"But I should be insensible indeed, | ter to the colonel, or other commanding Sir, if I did not receive the distinguishing honour the House of Commons had conferred on me with the most sincere and most respectful thanks; which I beg you will be pleased to signify to the House in my behalf, and that it shall ever be my constant care to retain the deepest sense of this testimony of their regard and approbation. "My particular thanks, Sir, are due to you for the polite and obliging manner in which you have been pleased to communicate to me the resolution of the House; and I take this opportunity of assuring you, that I have the honour to be, with the most sincere respect and esteem, Sir, G. B. RODNEY." &c. January 29. The Speaker acquainted the House, that he had, in obedience to their commands of the 2nd of December last, signified to sir George Pocock, knight of the most honourable order of the Bath, their Thanks for the many important services performed by him during the course of this war, and particularly in the glorious expedition against the Havannah; and that he had received the following answer: "Whitehall, Jan. 25, 1763. "Mr. Speaker; I have received the honour of your letter, dated the second of December last, inclosing the resolution of the House of Commons of the same date, to give me the Thanks of the House for the many important services performed by me during the course of this war, and particularly in the glorious expedition against the Havannah. Upon this occasion, Sir, I cannot sufficiently express my thanks for the great honour the House have conferred on me, in taking notice of the services I have been so happy to render my king and country during the course of the war against France and Spain: I am extremely sensible of this distinguishing mark of their approbation of my conduct, which gives me the greatest satisfaction, and will ever remain impressed on my mind. Permit me, Sir, to return you my sincere thanks for the very obliging manner in which you have signified to me the sentiments of the House of Commons. I have the honour to be, &c. "G. Pocock." The Speaker also acquainted the House that, in obedience to their commands of the 9th of December last, he had, by let[VOL. XV. ] officer, of each respective corps of militia which were embodied, signified their Thanks to the officers of the said corps for the seasonable and meritorious service they had done their country; and that he had received answers, by letters, from most of the said colonels, or other commanding officers, desiring him to make their grateful acknowledgments for the great honour done the militia by the notice which the House had been pleased to take of their endeavours to serve their king and country. February 1. The Speaker acquainted their commands of the 3rd of December the House, that he had, in obedience to last, signified to the marquis of Granby their Thanks for the great and important services he had performed to his king and country during the several campaigns in which he commanded the British troops in Germany, and that he had received the following Answer: "Warbourg, January 12, 1763. third of last month, was not delivered to "Sir; the honour of your letter, of the me till a few days since, the physicians, who attended me in my illness, having forbid any letters being given to me in the situation my health then was: this, I hope, will plead my excuse for your not having received an immediate answer. 66 Though I cannot, Sir, be vain enough to think any services I may have done my country can have merited so high a reward as the thanks of the honourable House, yet it was with the utmost satisfaction I received them. "I shall beg to look upon them as a mark of their approbation of my conduct, arising, I hope, from their persuasion of my having always zealously promoted the service in which his Majesty has done me the honour to employ me, and of my having constantly endeavoured, to the best of my abilities, punctually to execute the wise and able orders 1 received. "I must beg, Sir, that you will, when proper, return the House my most sincere and grateful thanks for this great honour conferred upon me, which I shall always, with the utmost gratitude, remember. The best return I can make, will be a perpetual attention to the interests of my king and country. "Give me leave, Sir, at the same time, to return you my particular thanks for the obliging manner in which you communi[4 N] cated to me this high honour, and believe "The Committee being sensible how me to be, with the greatest regard and much a subject of this nature is liable to respect, Sir, &c. GRANBY." frequent digression and irregularity in the examination of witnesses, and thinking to The Speaker acquainted the House, keep the inquiry, as much as possible, that, in obedience to their commands of from running unnecessarily into the stories the 16th of December last, he had signi- and transactions of private life, they refied to the reigning Count La Lippe solved very early in their proceedings to Buckeburg their Thanks for his disinterest-confine themselves to the two points, ed and spirited conduct during the late war in Germany; and for his important services to this country, by defending the dominions of his Majesty's faithful and good ally the king of Portugal; and that he had received a letter in answer from Count La Lippe, as followeth, viz. "Salva Terra de Magos, Feb. 1, 1763. "Sir; it is with the greatest gratitude that I see, by the resolution of the 16th of December, of the Commons of Great Britain in Parliament assembled, that that august assembly condescends to declare their approbation of my behaviour during this war. "Although I am not able to express how much I am sensible of so high a distinction, and how much I feel the value of it, I take the liberty to desire you to lay my most dutiful thanks before the House for the honour they do me; my utmost desire will always be to merit that respectable senate's approbation, which I consider as an inestimable reward of my endeavours to manifest my zealous and most respectful attachment to his Majesty and his allies. "I beg you will receive my sincerest acknowledgments for transmitting to me the resolution of the House, in so obliging a manner as you are pleased to do, in the letter you have honoured me with on that occasion. I am, with the greatest regard, Sir, &c. The reigning Count of which seemed in their judgment to be referred to them by the House; and they now beg leave to be permitted to follow the same method in their Report which they strictly observed in their examina tion. "These two points were ; "1st, The manner of admitting persons into houses now kept for the reception of lunatics: and, "2dly, The treatment of them during their confinement. "The first person who appeared before your committee was Mrs. Hester Williams, complaining of her having been carried by stratagem to a house kept for the reception of lunatics, and of the severe treatment she received during her confinement; but your committee having no reason to conclude, either from her own state of her case, or from the witnesses which she brought in support of it, or from other persons attending to prove her actual insanity at the time of her being carried to the madhouse, that her case has been such, as to be itself any conclusive proof of abuse in the method of admission to these houses, or to be a sufficient ground for the interposition of the legislature, they presume to pass cursorily over a complaint, in itself very general, affecting the characters of persons of fair character in private life, and materially contradicted in the facts and allegations of it by many witnesses of weight and authority. "The next complainant who appeared before your committee was Mrs. Hawley, whose representation of her case to the committee was as follows: That being on the 5th of September, 1762, invited in an affectionate letter by her mother and husband to go upon a party of pleasure to Turnham Green, she was by them carried to a madhouse at Chelsea, kept by Tur Report from the Committee of the House of Commons on the State of the Private Mad-houses of the Kingdom] February 22. Mr. Townshend reported from the Committee who were appointed to enquire into the State of the Private Mad-houses in this kingdom, and report the same, with their opinion thereupon, to the House, that the Committee had enquired ac-lington: cordingly; and had come to a resolution; which they had directed him to report to the House; and he read the Report in his place; and afterwards delivered it in at the clerk's table: where the same was Read; and is as follows: "That, upon her being carried into the house, she knelt down, and exhorted the keeper to let her go, who refused her, upon the authority of her mother directing him to keep her confined; she alleged that she was shut up night and day in a cham ber, locked and barricadoed; refused the | use of pen and paper; no notice permitted to be carried to any relation or friend; and treated with severity: and she added, that during the whole time she was never visited by her mother, nor ever desired to take any medicines whatever; that she continued under confinement in the said house till the 4th of October, when she was, in pursuance of a writ of Habeas Corpus, granted by lord Mansfield, carried before his lordship, who discharged her. there, with an assurance that he would return very soon: that Mr. King, the keeper of the house, told her, that her husband had taken this lodging for that night; that her husband told her in a letter, which she received the next day, that he was glad that he had left her in so pleasant a situation; to which she returned no answer: that she was told from time to time she must make herself easy; that she should have been happy to have put an end to her confinement; and that it was now two years since she had been carried to this house. She added, that during her confinement she has been attended by no physician or apothecary whatever. "In support of this representation Mrs. Hawley called Mr. La Fortune, who declared, that he had known Mrs. Hawley for above two years past; that on the 5th of September, the day of her confinement, "The next person who attended the she had dined at his house, and that she committee was Mrs. Durant, who comthen told him she had received an affec-plained that about eight years ago she was tionate letter from her mother, desiring her to go with her upon a party to Turnham Green; that he advised her not to trust too much to sudden changes of temper, and to be upon her guard; that upon his starting this objection, she desired him, in case she was absent more than two days, to enquire after her; and that upon enquiring for her, and being told she was gone to Sion, and upon going to Sion, without finding her there, he suspected she was put into a madhouse; upon which he applied to lord Mansfield for a Habeas Corpus, who refused the writ, upon the suggestion that he was not a relation, but at the same time ordered doctor Riddle, a surgeon in Marlborough Street, to visit Mrs. Hawley. carried to Miles's madhouse, at Hoxton and that during her confinement there, she was ordered no medicines, nor attended by any body: that she was refused all opportunity of sending to her friends, during the three weeks of her confinement; and that she was released by her mother, attended by Mr. Lediard, à justice of the peace; upon whose arrival, as Mrs. Durant alleges, her chains were privately knocked off. "Mrs. Gold, the mother of Mrs. Durant, informed the committee, that upon receiving an anonymous letter, giving her an account that her daughter went away about three weeks before with her husband, and had not since been heard of, she applied to her son-in-law, insisting "To pursue the thread of this evidence, upon knowing from him where her daughMr. Riddle was called before your com- ter was that, upon his refusal to give her mittee, who said, that upon being ordered any satisfactory account of his wife, she to go to Turlington's madhouse at Chelsea, applied to Mr. Lediard, a justice of the and visit Mrs. Hawley, he was refused ad- peace, who drew from Mr. Durant a conmittance, and assured that no such person fession, that his wife was gone to Miles's was there that during the dispute, Mrs. madhouse, at Hoxton: that upon the moHawley coming to the window, he saw ther and the justice going to Miles's, they her, and spoke to her; and that on his were refused the sight of Mrs. Durant, return to lord Mansfield, he informed his upon the pretence that Mr. Miles was not lordship of what had happened; and de-at home, until upon Mr. Lediard being clared he believed Mrs. Hawley to be in her senses. "Mrs. Hawley having been asked whether she knew of any other persons, in the same circumstances with herself, confined in the same house; and she naming Mrs. Smith, the committee thought it necessary to order her to attend. "Mrs. Smith informed your committee, that she had been carried to Turlington's madhouse by her husband, who left her understood by the person of the house to be a magistrate, they were admitted; Mrs. Durant was then brought into the parlour, where Mrs. Miles confessed to Mr. Lediard, that she did not think her mad; and that, on the contrary, she was confined there only by her husband's order. "Mr. Morrison attending, at the desire of Mrs. Durant, to prove that she was not insane at the time of her being forced into confinement, he declared, that he was at Mrs. Gold's, the mother of Mrs. Durant, when the anonymous letter came, informing her of her daughter's confinement: that he had seen Mrs. Durant frequently near the time of her being carried into confinement, and never had the least doubt of her being in her senses; that he was present when Mrs. Gold received the anonymous letter, and advised her to look after her daughter; that he was also present the next day when the conversation passed between Mrs. Gold, Mr. Lediard, and Mr. Durant, in which Mr. Durant acknowledged his wife was in a madhouse; and that being present also when Mr. Lediard and Mrs. Gold returned from the madhouse, he then saw Mrs. Durant, who had no marks whatever of any degree of insanity; and that Mr. Durant the husband, and his wife, did then, and there, make up all disagreements, at his interpo sition. "It having appeared to the Committee, in the course of the several complaints, and the consequential examinations, that the extraordinary imprisonments upon the imputation of lunacy, have happened in the houses kept by Turlington and Miles, your committee thought they should ill discharge their duty, or answer the expectations of the House, if they did not summon Mr. Turlington himself, whom they thought both the objects of the enquiry, and the common principles of justice required should be ordered to attend. "Mr. Turlington informed the committee, that he kept a house at Chelsea for the reception of lunatics; but added, that he usually leaves the management of the house, and the admission of patients, to Mr. King, his agent: upon being asked what instructions he gave to Mr. King, in respect to the admission of persons, he avowed, that the rule was general, to admit all persons who were brought; and that in the administration of the house, he received a report of the persons admitted from time to time, but left the business in general to Mr. King: he added, that, though the house is intended for the reception of lunatics, other persons are admitted as lodgers: that no physicians attend the house; that no register of the persons is kept; that he considered Mrs. Smith (mentioned in the former part of this Report) merely as a boarder; and that he took her into confinement merely at the desire of her husband, who alleged, that the neighbours were afraid she would set the house on fire; that he received six guineas a quarter for her maintenance; and that it was not in her power to go out of the house if she would: he acknowledged that he remembered Mrs. Hawley, whom he said he believed to have been a lunatic, and that she was released by a Habeas Corpus directed to Mr. King; he denied, in general, the severities charged upon the house by other witnesses, and expressly asserted that chains were never used. "Mr. Turlington having, in defence of the proceedings of this House, referred himself to Mr. King, as the person entrusted and employed by him, the committee thought it necessary to summon him. "Mr. King said, he had been in the wool trade, but for six years past he had been employed by Mr. Turlington to keep his madhouse: that he had received no written directions from Mr. Turlington; that he found several patients in the house on his being employed, and all lunatics; that since his being employed, he had admitted several for drunkenness, and for other reasons of the same sort, alleged by their friends or relations bringing them, which he had always thought a sufficient authority. "As to the treatment of the persons confined, he said, that they had the liberty of walking in the garden, and passing from one room to another; and as to their diet and apartments, he said, it was according to the allowance they paid, which was from sixty to twenty pounds a year: he admitted that he knew Mrs. Hawley; that she was confined at the representation of a woman who called herself her mother, and that the reason alleged by her for the confinement of her daughter, was drunkenness: he said, he did not remember that she was refused pen, ink, and paper, but at the same time acknowledged it was the established order of the house that no letter should be sent by any of the persons confined to their friends or relations. "Being asked upon what authority he admitted people, charged only with drunkenness, into a house of confinement, kept for the reception of lunatics? He answered, upon the authority of the persons who brought them; and he frankly confessed, that out of the whole number of persons whom he had confined, he had never admitted one as a lunatic during the six years he had been entrusted with the superintendency of the house. "Upon being then asked, if he ever re fused any persons who were brought upon | "To close this Evidence, and to bring it to a clear and final issue, Mr. King was asked this general question, Whether, if two strangers should come to his house, one calling herself the mother of the other, and charging her daughter with drunkenness, he would confine the daughter upon this representation of the woman calling herself the mother, though she was a stranger to him, and the daughter herself was apparently sober at that time? He said, he certainly should. "Your Committee being desirous of obtaining every degree of assistance and information which might enable them more perfectly to obey the orders of the House, they desired the attendance of Dr. Battie and Dr. Monroe, two very eminent physicians, distinguished by their knowledge and their practice in cases of lunacy. attendance; the doctor understood this to be a dismission, and he never heard any thing more of the unhappy patient, till Macdonald told him some time after, that he died of a fever, without having had any farther medical assistance, and a sum of money devolved upon his death to the person who had the care of him. "Dr. Monroe informed your Committee, That he does not doubt but several persons have been improperly confined, upon the pretence of lunacy; and he cited two particular instances happening in two different madhouses. He gave it as his opinion, That the method and grounds of admitting patients for lunacy is too loose, and too much at large: that in the case of Mrs. Durant, mentioned in this report, Miles, the keeper of the madhouse at Hoxton, confessed to the doctor, that he had been imposed upon; and Dr. Monroe said, that in his opinion the present state of the private madhouses required regulation with respect to the persons permitted to keep such houses, the admission of pa "Dr. Battie gave it as his opinion to your committee, that the private madhouses re-tients, and the visitation. quire some better regulations; that he hath long been of this opinion; that the admission of persons brought as lunatics is too loose and too much at large, depending upon persons not competent judges; and that frequent visitation is necessary for the inspection of the lodging, diet, cleanliness, and treatment. Being asked, if he ever had met with persons of sane mind in confinement for lunacy? He said, it frequently happened: he related the case of a woman perfectly in her senses, brought as a lunatic by her husband to a house under the doctor's direction, whose husband, upon Dr. Battie's insisting he should take home his wife, and expressing his surprise at his conduct, justified himself by frankly saying, he understood the house to be a sort of Bridewell, or place of correction. "The doctor related also the case of a person whom he visited in confinement for lunacy, in Macdonald's house, and who had been, as the doctor believes, for some years in this confinement, upon being desired by Macdonald to attend him, by the order, as Macdonald, pretended of the relations of the patient, he found him chained to his bed, and without ever having had the assistance of any physician before; but some time after upon being sent for by one of the relations to a house in the city, and then told, Macdonald had received no orders for desiring the doctor's "Your Committee are sensible that in their inquiry they confined themselves to a few cases, and to a few houses: but to obviate any conclusion from thence, that cases existing are rare, and the abuse the misconduct only of particular persons, they beg leave to assure the House, that a variety of other instances, arising in other houses, offered themselves for examination, and that Turlington's house was in no degree a selected case; but taken up by the Committee in the course of the inquiry, and merely as it presented itself upon the report of the witnesses, your committee restraining themselves out of a regard to the peace and satisfaction of private families, from the examination of more cases, than they judged to be necessary and sufficient to establish the reality of the too great abuses complained of in the present state of private madhouses; the force of the evidence, and the testimony of the witnesses, being at the same time so amply confirmed, and materially strengthened, by the confessions of persons keeping private madhouses, and by the authority, opinions, and experience of doctor Battie, and doctor Monroe. "Whereupon your Committee came to the following Resolution: "Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, that the present State of the Private Madhouses in this kingdom requires the interposition of the legislature." |