§ A Petition of tae mayor and commonalty and citizens of the City of London, masters guardians and governors of the house and hospital called Bethlem, situate without and near to Bishopsgate, of the said city of London, Was brought up and read; setting forth, "That the hospital for lunatics or insane persons, called the house or hospital of Bethlem, situate in Moor-fields, in the city of London, is a very antient brick building, and is become so ruinous as not to be capable of being in any way Well and sufficiently repaired, in consequence where of a considerable part hath been lately taken down; and that it has been thought expedient that a building of proper extent and accommodation; should be erected for the reception and support of curable and incurable lunatics; and that the said hospital of Bethlem, independently of the great advantage arising the from to the public at Varge, has always received and harboured great numbers of the soldiers and Sailors of his Majesty's army and navy, where by a very great saving hath annually, for a long period of time, accrued to his Majesty's government, which would have been other wise under the necessity of maintaining those unfortunate objects at the private houses established for the reception of such as are afflicted with derangement; and that it is the object and intention of the petitions in such new hospital intended to be erected (if the petitioners shall be put in a condition to erect the same), to appropriated considerable portion of such establishment to the use of his Majesty's soldiers and sailors; and that the funds of the said hospital, being altogether inadequate to the erection of a new building for the reception of lunatics, without the assistance of parliament in furtherance of so useful and benevolent a perpose the House was pleased, in the year 1806 to grant to the petitioners, on their application, the sum of 10,000l. the petitioners having it at that time in [...] to the new building on land Islington belonging to the Drapers' 1016 Company, which intention the petitioners were however unable to carry into execution, in consequence of the Bill for effectuating such purchase not having met with the approbation of parliament, the said company appearing to be trustees of such land for a specific charitable purpose, and the same being therefore considered to be inalienable without the undertaking of the master and wardens of the said company that the money to be received for the said land should be laid out in the purchase of other land to be settled to the same uses which the said master and wardens did not feel themselves at liberty to give; and that, since the unfavourable termination of such treaty, the petitioners have come to an agreement with the city of London for an exchange of the site of the present hospital, containing about two acres and aft half, for certain land belonging to the city; situate in Saint George's fields, containing about eleven acres and three quarters, on which spot the patients will possess such superior advantages of air and exercise, as they have never yet enjoyed, and which agreement has been ratified by an act of the 50th year of his present Majesty; and that the whole of the funds actually belonging to the petitioners, applicable to the purpose of erecting a new hospital, including the said sum of 10,000l, amounts to the sum of 28,000l., or thereabouts, to which are to be added the savings which may accrue from such-part of the income of the hospital as can be appropriated to that purpose, and from the benevolent subscriptions of individuals; and that a plan hath been lately submitted to the petitioners by their surveyor, comprising within itself a building for 200 patients and for 400 patients, either of which designs can be executed as shall be judged most advisable, and as the petitioners shall be thereto aided and assisted by the liberality of parliament; and that the estimate for the building to contain 200 lunatics amounts to the sum of 85,000l., and that the petitioners were prevented applying to the House before the time limited for receiving private petitions was expired, by reason that his Majesty's sanction of such an application could not be obtained sooner; and praying, that leave may be given to present a petition for the purpose above mentioned."
§ Ordered, That the said Petition be referred to a Committee, with power to send for persons, papers, and records.