The colonial government legislated in 1858 (the Act came into force on 31 December) to provide for the care and treatment of insane persons. The Act provided for the Governor to appoint, by Order-in-Council, a hospital or hospitals for the insane and for a Board of Commissioners to superintend, manage, direct and regulate each hospital. Each Board was to comprise at least five Commissioners, at least two of whom were to be medically qualified, one of the latter to be their President. Day to day administration was left in the hands of the medical superintendant, but at least two of the Commissioners were to inspect the hospital at least once every three months. On 1 January 1859 the Governor signed Orders-in-Council appointing the existing lunatic asylum at New Norfolk as a Hospital for the Insane; appointing eight Commissioners (including the Anglican Bishop of Tasmania) for the hospital; and appointing a Superintendant and Medical Officer-in-Charge. (Notified in the Gazette of 4 January at page 38.) On 10 January a ninth Commissioner, Edward Bedford, was appointed as President of the Board (HTG 11 January p.74). There were no fixed terms of office, the Commissioners being appointed "during the Governor's pleasure". Although the Governor also appointed the principal medical staff the Commissioners had the power to remove them. In 1877, as part of the winding up of the convict establishment, a Hospital for the Insane was established at the Cascades for convicts. The Commissioners for the hospital at New Norfolk were appointed for the Cascades institution as well. The Commissioners took a generally progressive view of their role and constantly criticised the Government in their annual reports for its inadequate funding of the hospital at New Norfolk. The tension came to a head in 1883 with the establishment of a Royal Commission to investigate the management of the Hospital for the Insane. Its report, echoing the criticism of Government neglect and poor funding, was ignored and a committee of medical specialists was formed the following year with similar terms of reference. The committee repeated the criticisms voiced by the Commissioners and the Royal Commission. The Government's response was to legislate, in 1885, to abolish the Commissioners and bring the Hospital under direct control of the Colonial Secretary. For administrative convenience the Hospital became part of teh Charitable Grants Department. Much of the administrative responsibility of the former Commissioners devolved on the Superintendant and Medical Officer-in-Charge.~