the
called from houses where
women of bad character are in the
habit of residing, congregating, it is impossible not to see that the Ordinance of 1857 is too limited in its operation and that what is required to
tackle the difficulty is a wider and more comprehensive scheme, having for its object not only the control and supervision of Brothels and the Inmates thereof but regulation of prostitution in
general. 13. This brings me to report upon the new Ordinance. I may say in the outset that it is composed of matter derived from the Ordinance of 1857. 14. It re-enacts in the first place all the provisions of the Ordinance of 1857 which experience showed were beneficial. In the second place, it availed itself of such Sections in the "Contagious Diseases Act 1866" (Imperial) as the position of the Colony warranted, and lastly, as will be seen when I come to the discussion of this Ordinance, as I propose to do, Section by
Section, that many clauses were introduced which are specially applicable to this Colony and which either suggested themselves or were brought to the notice of the Committee to whom the Preliminary Draft was
referred.
as were consistent with local circumstances.
15. In the first of such Committees, D.
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Bernard, Deputy Inspector General of Hospitals represented the Navy; Dr. Hardie, Surgeon Major represented the Army, whilst the Civil Service was represented by the Colonial Surgeon (Dr. Murray).
The Ordinance was also considered
by the Registrar General (The Honorable Cecil C. Smith). This Committee made several important suggestions which I think I may say
were in the main adopted and
by that Committee to have been very generally approved. 16. The second Committee to which this Ordinance was referred was a Select Committee of the Legislative Council composed of the Chief Justice (Hon. J. Smale), the Colonial Treasurer (Mr. W. Forth), The Honorable A. B. Gibb, and
myself. I mention the fact of the provisions of the Ordinance being so referred in order to show that no pains
were spared by the Executive to get information from every quarter and to render the Ordinance as perfect as
circumstances would permit.
18.
I shall now comment on its various
Sections, distinguishing those derived from the Ordinance
of 1857 and the "Contagious Diseases Ordinance 1866" from the new provisions.
19.
Sections I, II, III, and IV will have
such operation as appears upon
the