Mr. Rose, pursuant to notice, proceeded to move for leave to bring in a Bill to repeal and render more effectual the provisions of the Act of the 14th of the King. He prefaced his motion by a short detail of the grievances which existed about the commencement of his Majesty's reign, and which had been discovered by a committee appointed to enquire into the state of Private Mad-houses in the United Kingdom. He mentioned some of the most aggravated cases of persons being confined in these receptacles who were in a state of perfect mental sanity. Amongst others, a person was found who had his wife confined in one of these houses, and who, when asked whether she was mad, replied "O, no; but I consider the place as a kind of Bridewell." In fact, it had been found that the practice was, to admit persons without any enquiry whether or not they were deranged. It was astonishing that ten years actually elapsed after the report of the committee which he had mentioned, before any remedy was applied to that flagrant evil. At length, in 1774, an Act had been passed, which, however, was now found to be very inadequate to prevent the evil. As a proof of this, he had a statement in his hand, concerning the situation of persons confined in some of these houses. In one instance, the apartments allotted for persons confined were found to be cells on the ground floor, nine feet long and five broad, the walls of which, as well as the ground, were wet with damp The whole furniture consisted of a box containing some straw or blankets by way of a bed. The Act required the certificate of a surgeon, amongst others, before a person could be received into a private madhouse. There were actually cases in which it was found that the surgeon's certificate 417 was signed by the keeper of the house. The object of the Bill which he meant to bring in was, to remove the defects of the existing Act. It would go to provide, that the magistrates in the different countries should periodically visit the private mad houses within the respective counties, and make reports on the subject, on pain of severe penalties. He then moved for leave to bring in a Bill to amend the Act of the 14th of the King, respecting private mad-houses.
§ The motion was agreed to without opposition, and Mr. Rose afterwards brought in the new Bill, which was read a first time.