informed by
me uns in
His
Excellency's opinion, in its present state, unfit for publications, inasmuch
in
as it reflected upon Officers other Departments of the Public Pervice.
I have pe
(Signed) WH. Alexander,
Mersing Colonial Secretary Acting
(True Copy)
WHAlexand
Acting Celonial Secretary.
Daily Press. 10th March 1862.
Can any body tell us why the report and the returns of the Colonial Surgeon should be suppressed year after year in the manner they are? We know that the! rules of the service require that a copy of every despatch sent into the Colonial Se- cretary's office should be forwarded to Downing Street. We ourself saw a des- parch from the Earl of Clarendon to Sir John Bowring on this subject, which urged the enforcement of the rule in such strong terms that it directed that should a letter once sent in be withdrawn, still both the letter and the withdrawal should be for- warded home.
The fate of the Colonial Surgeon's re- turns, being enveloped in the most impe- netrable mystery, we may be very sure that they contain matter which the Go- vernment are ashamed of. That he sent in returns is certain; that they have been suppressed is equally so, inasmuch as they have not been published; and that the Colonial Surgeon is in the bal books of the powers that be is abundantly clear from the fact of their having raised their own salaries and reduced his, Arriving at these inevitable conclusions, we halt at a stand point wherefrom to view the cir- cumstance of the suppression of these re- turns. Our readers must bear in mind that neither the Medical returns for 1860 nor 1861 have been published.
Now we happened to learn by the merest accident that the Governor himself said, relative to some other papers which he suppressed, that he wanted to send des- patches to Downing Street showing that every thing was going on right, not that any thing whatever was going on wrong. Here we have the clue to the whole affair, and the subject becomes serious and im- portant when we reflect that the measures which Her Majesty's Government have adopted to place a check upon the Go- vernors of Colonies lacking Representative institutions, are thus openly defied. We fear that a proper construction upon this system would be a fraud upon the Home Government." Nothing is to be sent home unless it be painted couleur de
eh? The Press is to be denounced and stigma- tised as false and scurrilons! Every act of the local Government is to be enveloped in the most profound mystery? Unseru- pulously exparte despatches are to be in- dicted to Downing Street! What an en- lightened, constitutional, and popular system to be sure!
ruse,
However to return to the Colonial Sur- geon's returns. We know a leetle more than is convenient. The fact is that our resume upon the state of affairs here at the -close of last year, caused us to become a sort of repository for what are termed the "stories Aying about." A medical gentle-
man, whom we seldom see, told us, that the Civil Hospital contained no wards for in- fectious diseases, nor suitable place to put insane people into. That small pox had appeared in the establishment, and that before a mat shed!! could be erected for the accommodation of the sufferers, the con- tagion had spread to some, but not to a large, extent. Furthermore, that insane people had escaped from the hospital on several occasions, and that sad consequences had resulted. Our informant added, that the Colonial Surgeon had in vain solicited for the remedy of these defects, but that no heed being taken he had embodied them in his annual report-ergo, it had been suppressed.
We made further enquiries, but could ascertain no more than the bare fact that there were neither infectious nor insane wards at the Civil Hospital, and that the Colonial Surgeon had expressed his dis- approbation at the lack of these indispens- able necessaries. We heard however, in
habb36
229
the course of our peregrinations, that there had been a "row" between the Governor of the Gaol and the Colonial Surgeon. That the latter had disapproved of the severity with which flogging was adinin. istered, and of the objectionable mode" in A which the prisoners are manacled ;-of the crowded state of the Gaol, and the conse- quent heavy mortality; of the lack of in- terpreters and of the difficulty which he experienced in having his directions carried out. Our informant averred that the Governor of the Gaol had been supplied with a copy of the Colonial Sur- geon's complaints, and that he had replied in a recriminatory manner, but our infor- mant knew not what he had said. Judg. ing from the falsehood Joseph Scott Esq. told about Mr. Tarrant embracing Sum Ahing, we do not think he would stick at a trifle.
There may be, most likely there are, other reasons why the Medical returus should be suppressed. We regret to have to come before our readers with the "re- ports flying about," but when official shortcomings and ruisdoings are attempted to be concealed by the shroud of mystery, and a threatening circular sent round to the heads of departments lest they should communicate with the press, it is clear that the fourth estate must either use the best materials available or be rendered t terly impotent. We have proved that papers have been suppressed, and we have given good reasons, founded, at all events, on reliable data. why they should have been and are suppressed. Surely that is prima facie evidence of our case, and enough to justify our appealing to the public thereauent.
A snarling friend of ours, for whom we have a sneaking regard, told us with a griu yesterday, that we had caught "hold of the wrong story about the Re- 'gistrar's fees, and that we had made things worse than they were?" Oh oh, then they are bad are they? If they are made to appear worse, blaine the concealment practised, not us, and let the truth be told. We know this. Mr. Alexander taxed Dr. Bridges' Bill of Costs in the case of Caine
Tarrant, at over $2,300, whilst Me. Austey's Bill of Costs in the case of the Queen v Tarrant, which involved more than three times the labor, was less than one third the amount, and was thus descanted on by the Governing powers.
"Colonial Secretary's Office, Victoria, Hongkong, 21 January 1859, "SIR, I have laid before his Excellency the Governor your letter recommending the pay- ment of costs in the case of Regina v. Tarrant, amounting to 750 dollars and 25 cents, and his Excellency has accordingly authorised the payment of that sun, but will not fail to call the attention of the Secretary of State to the failure of justice, and to the exorbitant charges, allowed by the taxing officer.
"This case came under the criminal jurisdic- tion of the court, and it seems to his Excel- lency a very grave matter that the Crown should be called on in a criminal prosecution to defray the expenses which the prisoner may incur in his defence."
I have, &c. (signed) W. T, Mereer,
Colonial Secretary. "The Honourable the Acting Attorney Gon- eral."
Both suits were criminal prosecutions— If it bagrave matter" that the Crown should pay when it loses, it is surely a stillgraver matter," to make an incar- cerated prisoner pay on a treble scale for the expense of prosecuting him.
We further know that Mr. Alexander is the nominee of Dr. Bridges and Biother
Mercer, and is moreover the special agent of the former at this moment.