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selves, "Whether the two Hospitals of Bridewell and Bethlem
"have been and are so united, that the Governors are
"justiciable in applying the Revenues of the former, to sup-
"ply the Wants of the latter?"

AFTER a careful Perusal of the Charter, and a scrupulous
Enquiry into the Practice from the Foundation, until the pre-
sent Time, they are inclined to answer that Question in the
Affirmative. And they have great Pleasure in remaking,
that no Part of the Revenue of Bridewell has ever been more
usefully employed, or perhaps so unexceptionably, as that
which has gone in Aid of the poor Lunatics at Bethlem.

CONCURRENT with the Grant of another Royal Hospital,
the Government of Bethlem was given to the Mayor, Com-
monalty and Citizens of London , who committed the same
to the Governors whom they had appointed for Bridewell ;
to which Bethlem seems even then to have been considered
as an Appendage; and, by their own Reports, it was
evidently used as a Place of Confinement for "the poor
Prisoners who were Lunatic." For above Fifty Years, the
Management was entrusted to Three Surveyors, selected
from and deputed by the Governors of Bridewell ; and being

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thus held as a Branch of the same Charity, it became from the
first, and has ever been the Practice (and very naturally too)
to make good the Deficiencies of Bethlem from the Funds of
Bridewell .In Fact, the first Order for keeping the two
Accompts seperate, that the Committee have found, was in
November, 1630, which affords a strong Presumption, that
until that Time they were intermixed, and considered as one
and the same; and this is rendered further probable, by the
Court Books being kept under the Head of Bridewell only,
although the Business of Bethlem is equally recorded in
them; which is now the Practice under the Heads of the
two Hospitals.

SHOULD any further Doubt remain, it will be compleatly
removed by consulting an Act passed in 1782, which recog-
nizes and ratifies the Union of Bridewell and Bethlem; at
the same Time that it establishes or confirms the present
Method of appointing Corporation Governors.

THE Committee, therefore, cannot close this Part of their
Observations, without repeating, that the Funds of Bridewell
have been, and may be, very justifiably resorted to in Aid of
Bethlem ; and adding as their decided Opinion, that, if the
Balances

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Balances now in Hand, and all Donations and Legacies,
were funded when received; and every Exertion made to
increase the Revenues, and reduce the Annual Charges,
the Benefits of that most noble Institution might be still fur-
ther extended; and the Governors enabled to reduce the
Payments made by the Friends of the poor Objects on their
Admission, as hereafter recommended; which nothing but
the Scantiness of the Funds can at present justify.In
regard to the extensive Repairs, which, your Committee are
sorry to observe, are so much wanted at that Hospital; or the
Erection of a new Building in a more airy Situation, in
Exchange for the present; the Committee recommend very
earnestly, that they be well considered by and especial Com-
mittee, before either of them be determined upon; and
whichsoever of the two Plans be then undertaken, there can
be little Doubt but that great Numbers of well-disposed Per-
sons will hasten to contribute liberally towards that extra
Expence, so as to render an Encroachment upon the Prin-
cipal Funds of the Hospitals unnecessary.

IN considering the Revenues of Bethlem , a Difficulty
occurred, of no small Importance, which embarrassed the
Committee to unravel and adjust. This was, to discover and
ascertain with Precision the exact Balance or Income now

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due and forthcoming to the Incurable Fund; for the Com-
mittee cannot but consider as peculiarly sacred and inviolate
all the Bequests and Donations which have ever been spe-
cifically limited to any particular Branch of the Charities;
and they are decidedly of Opinion, that the Fund for
Incurables especially should be kept compleatly separate;
which has not been hitherto done with proper Accuracy.

THE imperfect State of that Accompt, and the total Want
of Books of Legacies and Benefactions, which, have been
discontinued for above Forty Years in utter Disregard of an
experts Standing Order, occasioned to the Committee the
Trouble and Difficulty alluded to.They have however
investigated the whole with great Care, and, in the best
Manner they could, have fixed upon a precise existing
Balance, as the Basis for a future Accompt; which they
think may be fairly considered as now due to the Incurable
Fund.

IN order to give a more comprehensive View, as well as
a more accurate Statement, of the Revenues and Expenditure
of the two Hospitals, the Committee determined to extend
their Enquiries back to the Year 1775, when the Grand
Treasury