Narrative of the recent difficulties in the Provincial Lunatic Asylum in Canada West : dedicated to the Christian community, and to the presiding officers of lunatic asylums in Europe and America.

  • Park, Geo. H. (George Hamilton)
Date:
1849
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Narrative of the recent difficulties in the Provincial Lunatic Asylum in Canada West : dedicated to the Christian community, and to the presiding officers of lunatic asylums in Europe and America. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    I communicated the facts to the Government, whose animadversions upon it are found in the first minute of council. At a subsequent special meeting, the following Resolutions were adopted and transmitted to the Government :— Special Meetisg ok Commissioners. Monday, 16th October, 1648. present: The Rev. H. J. Grasett, J. Roaf, in the Chair, J. Hay, J. Eastwood, Esq. J. Ewavt, l£sq. M. J. O'Beirne, Esq. Dr. Beaumont. Read the Communications forwarded by the Provincial Secretary, under date of 3rd October 1843. Unanimously ordered,—That there be put upon the minutes, copies of Dr. Park's letter to the Government, under date of September 13th. 1348. and of the documents prepared by the deputa- tion lately sent to the Seat of Government, and presented as an answer to that letter; and that this document be cordially approved as expressing the sentiments of the whole Board. Resolved unanimously. — That the Chairman be directed to write to the Provincial Secretary, acknowledging the receipt of his letter of 3rd October, with enclosures, reporting the adoption hy this Board of the document prepared by the recent deputation to Government, pointing out the ex- isting embarrassed position of the Board, requesting the early attention of the Governor General to the pressing importance of an immediate decision upon the appeal made to him by the Board and Medical Superintendent. Upon the return of the Rev. Delegates to Toronto, I visited, by permis- sion, the S«at of Government. The offensive matter in the commu- nication of the Delegates was not, however, shown to me, peihaps to avoid any fresh irritations that might possibly grow out of it.— Sometime, however, after my return to Toronto, I found that the steward had been desired, in accordance with the foregoing Resolutions, to copy this document upon the minutes of the Board, to expose, as was said, my falsehood and treachery. This revealed to me, for the first time, the low vituperation recorded against me in the council chamber in Montreal, as well as in the records of the Asylum ; thus subjecting me to further indignity and injury before the household. Not questioning, under this mortification, the discretion exercised by the Government in the matter, I prepared a commu- nication of some length, vindicating myself by facts, as far as they were avail* able, against the falsehood and treachery charged upon me. The Hon, Robert Baldwin arriving in the city to spend sometime, I requested Dr. Rolph to see him. Calling upon me after the interview, he recommended me to withhold the defence I had prepared, stating that he found it would be more agreeable to the Government, if I met it briefly in a way that would cover my own honour, without matter that might disturb the adjustment of the difficu ties so lately effected by the minute of council. With this suggestion I cheerfully complied, and substituted a short communication to the Provincial Secretary, on the 13th November, expressing my consciousness of the truth and integrity of my action in the mooters referred to by the Reverend Delegates, and my readiness and ability to repel the charges of falsehood and treachery, when* ever His Excellency might afford me an opportunity of doing so. Remarks on the above Document jrom the Reverend Delegates of the Board, to the Government. In this document the langunze used by the Reverond gentlemen goes beyond controvert, ing the correctness of representations, by alleging in terms least to be expected from ihein, that I had added laUehood and treachery to the assumption and insult and illueraieuess by which they had been previously pained.