Expenditures. 109 



ficiary, merely stipulating that he be of "suitable age and ca- 

 pacity."^ This act was renewed in 1858. ^ 



The amount expended by the state for the education of the blind 

 during this period, which began April 1, 1846, was fourteen thousand 

 two hundred forty-five dollars. This is an average of eleven hundred 

 eighty-seven doUars for the twelve years in which aid was given. 



The annual grant of five thousand dollars for the support of the 

 insane poor was raised by the legislature in 1851 to seven 

 thousand dollars a year,^ An additional sum ol 

 tii?7nsan°e twenty-five hundred dollars was granted in 1859.-* 

 Under the operation of these acts ninety-three thou- 

 sand six hundred ninety-three dollars was expended from April 

 1, 1846, until March 31, 1861, an annual average of six thou- 

 sand two hundred forty-six dollars. In addition to these annual 

 appropriations, the state in 1854 and 1856 paid to the retreat six 

 thousand and eight thousand dollars, respectively, for building 

 purposes. In 1851 the state also directed three banks — the Central 

 Bank at Middletown,^ the Pequonnuc at Bridgeport,^ and the 

 Hatters' at Bethel' — to pay bonuses which aggregated three thou- 

 sand two hundred fifty dollars to be used for the benefit of the insane 

 poor. Thus this institution received during this period over one 

 hundred and five thousand dollars from the state. 



In 1854 the assembly for the first time voted an annual appropri- 

 ation of two thousand dollars to be made to the General Hospital 

 Society.^ This appropriation was continued without 

 General change for the rest of the period and the full amount 



Society ^^^ expended. The legislature did not overlook this 



society in 1851, when it was chartering so many banks 

 and causing them to pay bonuses for various institutions. The 

 Merchants' Bank of New Haven was directed to pay two thousand 

 dollars to the society.^ 



The state reform school was estabhshed by the legislature in 1851. 



The act provided that as soon as ten thousand dollars was raised 



by private subscription and paid into the state treas- 



State uj-y^ ^j^g s^a.te should add another ten thousand dollars. 



Sdioo" The sum thus held by the treasurer was to be expended 



on the reform school at. such times as the trustees 



1 Private Acts, 1853, p. 5. ^ private Acts, 1858, p. 6. 



3 Private Acts, 1851, p. 81. * Private Acts, 1859, p. 139. 



5 Private Acts, 1851, p. 6. « Private Acts, 1851, p. 50. 



' Private Acts, 1851, p. 21. ^ Private Acts, vol. iii, p. 309. 

 •' Private Acts, 1851, p. 30. 



