THE VICTORIAN- GOVERNMENT AND THE "ARGUS."

Timaru Herald, Volume IV, Issue 101, 20 April 1866, Page 5

THE VICTORIAN- GOVERNMENT AND THE "ARGUS."

The Australasian, of the 30th ult., m its weekly summary," gives the following iiccount o( tlie ' imprisonment of Mr. George, printer ami- publisher of the Air/tis, ' for nn 'article reflecting on Mr. M'Culloeh, the Chief Secretary. The latest telegrams report that Mr. George is still m confinement, and that the prison rules are rigidly enforced : — As will be . seen by our Parliamentary report, the case of Mr. .Hugh Georgej the prisoner of the " Victorian- Court of Star Chamber, occupied [ the , attention of the Assembly- during- -the principal part of their sitting on Tuesday. On the motion' of Mr. M'Culloch, it was resolved — although not till two amendments had been submitted — that ilr. George be dis- : charged on payment- of tees. After the'

decision of tlm House had been communicated to him by thes:.*r«;vant-at-arins, Mr. George addressed to that functionary v note, m which he protested against tlie injustice ot' his imprisonment, and refused to make any payment with a view to his discharge. The following is the certificate given by Dr. Barker, after inspecting the cell m which Mr. George has passed several nights during the period of his incarceration : — "sl, ' Liitrohe-street east, Miirch 28, 1800. 1 hereby certify that 1 have this afternoon visited Mr. Huo-h George, at the Parliament-house, and inspected the cell on the basement story m which lie has to sleep. I find it damp, having- a disagreeable odour, and m conjunction with its situation consider it likely to prove of serious injury to his health. From the necessitated 'position of the bedstead it is impossible that the small window can be opened, to allow of air (if pure) to enter, but as the window is close to an open urinal, the air is tainted by it. Edward Barker, M.D., F.R.C.S., -£n«r., Lecturer on Surgery at the Melbourne University, and Senior Surgeon to the Melbourne Hospital." On Tuesday afternoon the compositors of the An/us oflice, numbering about fifty, waited' upon Mr. George, m a body, to" expres their sympathy and respect. It would be a mistake, however, to suppose that sympathy is confined to those more or less intimately connected witn Mr. George. A feeling of sympathy with the sufferer is wide-spread through the community, accompanied with indignation at the monstrous injustice which has been perpetrated upon him, without legal process or form of trial. In the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, Mr. M'Culloch intimated that his colleagues and himself had consented to discharge the pressing duties of Government, but had not accepted office. Their object was to give the Upper House sin opportunity of reconsidering the Bill of Supph-, which he hoped the House would pass through all its. stages that evening-. It was drawn from the Speaker that the only alteration m the Bill — the date at which the connection of the new duties should commence — was not, m his opinion, a sufficient alteration to permit of the reintroduction of the measure m the same session m which it had been rejected. Mi-. M'Ctilloch thereupon * moved the adjournment of the House till next day, apparently that tlie Assembly might then be prorogued ; but afterword's accepted a suggestion from a supporter that the adjournment should be on Wednesday — an amendment, it was remarked by Mr. Aspinall, haying for its object another week's imprisonment for Mr. Geom-e. It was suggested that the House should meet m cunferenco on the Tariff Bill, and Mr. M'Culloch expressed his belief that it a proposal of that kind came from the Council it would be cordially received by the Assembly. After a loose and somewhat personal and recriminatory debate, the Assembly adjourned to Wednesday next. MR. OEOUGE'S IMPRISONMENT. The following is a statement. which we have received from Mr. Hugh George, detailing the incidents of his imprisonment. Subjoined to this statement are two medical certificates : — [memorandum.] At 10. 15 p.m. on Thursday, I was m the reporters' gallery when tlie division ou the privilege case took place. Thu ser-eant-at-anns sent a massage to me, intimating that he wished to see mo. I went, and was told that I must regard myself as his prisoner. He then showed iue the Speaker's warrant, at the same time handing me a copy of the document. 1 was then shown into Mr. Jjalors room, where I remained a short time; after wnieh i was conducted to the ground floor, aud was suown into my cell, and locked up for the night, i don't know that the historical brass paalock w.is ustd, although it is on the door ; out 1 certaiuly was locked up. Oh, horror. What a place ! ."Sleep was out of the question ; for the iiuugeon is damp, and the atmosphere close, musty, and stifling. Before descending to the lower regions. I asked the sergeaut-at-arms whether I could have a bath regularly, ;is I had beeu iv the habit of having such an indulgence. tie said that he would try and arrange that I should have one ; but 1 have not had a bath sinca coining here. On Wednesday morning I rose fevensti, aud experienced a feeling of discomfort. During the day, the sergeant-at-arms called, and inquired how I was getting on. I complained ot" uiy sleeping cell ; aud either then or ou tiie following day, asked whether he could not allow me to sleep m his room, m which I then was, and which contained a lied, but no bedclothes. He said he would spyak to Sir .Francis Murphy, and let me know tha result of his application. In a few minutes afterwards, Mr. -.fierce, thu principal doorkeeper of the Assembly, called, aud said something to the e.nv.ot that Sir Jb'raucis could uot interfere ; and that I must retire to bed at ten o'clock. This made me iuilig.iaufc, aud almost rebellious; but I displayed uo t'celiug, retiriug at the specified hour when it came round. During Wednesday, and Thursday especially, I was visited by a large number of friends, including uearly all the Opposition members of the Assembly, aud some Ministerialists. Several of the members of the Council visited me, aud others have saut their .cards. The sergeaut-at-arms, ou Thursday, complained that I w-jvs exceeding my allowance of £5 a-day —that the day before my expenses amounted to i' 6Ss ; and that up to that hour on Thursday — four o'clock, 1 think— l had incurred an outlay ol nearly £1. Although I thought his statement extremely improbable. I merely said that I did not thiiik that interference' with my expenditure was auy part of his business— that I had a great many friends coming to see me, and thiit 1 wished to enturfcain them ; and that, if I. did exceed the specified ,_£& a-day, the Anjua was; able enongh aud willing enungli to pay for it oil his presenting his bilL Somewhat, doubting the sergcaut's statement, I sent for Mr. Gregory, to whom I r<j|>eat-.il Mr. .PaluierV. doleful 'reproof,aud asked what my expenses had been. Mr. Gregory said they -did not exceed an average of, £o a-day. He also iuforuiedme that the sergeant-, at-aims had given instructions that tuy expenses were to be limited to £2 IDs a day. 1 tolil Mr. Gregory that 1 regarded this interference ou the part of Mr. Palmer as the height of impertineuce; that he was to.be guided iv this matter by. me, and to take his instructions irom me pnjy. ; : This Mr. (j regory hasdpue .-ever since ; aud £ may say .that I. have had, and mean to hav*y my i'Skworth daily of the good things which Mr. "Gregory is wcJljable to supply," and which he supplies to the. entire, satisfaction of myself and the numerous frieudswhp ..daily; -honor me A^Hthitheir.-.yisiis. , £^had no deep oil AYedu^sday'inighfc or'Thurs(lay night ; and..a3.aCQasequeuce,^on^^^ Fridayy/Igfelt; feverish. That hightiiUw,W?^er,.?l. sleptv.\y^^ iautL ;rose^e^;moirn^t^frj^hey;;jwil 'M'^L.y-M^hiz-'SI t On;; .E!ridiy.^^iirSagnj ;Ith& serge^^at-irimi; said he bad res^fji^a^mmumoiUpn from Mr.

Higirihotham (who had, as a friend, visited me on the previous day), as to my sleejring place.', adding, " You know Mr. Higinhothaui La 3no control over tlii3 department ; but I may nevertheless, allow you as a favor to sleep mmy room. Understand, however, that the onty place which is really yours by right is, the cell m which you sleep, and yon have no right,, day .or .night, to any other place. " T replied (of course, indignantly). " I shall not sleep iv your apartment— 1 shall not receive anything from you as a favor; and if you say that the cell is my place, day and night to the cell lam willing to- go." I don't recollect the exact words used by the sergeant or myself ; but I vouch for the substance, as here given. On Sunday, having had legal advice on the subject, I sent the enclosed note to the sergeant-at-arms, as well as one to the same effect to the. Speaker of the Assembly. On Suuday ni»ht, at eleven o'clock, Mr. Pierce called, and said it was time to retire. . I said I did not intend to sleep m tho cell any more, and that I would not go there unless force was used to compel me to g^>. He replied that he had no authority to use torce. So I said I would remain where I was. 1 did remain ; but as there were no bedclothes m the room, I did not undress. So here 1 am, m anythiug but a happy frame ot mind, apart from the main question of •• privilege" — indignant at the petty tyranny to which 1 mn subjected. The serjeant-at-arms called to-day. He said he had gut my note— that the cell was the only place to which I had a right to go ; and that 1 could only remain m his room as a favor. I replied that 1 would receive nothing as a favor at Ills hands, or at the hands of any one else ou the premises — that I would not go to the cell unless by compulsion, and that I claimed as a right to be m healthy quarters. ■ "'■•■'- In the preceding I have merely stated * the substance— not the words— of the different conversations I have had with the sergeant-at-arms, &c. Hqgh George. Parliament Houses, March 26, 1866. | The following- is the note referred to m the above memorandum : — • " Parliament Houses, March 25, 1866. "To the Sergeaut-at-Arms to the Legislative Assembly of ' Victoria, "Snt,— T beg to give you notice, that I claim, as my legal right, not to be immured iv the unhealthy and .pestiferous cell m which I have hitherto beeu confined at night, to the injury of my health aud to my unspeakable discomfort ; and I further beg to give you notice that I shall hold you personally responsible for any disregard of this noii:icatiou, and that I only enter thy l said cell under compulsion. " Your obedient servant, "Hugh George." " March 26, 1866. " My opinion .is to the suitableness of Mr. H. George's accommodation m the House of Assembly. To place a gentleman iv the apartment m which Mr. George is compelled to pas 3 the night is, I think, an act of refined cruelty. The room, if it be worthy of the name, is -miserably small ; the arrangements for its ventilation defective ; it is dump, aud the smell of the apartment most offensive; air is admitted hy a small window over the head of the bed, and m close proximity to that of the water-closet. I feel eoniideut that the occupation of this apartment for a lengthened period will be calculated seriously to injure the health of Mr. George. " W. It. Puou." " Having this day visited Mr. Georgp, now m custody of thu sergeant-at-arms, and examined his apartments, made inquiries as to his diet, and inspected the accomodation afforded him for open air exercise, I hereby certify that I found his sitting-room commodious, cheerful, and wholesome,, having a free inj,Te3s of air. He has a moderate space allotted to him on the roof for 'exercise, from which he obtains a most beautiful panoramic view of Melbourne und the surrounding cmiutry. His living is excellent. He has the best of viands and the choicest of wines. So far I would not mind exch-iuginir places with him for a short period ; but I do assert, most conscientiously, that his sleeping apartment, on the' basement, is m the greatest degree unhealthy and dangerous to life. The odour on entering this dormitory is very offensive -having a watercloset, an open urinal, a fowl-house, and afoul jard on one side ; on the other a coalhole. The. mom its-lf (although sufficiently capacious to contain the reqnired'ainnnnt of air fur the respiration of one person) is damp, cold, and filled with an atmosphere injurious to life. "D. J. Thomas, M.D., F.R.C.S. Eng. " Honorary Surgeon to the Melbourne Hospital. "172 Collins street, east, March 26."