92 C. 49. Anno decimo quarto Georgii III. A.D. 1774.
Purpose of this Att.
Secretary to be appointed.
who shall take the Oath.
Time of the Commissionera annual Meeting for granting Licences.
Licences to be damped with a 5 i. Stamp.
Sums to be paiJ by Persons taking out Licences.
No Licence to authorise any Person to keep more than one House j and to
No Commissioner, while in Office, to keep any Hooic for Lunaticks, See. on Penaltyof5ol. President to summon Commissionrrt Attendance for the First Meeting.
Two Commissioners may call a Meeting.
Chaeman to have the caking Vote.
Commissioners to visit and in-fyeft liccnl'ed Houses.
At such Visita-lion the C<*m-ariithoners are to make Minute* of the State of Houses.
shall, at some Meeting, to be holden withip fourteen Pays next after they shall be elected as aforesaid, chuse and appoint a proper Person to be their Secretary for the Year then ensuing; and such Secretary shall be paid such Salary or Gratuity, for his Trouble and Attendance in the Execution of his Office, by the said Treasurer, as the said Commissioners, or any three or more of them, shall order and direct 5 and every such Secretary shall, at the next Meeting of the said Commissioners after he shall be so appointed, take the following Oath:
1
I A.B. do swear, That I will faithfully execute all such Trusts as shall be Committed to my Charge, ‘ 1 as Secretary to the Commissioners for executing an Act of Parliament, made in the fourteenth Year of the Reign of King George the Third, intituled, An Act for regulating Madhouses\ and that I will keep secret all such Matters as shall come to my Knowledge, in the Executioipjof my'Office, (except when required to divulge the same by legal Authority.)
'So help me GOD.'
VIII. And be it further enacted, That the said Commissioners, or any three or more of them, shall meet annually on the third Wednesday in the Month of October, or within ten Days afterwards, in order to grant Licences to Persons for keeping Houses for the Reception of Lunaticks for one Year, from the twentieth Day of November then next ensuing, within th^said Cities of London and lfy/1minster, and within seven Miles of the same, and within the said County of Middlesex; but Notice of the Place, and of the Day and Hour of every Meeting for granting such Licences, shall always be published three several Times in the London Gazette, before the Day of Meeting for granting any such Licences (which Licences they are hereby required to grant to all Persons who shall desire the same); and all Licences to be granted by the said Commissioners shall be duly stamped with a five Shillings Stamp, and shall be under the Hands and Seals of three or more of the said Commissioners for each of which Licences there shall be paid to the said Secretary, by the Person applying to take out the same, the Sums following; (that is to say) For each and every House wherein there shall be kept any Number of Lunatidrs, not exceeding ten, the Sum of ten Pounds j and for each and every House wherein there shall be kept above ten, the Sum of fifteen Pounds, and no more, over and above what shall have been paid for the said Stamp 5 which Money shall be paid over by the said Secretary to the said Treasurer; and the further Sum of six Shillings and Eight-pence, and np more, shall be paid on every such Licence to the said Secretary for his Fee.
IX. Provided always, That no one Licence shall authorise any Person or Persons to keep more Houses* than one for the Reception of Lunaticks; nor shall any Licence, to be granted by virtue of this Act, continue in Force for any longer Time than for one Year.
be In Force only one Year.
X. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That no Commissioner, to be appointed afc aforesaid shall, directly or indirectly, during the Time he shall be a Commissioner, be interested in keeping any House for the Reception of Lunaticks, upon Pain of forfeiting, for such Offence, the Sum of fifty Pounds.
XI. And be it further enacted, That the President of the said College of Physicians for the Time being shall, and is hereby required to cause Summons to be sent to the said several Commissioners, requiring the ni to attend at the first Meeting after they shall be appointed Commissioners, as aforesaid; all which Summons-shall be sent by the Beadle, or such other Person belonging to the said College, as the said President shall think proper; and shall be left at the respective Houses, or usual Places of Abode, of each Commissioner.
XII. Provided nevertheless, That in case any two Commissioners shall, at any Time or Times, think proper to call a Meeting of the said Commissioners, such two Commissioners may themselves cause the like* Notice to be given, and to be sent, in Manner aforesaid, to the other Commissioners, requiring their Attendance at Fuch Time and Place as shall be expressed in such Notice.
XIII. Provided always, That at all Meetings of the said Commissioners in the Execution of this Act, in case of an Equality of Votes, the Chairman shall have the calling Vote.
XIV. And be it further enacted, That the said Commissioners, or any three or more of them, either by themselves or with their Secretary, as they shall think fit, shall, and they are hereby required, once at least in every Year and whenever required by the Lord High Chancellor, or Lord Keeper, or Commissioners for the Custody of the Great Seal, or by the Lord Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench, or by the Lord Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas for the Time being, to visit and inspect all such Houses as shall have been licensed by them, as aforesaid, between the Hours of Eight and Five in the Day-time; and may, in like Manner, at any other Time or Times, within the Hours aforesaid, visit and inspect all such Houses as often as they, or any three or more of them, shall think necessary, and shall have, at all such Times, Liberty and Power to continue in such House, and to examine the Persons confined as Lunaticks therein, for such Time as they shall think proper.
XV. And be it further enacted, That the said Commissioners, or their Secretary, shall, at every such Visitation, make Minutes, in Writing, of the State and Condition of all such Houses which they shall so visit, as to the Care of the Patients therein, and all such other Particulars as they shall think deserve their Notice, together with their Observations thereupon; all which Minutes shall, within one Week next after such Visitation, be by the said Secretary entered, by way of Report, in a Register to be kept by him in the said College of Physicians for that Purpose, and the same shall be read to, and signed by, the said Commissioners, or any three or more of them, at their next Meeting; but no Minute which tends to impeach the Character of any House shall be so entered, uriless such Minute shall have been previously signed by three or more of the said Commissioners, who shall have been present at such Visitation; and in case the Commissioner®*
missioners,
