INQUIRY ON THE IMMIGRANT SHIP BOYNE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5419, 31 March 1879, Page 5

INQUIRY ON THE IMMIGRANT SHIP BOYNE.

[by TELEGRAPH, PRESS ASSOCIATION-.] Wellington*, Saturday. Tus report of the Immigration Coiunutsioners on the ship Boyne, lately arrived o Lyttelton, was published last night. In ,L:Gazelle, tho Commissioners state that Ihty »re unable to report favourably ol the t',:ip. The discipline maintained was very ;tn-p-rfect, partly owing to the bad conduct m' several of the single men and single -v r ;: , and to the fact that a number of the and also fcbe baker of the ship were en*»a.2o-l for the run out at Is. per month. quarrels among the immigrants and smont: the crew were reported in tie 6urgeon'o j JUroal. One cause, however, of the bad discipline, had been the sale of spirits on board, which formed the subject of special inquiry. The Commissioners recommend j the Government that the captain's gratuity of £-5 he withheld, and a similar amount deducted from that payable to the surgeon, whom cannot recommend for further employment. Appended to the report are miuutes of the inquiry held into tho sale of spirits by the captain to emigrants. The captain stated that he had the permission of the surgeon, who later stated that he did, after being several times pressed to do so, consent to the sale, provided the spirits were drank at the cabin dcor, and not more than a wineglass allowed to each man. He superintended himself, in the presence of the third mate, but the demand becoming so larne, he withdrew his consent. A charge was brought by the captain against the doctor, that when his services were urgently required, in one case of a woman in labour, he was found in a state of stupefaction, and it was impossible to arouse him. In reply, the doctor stated that be suffered from diarrhrua nearly the whole voyage, and took every night an opium pill.