G.— No. 27.

REPORTS ON THB LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN THE COLONY.

PEOVINCE OF AUCKLAND. No. 1. His Honor T. B. Gillies to the Hon. W. G-isbohne. Sic, — Superintendent's Office, Auckland, Ist July, 1872. Herewith I have the honor to forward copies, in duplicate, of the Half-Yearly Eeports by the Inspector of Asylums, under " The Lunatics Act, 1868," for the periods ending 31st January and 30th June ultimo; also, of a Eeport furnished by the same officer for the year 1871. I have, <fee, Thomas B. Gillies, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, "Wellington. Superintendent.

Enclosure 1 in No. 1. Hale-Yearly Statement under Section 60 of " The Lunatics Act, 1868," from Ist August, 1871, to 31st January, 1872. 1. Official visits made to the Asylum during twenty-seven days ... ... ... ... 23 Official visits made elsewhere in reference to patients ... ... ... 82 Official visits received in reference to patients ... ... ... 45 _ . 127 2. Patients seen at Asylum and elsewhere ... ... ... ... ... . 2 571 3. Miles travelled to and from the Asylum ... ... ... ... ... 253 Miles travelled elsewhere on Asylum affairs ... ... ... ... ... 109 362 4. Letters sent, 162; letters received, 47 ... ... ... ... ... 209 H. Hanson Turton, Inspector of Asylums, Parnell, 31st January, 1872. Province of Auckland.

Enclosure 2 in No. 1. Half-yearly Statement under Section 60 of " The Lunatics Act, 1868," ending on the 30th Jane, 1872. 1. Official visits made to the Asylum ... ... ... ... ... 20 Official visits elsewhere in reference to patients ... ... ... ... 51 Official visits received in reference to patients ... ... ... ... 41 _ . . 92 2. Patients seen in Asylum and elsewhere ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 284 3. Miles travelled to and from the Asylum ... ... ... ... ... 220 Miles travelled elsewhere on Asylum affairs ... ... ... ... ... 51 271 4. Letters sent, 102; letters received, 56 ... ... ... ... ... ]_5g H. Hanson- Turton, J.P., Inspector of Asylums.

Enclosure 3 in No. 1. Provincial Lunatic Asylum, Auckland.—lnspector's Annual Eeport. This paper may be so called, though there is indeed very little to say in addition to the lengthy Eeport of last year. The general arrangements and domestic economy of a Lunatic Asylum, like those of most other public establishments, under proper guidance, I find to be quite as well regulated in one year as in another. The rules and duties are the same throughout, and the chief difference observable is in the different spirit and zeal with which those duties are carried out by the attendants, and in this respect I cannot report so well as before. 2. When I hear of the Surgeon and Keeper being grossly insulted in the presence of the patients, and of an improper spirit being shown to each other by the attendants, both in the male and female wards, with no further penalty than the empty threat of being " reported to the Inspector," I cannot wonder at the impertinent effrontery and insubordination of the patients themselves. I call the threat an empty one, because, in fact, the Inspector has no more power than simply to hear and remonstrate and advise, as the case may be, whereas the real cure for an offence of this kind would be in the dismissal of one or two of the offenders at a month's notice. Of course, in some sense, these subordinate officers are of more value the longer they remain, owing to their better knowledge of the inmates and