MRS. HOWARD IN DEFENCE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4170, 1 August 1874, Page 3

MRS. HOWARD IN DEFENCE.

The following extract from a letter, dated May 15th, 1874, sent hy Mrs. Howard to a friend in Dunedin, has been published in the Daily Times; — Dr. heathers ton has asserted to me that a telegram was sent him from Otago to prohibit any more girls going from me, as some of the Carnatic girls went on the streets. In the first place, I did not send all the girls who wont in the Carnatic, and I can scarcely believe such a tiling of my girls. Secondly, if such an end came to those poor things, I will state some facts which, might help to account for it. They came from country districts in Ireland, where they had been under the care of parents and friends, priests and nuns. I travelled with them and took caro of them, [according to my promise to their friends, the whole five hundred miles, superintending every change of conveyance, subjecting myself to fatigue and privations

of all sorts, so as to protect these inexperienced travellers from all kinds of dangers that cannot be here enumerated. I kept all the single women in one compartment of the railway, the single men in others, and the families in others. When we reached Paddington, after travelling incessantly for more than twenty-four hours, tired to death, I did not then desert my charge—eighty souls in all—but put them in vans provided for me by the railway to take them to the docks, and proceeded myself in a cab, that I might be there first to got their luggage passed through the Customs, &c„, all of which is man’s work—but I got none to help me. To my extreme vexation the ship was not ready to receive them, and the poor things, weary in body, and hungry and thirsty, had to go to lodgings provided by the AgentGeneral for these people and others situated in the same way. .And where think you this “ home ” is situated ? In the very centre of Whitechapel ! at a large public house and boarding-house kept by a Mr. Upson, and called the Brittania. With regard to the internal arrangements no fault could be found. The bedrooms were of the cleanest and most comfortable kind, plenty of attention and good food, but no privacy whatever. No sooner bad I counted the girls and got them into some order, and turned round to see after others, than a number of young fellows were into the place, and persuaded them they would be locked in for the night if they did not come off directly. After inspecting the rooms, and returning down stairs to see them at dinner, I found the flock I had been so careful about gone out at once into the thick of the Whitechapel mob, gay shops of cheap articles, bad characters of all descriptions waiting to pounce upon them from all sides. I bad no legal power to keep them in, and the landlord said it was beyond his. My real duty • to the Government had ended when I had selected the emigrants in Ireland and signed my name, after inspecting themselves and their characters and clothes ; but I had imposed this extra duty and expense upon myself, hoping to ward off these dreadful evils from my young girls, and not leave them until I had put them on board the ship, and delivered them up to the matrons provided for them. My heart sickened as I the evils that might arise from this state of things, evils which .Mr. Edwards, the present Archdeacon of St. Raul’s, Dunedin; Rather Moreau, the late Parish Priest, and myself had so often lamented in old times, but I was powerless. Mr. Upson promised to go out, and with his sons and others, hunt them up, and after staying about three hours in his house, and having only the barren comfort of seeing a ffi»* return to go their beds, I had to leave; my duties on board the ship next day compelled me to get home and get some rest after all my exertions and fatigue. Next day, I was early at the sbip, and most of the band I had brought from Ireland had arrived; but I heard many grievous taka from one and another of how they had been coaxed away, some robbed of the little money they had got, all were penitent and sorry, but they all with one voice proclaimed, “All, ma’am, it was no place to take young girls to, fresh from the country,” and I could but feel the force of this myself. The telegram the A-G. speaks of confirms my worst feai’s, but I repudiate all blame. It should be put on those whose duty it was when the scheme of Free Emigration was first set on foot to make their first step a provision for the reception of the female portion at all events, of the emigrants, so that they should be protected from the snares that beset them on arriving in a large city like London, where they become a most welcome prey to the worst characters. On calling on Dr, Featherston after the sailing of the ship, I told him of my horror of the place and maimer in which these girls were provided for ; and he agreed with me it was not a good place, and told me he was trying to make some other arrangements. I afterwards brought about 89 for the Woodlark, but was fortunate in being able to get them on board the same night. I then petitioned the Agent-General to give me a ship to Queenstown, instead of dragging these poor people all the way to London. He consented, and sent the Asia, with berths unfilled for 160, which I completed. I have since sent 260 by the Caroline, 200 by the Garrick Castle, many excellent small parties by the Sussex, Peter Denny, Hindostan, and other ships, and I have now over 200. people all prepared, only waiting for passages. My first 1000 emigrants is more than completed. The tide of emigration that I have induced to set in from various parts of England and Ireland will now flow freely and will not be stayed. I am popular with the people, and have shown them that new Zealand is the best Colony for really industrious emigrants to go to. I may be unjustly deprived of my commission in the future, but nothing can deprive me of the satisfaction I have experienced in benefiting the worthy poor, and helping on the prosperity of Otago by sending her good laborers, male and female, in every class of industry. I truly believe that when the people of Otago are made acquainted with the facts, and how I have worked in their interests for the past six months, they will do me justice.