Whereas, many great and dangerous abuses frequently arise from the present state of Houses kept for the reception of Lunaticks, for want of regulations with respect to the persons keeping such houses, the admission of Patients into them, and the Visitation by proper persons of the said Houses and Patients: And whereas the law, as it now stands, is insufficient for preventing or discovering such abuses; may it therefore please your Majesty that it may be enacted; and be it enacted by the King’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, That, from and after the Twentieth day of November One thousand seven hundred and seventy-four, if any person or persons, in that part of _Great Britain_ called _England_, the dominion of _Wales_, or town of _Berwick upon Tweed_, shall, upon any pretence whatsoever, conceal, harbour, entertain, or confine, in any house or place, kept for the reception of Lunaticks, more than one Lunatick, at any one time, without having such Licence for that purpose as is herein-after directed, (except such Lunaticks as are committed by the Lord High Chancellor of _Great Britain_, or Lord Keeper, or Commissioners for the Custody of the Great Seal for the time being), every such person shall, for every such offence, forfeit and pay the sum of Five hundred Pounds. And, in order that proper persons may be appointed for visiting such houses as shall be licenced and kept for the reception of Lunaticks, within the cities of _London_ and _Westminster_, and within seven miles of the same, and within the county of _Middlesex_, be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the President and Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians in _London_ for the time being, at a general meeting of the said College, to be held upon the last day of _September_, or if that day falls upon Sunday, then upon the first day of _October_, in every year, shall elect Five Fellows of the said College for granting such Licences as aforesaid, within the said cities of _London_ and _Westminster_, and within seven miles of the same, and within the said county of _Middlesex_, according to the directions of this act; and the said Five Fellows, so elected, shall be and are hereby declared to be, Commissioners for granting such Licences within the limits aforesaid, for the year then next ensuing; provided that two, at least, of the said Fellows, to be so elected, shall be persons who have not acted as Commissioners for the preceding year; and that no person whatsoever shall be capable of being elected, or of acting as a Commissioner, for more than three years successively.