All the cognisance taken by the Court of Chancery of the money entrusted to committees will be understood by the following extracts from the annual accounts of the committee of the estate of two different lunatics : "Retained for the committee of the person, on account of twelve months' maintenance, at the rate of £374 per annum : "From the 1st of February, 1850, to January But not a single voucher of this expenditure is produced, although applied for when appearing before the Master; and whether the whole or half the money is laid out, is not enquired into. Again in another case: "Retained on account of two years' maintenance "from November 1848, to November 1850, unlimited powers of Chancery. "at the allowance of £400 per annum*... £800 0 0" The same Parliamentary paper shews that to these persons an Terriblo income of £65,000 was entrusted in various amounts for the care of the 180 persons made lunatic wards of Chancery during that Masters in period. These individuals possess an authority greater than that of a father over an infant; for, as we already stated, they render no pecuniary account of what they disburse to any earthly being, not even to the Court which appointed them, while the extent of liberty or restraint is solely with them-they can The liberty of the peo send the invalid to any asylum they please, without consulting ple in the the heir at law, or the Lord Chancellor's visitors in lunacy, in they can keep him in the house of a medical man objected to Chancery. by the invalid himself, as well as by his nearest relatives,they go further, they clothe him as they please-they dole out, according to their liberality, the few shillings he may solicit permission to disburse, or be allowed out of his fortune; and as they have the selecting of the persons by whom the invalid is * In this instance the allowances are larger than the income; but, on account of the heavy expense of applying to the court, the master discountenances any application to have the allowances reduced within the income, and has made a compromiso with the committee, which committee consists of a solicitor and a medical man, who do not disburse all which they receive upon the lunatic for maintenance. Masters Masters in surrounded, they control a mass of evidence which enables them, under the plea of its producing excitement, to discard relatives from the house of the invalid, to prevent him seeing his friends, or to have any communication, even by letter, with any of them; they refuse him permission even to go to the house of a brother, when that brother is willing to receive him, nor have the Masters any power to grant the wishes of the lunatic against the fiat of the Committee. It can only be obtained by petition to the Chancellor. Few of the Committees disburse more than two-thirds of the allowance for maintenance on the invalid entrusted to their care, many of them less, and none ever restore these victims to the society from which they were intended only to be temporarily removed. Of the 537 Chancery lunatics, 238 are placed by the Committees of the person in lunatic asylums, others in Private Lu private residences. A few only are living with their relatives or friends. Chancery incarcerato people in natic Asylums, &c. Number of Chancery Lamaties whose fortunes have not been ascertained. Miserablo state of legislation on the subject of Junacy. This is the position of the Chancery lunatics, and the four following returns will give an insight of their numbers-the vast and annual amount of their real property-the allowances granted to Committees for maintenance-aud the number of those who have been made lunatic wards of Chancery, but whose fortunes were not ascertained, and the allowance for maintenance fixed. So dilatory are these nominatious of committees, that in July, 1851, there was a lady at Bath without a committee being appointed, who was made a lunatic ward of Chancery eighteen months previous, while the useless expense attending it is a source of great oppression; the extent of such arrears of business will be seen in the returns, from which the following extracts are made, and shew the miserable state of Legislation under the present arrangements. RETURN, dated 5th June, 1832 (the first of the Returns to Parliament) of the Parlia Total annual amounts of such property.... mentary returns of the namber of lunatic €11,210 11 3 wards of Chancery incarce Total annual amounts of such property 43 Lunatics whose income is not ascertained. 386 264,464 11 7 rated under authority of £275,675 8 10 the Lord Chancellor. A RETURN, (dated 7th March, 1833), made up to the latest possible period, of the number of lunatics confined under the authority of the Crown, and of the total amount of their annual incomes. There are 399 lunaties, cor fined under the authority of the Crown, the total of whose annual incomes amounts to Of which number there are: 57 who individually have less than £100 per annum, and whose incomes amount to £260,158 1 9 3,251 11 9 61 who have £100, and less than £200 per annum, and whose incomes amount to 8,675 2 0 50 who have £200, and less than £200 per annum, and whose incomes amount to 12,130 0 3 31 who have £300, and less than £400 per annum, and whose incomes arcount to 10,050 15 10 152 who have £400 per ar nun, and upwards, and whose incomes RETURN to an ORDER of the Honourable House of Commons, (dated 21st February, 1839). RETURNS made up to the latest possible period of the number of Lunatics against whom CoMM 'SIONS of LUNACY are now in force, and of the Total Amount of their Amal Incomes, and the Total Amount of the Sums allowed for their Maintenance. 86 persons who individually have less than £100 Income. per annum, and whose incomes amount to £4,651 15 10 ! And the total of the sumns allowed for their maintenance to 83 who individually have more than £100, and less than £200 per armura, and whose in comes amount to And the total of the sums allowed for their maintenance to 98 who individually have more than £200 and Maintenance €1,032 0 4 11,702 16 8,960 5 4 26,567 6 1 And the total of the sums allowed for their maintenance to... 20,728 4 8 less than £400 per annum, and whose RETURN to an ORDER of the Honourable the House of Commons (dated 28 August, 1848). RETURNS, made up to the latest possible period, of the number of Lunatics against whom COMMISSIONS of LUNACY are now in force, and of the Total Amount of their Annual Incomes, and the Total Amount of the Sums allowed for their Maintenance, (in continuation of Parliamentary Paper, No. 78, of Session 1839). N.B.-The above Return comprises all existing lunatics by inquisition, without reference to any former Parliamentary Paper. (Signed) February 27th, 1849. THOMAS CARTLEDGE, Secretary of Lunatics to the Lord Chancellor. Houses of kept in All of these returns are out of print, and the last was ordered, but has never been printed, by the House of Commons, so that the members of the two Houses of Parliament are kept in ignorance ignorance of these startling facts. of startling facts. Court of Nothing is more unfortunate than the general confidence in Returns of the watchfulness of the Court of Chancery over this property; property, the whole process is as destructive as it is visionary, and certain natic wards kept back expense, with possible ruin, must attend any person who attempts by the to protect his invalid relative, by petition to the Lord Chancellor. Honourable A petitioned Lord Cottenham that a reference might be made Chancery. to the Master to inquire into the actual state of his brother, and whether a milder course than that pursued might be beneficial to the lunatic. Lord Cottenham refused the application with The perpe costs against A, which amounted to £120. This apparent gross ininjustice was most considerate of his Lordship, for had the justice by petition been granted it must have cost A, or the estate, at least Cottenham. one thousand pounds. Upon the retirement of Lord Cottenham from office the committee adopted successfully the course recommended by A. evidently fearing Lord Lyndhurst's humane interposition, who was supposed to be personally acquainted with the case. tration of Lord of Chancery Everything connected with this branch of the Lord Chancel- The Court lor's duty as guardian, after the Committee has been appointed, conducted is conducted with the secresy of the tribunal of the Roman with the |