The evidence taken before a committee of the House of Commons, respecting the Asylum at York / with observations and notes, and a letter to the Committee, &c. ... ; by Godfrey Higgins.

  • Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Select Committee appointed to consider of provisions being made for the better regulation of madhouses in England.
Date:
1816
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The evidence taken before a committee of the House of Commons, respecting the Asylum at York / with observations and notes, and a letter to the Committee, &c. ... ; by Godfrey Higgins. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

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    would not support me; that he had known him, Ins family, and connexions, for many years; that he was very sorry for the situation in which he was placed,—but that lie was more sorry for the situation of the unfortunate lunatics, who, he was now satisfied, were much abused and neglected; that he was determined to spare no exertions to reform the place; that he would avoid every possible injury to Dr. Best: but that if it came to a question, whether he or the interest of the house should suffer, he would not hesitate what line to take. I need hardly add, that I most thankfully accepted the assistance of such a man on terms so honourable. I have reason to believe, that many of the other governors acted precisely on the same principles with Mr. Nicoll; and this will account for several things which, for want of this explanation, have been thought extraordinary. The Committee of General Inquiry and Investigation was named by Mr. Nicoll, and was composed of two sets of persons : 1st of old governors, who took a decisive part against all reform, and 2d of gentlemen having the same feelings as Mr. Nicoll, with respect to Dr. Best; so that whenever any thing was proposed - favourable to the physician, it was sure to be carried by a decisive majority, provided it was not so strong as to endanger the wished-for reform; and this is the reason why the report of this committee is so odd a mixture of glaring facts and attempts to disguise the real nature of them. When I brought forward the statement of the misapplication of the money, the friends of Dr. Best alleged in his defence, that he took it because his predecessor, Hunter, had done so ; that he did not know that it was contrary to the rules of the institu- tution for him to take it, although a resolution, almost verbally the same as the latter of those copied above, was repeatedly passed in Hunter's time, and Dr. Best had always access to the books; that, therefore, though an extreme misapplication had taken place, jet, as it had been done in ignorance, there was no criminality in it. By the discovery of the above motion and order of Dr. Best, of the 8th of February, 1813, and the subsequent publication of his report, this defence is no longer of the least service : they were known to few, and not adverted to when the vote of non- criminality was passed. It appears from Mr. Nicoll's letter, given in the Appendix, No. I. that the motion would not have been made, if the report of 1813 had been known to him. After the appearance of that order and publication, he could not any longer shut his eyes to the real truth, and I believe, though very reluctantly, he gave up the Doctor's cause. I particularly request your attention to every part of Mr. Nicoll's letter.