864

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

CHAPTER 505.

AN ACT to abolish the County Insane Asylum in Allegany

County, and to provide for the pauper insane of said county

elsewhere.

SECTION I. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary-

land, That as soon as this Act takes effect the County Com-

misioners of Allegany County shall contract with the proper

authorities of one or more of the hospitals or asylums for the

care and treatment of the insane in this State, for the care,

Care of a

treatment, custody and support of the pauper insane then

county's pau-
per insane.

confined in said Allegany County Insane Asylum. But said

commissioners shall not contract to pay more than one hun-

dred and fifty dollars per annum per capita therefor; said

commissioners shall not enter into any such contract for a

longer period than one year at a time.

SEC. 2. And be it enacted, That the contract mentioned in

Contract to be

the preceding section shall be reduced to writing, and signed

in writing.

by the said County Commissioners and the proper authorities

of the hospital or hospitals with whom said commissioners

make said contract or contracts, and filed in the office of the

County Commissioners for safe keeping and preservation.

SEC. 3. And be it enacted, That the County Commis-

Commissioners

sioners of Allegany County shall make the contract or con-

to make con-
tracts.

tracts provided for in the first section of this Act annually

before they make the county levy, so that they may know what

sum to levy upon the taxable property in said county to meet

the expense of having said pauper insane cared for as here-

inbefore provided for.

SEC. 4. And be it enacted, That as soon as said County

Commissioners of Allegany County shall have entered into

the contract or contracts mentioned in the first section of this

To notify Lu-

Act. they shall notify the Lunacy Commission thereof, and

nacy Com-

that they are ready to remove or cause to be removed from

mission.

said Allegany County Insane Asylum, known as "Sylvan

Retreat," the pauper insane from Allegany County to such

hospital or hospitals as they have contracted with for the

care and treatment of the same.

SEC. 5. And be it enacted. That as soon as practicable after

receiving notice mentioned in Section 4 of this Act the Lunacy

Allegany
County In-

Commission shall visit "Sylvan Retreat," or the Allegany

sane Asylum

County Insane Asylum, and after as thorough an examination

as practicable into the history of all dements, idiots and chronic