and others that may be laid before you against this or any other asylum for lunatics, whether under public or private management, and of visiting and inspecting the several asylums for the insane, with or without charges being made against them, with a view of discovering abuses wherever they exist, requesting that you report the result of your inquiries to me as soon as possible.