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not arrive at the result which Mr. Francis has so clearly sketched out to us, but this is not the question before us.
The Commission has been appointed with definite powers, definite scope, and it is our duty to continue it.
Mr. Francis-I would ask leave to say one word in explanation. If I conveyed the idea that there was any formal expression of opinion, I failed to express myself clearly, but communicating personally with Mr. Cobbold he distinctly expressed at the time his agreement with me. 1 have carefully perused Mr. May's evidence, as submitted to the Committee, and I am perfectly satisfied, and anybody who reads it over will be fully satisfied, that the Captain Superintendent of Police, who has immediate control of the licensed houses, coffee shops, and other public houses here, sees nothing that requires amendment, and is satisfied with the method of conducting the public houses. Mr. Browne, the Secretary, stated emphatically to myself and Captain Hastings, when talking the matter over the other day, that in the reports of the military and naval medical officers, in answer to questions submitted to them, that they bad nothing whatever to complain of All they said was that the men got too great a quantity of liquor, but as to the quality they had nothing to say.
The Rev. R. F. Cobbold--I am sure Mr. Francis will agree with me in this point that hearsay evidence is of no practical value. I have not seen the answers to questions formulated by the Commission, neither has Mr. Francis, and we are not in a position to say that there is no use for the Commission.
Dr. Stedman-I beg to second Mr. Francis' motion. I was appointed to the Commission in place of Dr. Hartigau, and I have had a lot of conversations with Mr. Browne on the subject, and he tells me emphatically and distinctly that he cannot by analysis detect any deleterious principles in the cheap whiskies and gins that are sold in this Colony; that the cheap whiskies and gins sold in this Colony are cheap because they are not natural spirits, but manufactured spirits, and, so far as he can tell, were manufactured with more or less pure proof spirit. Certain flavours are added to them, certain small proportions of whisky or gin, as the case may be, to give them a flavour, so that these manufactured spirits contain less fusel oil and far less furfuraldehyde than other expensive liquors. Mr. Browne has told me that in all these cheap whiskies be cannot find as much fusel oil, furfuraldehyde, and one or two other things, which are supposed to be injurious in newly-distilled whisky, as was found in much more expensive whisky, and further, that these cheap whiskies have been brought to him from these low grog shops in the towu, and after analysing them and failing to find anything deleterious in them he has drunk these common cheap whiskies at his own table, and not only received no injury from them, but found them very much like the ordinary whisky, except that they had not the same amount of flavour. It seems to me it is entirely a matter of analysis; we are left entirely in the analyst's hands, and if the Commission were to investigate the spirits sold in this Colony and send them for analysis, and the analyst tells you beforehand that be cannot find anything deleterious in the liquor the whole thing must end in smoke.
Dr. Clark-I would just like to say that the statement we have heard from Dr. Stedman is a most important one, one which practically settles the question. We are receiving the statement of the Government Analyst at second hand, and I would like to suggest, Sir, prior to the dissolution of this Commission-Would it not be well if the Commission took the evidence of Mr. Browne on that point, and if necessary call another meeting of the Justices to hear at first hand the evidence of the Government Analyst?
Mr. Francis-In the present state there is no Commission. The question is whether the Government should re-constitute it. There are only two members of it-myself and Mr. Cobbold.
Dr. Clark-And these two members constitute the Commission.
Mr. Francis-No, a quorum consists of the Chairman and two other members.
Dr. Clark-I will nove, "That the Government be recommended to appoint the Acting Police Magistrate Chairman of this Commission, and that this meeting of the Justices begs to suggest to the Commission that they take the evidence of the Government Analyst upon the question as to whether it is possible by analysis to prove the deleteriousness or otherwise of cheap liquors sold in this Colony, and report the result of that evidence to a future meeting of the Justices." Then, Sir, we should be in a position to consider the question whether it is worth while to waste valuable time in taking further evidence. Until we get that, we have no evidence before us to justify the dissolution of the Commission.
Dr. Lowson seconded.
Mr. Francis withdrew his proposals in favour of Dr. Clark's resolution.
Dr. Clark's resolution was carried unanimously.
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