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[ XII ]
has been that many more Chinese than were required came here, and possibly amongst them, some, who on presenting themselves at the Depôts for admission, were, from their appearances, rejected; such persons would then be destitute and are probably those who have complained of being turned out of the Depôts. It would scarcely be fair to saddle the broker with neglect of such persons simply because their services were re- fused. But if the keeper of a Depôt has been found guilty of turning a regularly engaged emigrant into the street because he was sick, he is doubtless deserving of punishment, but I do not see how the Emigration Officer can prevent the ejectment unless he witnesses it.
On the 10th instant I visited the Depôts with the Medical Inspector for the purpose of issuing permits to those persons willing to become emigrants and whom the doctor pronounced fit. Every man passed individually, firstly, through the Inspector's hands and then through mine. Another batch passed through my Office on the 17th in the same inanner. Had there been any seriously ill amongst them they must have been detected.
I observed that there were many more men than were required, and in reply to my inquiry Mr. CALDWELL told me he would send the surplus back.
Mr. LISTER is in error when he implies that because 290 only were chosen out of 600, that the remaining 310 were rejected because they were wretched, poor and miser- able. The Ferdinand Brown can carry but 297 passengers, so that number of the healthiest and strongest were shipped; but had there been time to prepare and despatch another before the 1st proximo, nearly the whole of the remainder would also have emigrated. As it is, such as desire it are provided with passages back.
There has lately been so much difficulty in procuring emigrants that the Agent was unprepared for this sudden influx, or two ships would have been made ready for them, for the demand in Dutch Guiana is much greater than the supply has hitherto been. My duties as Emigration Officer are clearly laid down by Act of Parliament and local Ordinances, and consist in seeing that emigrants are not fraudulently obtained, that they understand the nature of their contracts, that the provisions for the voyage are fit and sufficient, and with the assistance of a medical man to see that none but healthy persons embark. Ordinance 12 of 1868 very properly created a Government Officer for the latter purpose. If, in performing these duties I meet with sickness, ordinary humanity would dictate the propriety of having it attended to; but, as I said before, it would be to the Civil Hospital that my attention would be directed. Regulations under section 7 of Ordinance 6 of 1867 were drafted, but that Ordinance was not confirmed. In its substitute 12 of 1868 this provision was left out. The present rules are verbal and refer to crowding, cleanliness and free ingress and egress. Section 9 provides for the medical supervision.
Thus far my report is simply a straightforward statement, but the second part is one that I approach with some diffidence as I have to shew that any one but myself is answerable for the state of things at the Chinese hospital.
In Mr. LISTER's report of the 24th instant he says "through the co-operation of Dr. MURRAY and Mr. DEANE I have cleaned out the place and the survivors are in Hospital." If Mr. LISTER had then thought this hospital was a branch of the Emi- gration Depôts, it is only natural to suppose that he would have communicated with me that I also might co-operate in the cleansing, &c., &c., necessary; but he evidently did not think it a matter within my departmental duties and therefore did not refer to me. But any one reading his report could arrive at no other conclusion than that this place was specially established for the cure or kill of sick emigrants, and consequently he saddles the Emigration Officer with the responsibility of all the iniquities that have
existed in it.
I believe the place was established about 20 years ago for the cure of any sick Chinese no matter who or what they were, and I am disposed to think that its conduct