"The Alleged Lunatics' Friend Society" have announced a public meeting
to be held at Exeter Hall on Tuesday evening next; "to petition the House of Commons for an inquiry into the treatment of Lunatics, and to amend the laws for their protection." This inquiry and this amendment are much needed, for though considerable improvements have rewarded the humane efforts made during the last forty years' many others are absolutely necessary for the prevention of the most cruel abuses. Chief among these desiderata are the right of making an appeal against the imputation of lunacy before a judge and jury ; the right to correspond freely with legal advisers and Mends; and an efficient system of inspection over all lunatic asylums such as the Commissioners Lunacy cannot possibly exercise. This in
fact is acknowledged by the Chairman of the Commissioners, and also that the act of 1863 of which he himself was the author is most defective. The Society aims at the appointment of Assistant Commissioners. The Society are by no means antagonistic to the Commissioners, and they are doing an excellent work in promoting the amendment of a law under cover of which enormities of a class commonly supposed to have become extinct forty years ago are perpetrated to this day.
Previous page
