..
2.
closure.
the best care and treatment.
283
These principles have, however, I regret to
say not been properly appreciated and applied in the past, with the result on the one hand that lunatics whom other Colonies had refused to allow to land have been dumped in this Colony, and on the other hand a certain number of cases which for one reason or another have been refused by their country of origin have become permanent inmates of the place of detention, and no effort has hitherto been made to approach those countries on the basis of an annual payment by this Colony.
6.
A case in point in illustration of the first 'statement is that of No. 6 in the attached list. The vessel convey.
-ing this man attempted to land him at Ceylon since he is a native of India, but was not allowed to do so. The vessel then carried him to the Red Sea where it met the outwerd ship of the same Company and transferred him to her. He was brought back to the East, but no second attempt to land him in Ceylon, or even in the Straits or Federated Malay States was made and he was dumped in Hongkong. Every effort to get rid of him has since failed. Similar-
-ly there is nothing to prevent the United States Government ship- -ping all their lunatics from the Philippines to this Colony. I am dealing with this matter separately and shall address you on the subject in another Despatch.
7.
As regards the second point, I am of opinion that for reasons of humanity it would be better in the last re- -sort for this Colony to pay for the reception of a lunatic in a proper Asylum in his or her own country, if we are unable to in- -duce that country to accept the patient as a proper charge against its own revenues.
8.
I have made enquiries regarding the lunatics
at present in confinement here, and in the list above referred to
I have dealt with each case. I request your good offices (in con-
-junction
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