MAYOR'S COURT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3242, 27 June 1872, Page 3

MAYOR'S COURT.

Wednesday, 26th June. (Before His Worship the Mayor.)

Drunkenness. —William Mitchell, who was not only drunk but also very disorderly, and had to be taken to the station in a con-veyance.-and John. Farquharson, who was drunk in the theatr©, were each fined ss, withthealternativeo£24hours' imprisonment. James Charles Williams, a gentleman of colour, who steadied himself against a building, making himself the laughing stock of little boys, and who proved so troublesome to Constable Lauder that he had to get him taken to the lock-up in an express, was fined 10s, or, failing payment, sentenced to be sent to gaol for two days. James M'Grath was, on being convicted of drunkenness for the second recorded time, fined 10s, in default, gaol for two days. Cruelty to Animals.—Richard Galvin was charged with ill-treating four horses, his property, by making them draw an overloaded waggon up Stafford street, contrary to section 1 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance. From the evidence of Inspector Nimon and George Greenfield, storeman to Messrs Cargill and Lanseigne, the defendant, it appeared, on the afternoon of Friday last, drove a loaded waggon and four horses up Stafford street. The team stopped opposite the Provincial Yards, and on going further up the street, which they did with great difficulty, ths off leader was pulled on its knees. A waggoner standing at a store, called to defendant, "Jack, do you want a pull;" and he replied, " No." It was very cruel to drive the horses up an incline with the load behind them that they had. Inspector Nimon stated he had been informed that the defendant's waggon was laden with 75 bags of oats, averaging each a hundredweight and a half. He could have brought several other witnesses, but they being fellow-waggoners, he did not like to do so. Sergeant Mallard said a.statement of Inspector Nimon's regarding waggoners leaving some of their horses outside the town was quite correct. To avoid the toll they left four horses outside the Hillside toll-bar, and made four horses do the work eight should do. The defendant said that the horse would not have fallen had he been not so sparing of the whip to the others, and that his waggon was not nearly so heavily laden as Inspector Nimon had said. His Worship asked him how many bags of oats he had on the waggon. Defendant said he did not know. His Worship: Then I can only say that I cannot believe you. The defendant reiterated that he did not know how many bags of oats were in his waggon, and said that the amount of his loading was in dispute. He was fined. 20s; and. costs.

DR. LAUDER LINDSAY AND COLONIAL LUNACY BOARDS. TO THE EDITOR.

Sm —It gives me great pleasure to find, from the critiques in your issues of yesterday and to-day on Dr Lauder Lindsay's two papers in the Edinburgh Medical Journal, that the subject of the Lunatic Asylums of New Zealand is beginning to be noticed in Great Britain.

But concurring, as I do in the wain, with your reviewer's observations, if appears to me he has omitted to draw attention to the real facts of the case, as they at present exisfc here; facts of which Dr Lindsay, although he has twice discussed the question, is evidently entirely ignorant. So difficult is it to make the truth known at home, even by those who profess to be its apostles there !

Dr Lindsay takes for granted that, according to the 3rd resolution of the Joint Committee upon Lunatic Asylums of last session, t/ie General Government it rfexiroiix of appointing "a duly qualified medical officer, who shall kayo, the supervision and control of all the Asylums of the Colony." What is merely the recommendation of a Committee, he mistakes for a decision of the Executive.

Unhappily, this is not the case. On the contrary, during the late session, the Government persistently <lecliue«l even to consider the proposition. In spite of the evidence and other documents attached to the report—the recommin lations of vwhich. are most moderate and practical, " Ministers have hitherto, as far as I am aware, taken no steps whatever to give effect to the wishes of the Committee, by securing the services of a properly educated medical man as Inspector-General of all our .asylums. It is quite clear that in times past, in the absence of such an official, abuses and cruelty have occurred. Such an officer would encourage and strengthen the bands of those

who so ably and zealously carry on the management of some of these our institutions ; whilst, on the other hand, he would detect, and expose, and reform toaladministration in others.

If the general public were in the habit of reading the N.Z. Hansard, I need not have done more than allude to the documents I have mentioned ; but unfortunately that weekly publication does not makes its at>pearance, even in Wellington, sometimes until ten days after the speeches reported have been made. It is not to be wondered at, then, that ikit few people ta&e the pains to wade through, those'wearisome columns of close print by tt« time they react the different Provinces'. For this reason I am obliged to make two short extracts firam the Report, more than once mentioned.

On again looking over this Report, Jiowever, I find some of ffie evidence so painful and disgusting, that I confess I have notishe courage to quote it. Besides, I hope that, after the disclosures which have been made Before the Commis--sion appointed at Wellington, during the recess, to enquire into ce?tam charges of cruelty at Karori, the Government will by this time have seen fit to reconsider their decision as regards this question. We have the laudable ambition of desiring to hold a front rank among British Colonies. We can afford to support an Agent-General in London in a state befitting his position as representing the majesty of New Zealand. We can indulge in a Hansard, -which is utterly useless for the main objects- for which in was instituted, at a cost of sevej?al thousands a year. We are spending over £40,000 a year in postal subsidies, and millions in immigration and public works, and yet we refuse to devote a pitiful £1000 or £1500 to help our unfortunate fellow-creatures- who are too weak to make their wants and their sufferings known. I repeat I am glad to find the subject" is beginning to attract attention at home. How shall we be regarded there when the whole truth shall have been made known ? And assuredly out it must all come by degrees, unless we set our house in order without delay. We shall be looked at with pity and contempt by the whole civilized world, even though all our enterprises for securing material prosperity should succeed beyond our most sanguine expectations. Because the following are the sentiments and aspirations which are cherished by the foremost nations of the world :—

" One of the first indications of a healthy moral feeling in a community, is the provision made for the helpless poor; and where they are neglected, one of the best signs of a hopeful social condition, and of fitness for self-government, is wanting." Captain Spratt's "Travels in Crete."

" Hospitals are in some sort the measure of the civilisation of a people."—Sir R. Martin's " System of Surgery." "To my eyes, a pauper lunatic asylum, such as may now be seen in our English counties, with its pleasant grounds, its airy and cleanly wards, its many comforts, and wise and kindly superintendence provided for those whose lot is to bear the double burden o£ poverty and mental derangement— I say this sight is to me the most blessed manifestation of true civilisation the world can present."—" The Harveian Oration, 1860," by G. Paget, M.D. Cantab. I am, &c, A. Buchanan, M.D. and M.L.C. P.S.—l hope the Government will not be deterred from carrying into effect any benevolent plan of the kind suggested, by Dr Lindsay's preposterous estimate of the salary, allowances, and retiring pension necessary to secure a competent Inspector from Britain. Nay, I think it maybe worth while to consider whether we should not do well to follow the example of New South Wales in this matter, who has quite succeeded in securing what she wanted in Dr Manning, the Inspector-General there. He was_not_engaged at home ; ~but being in the Colony, and having shown an aptitude and taste for the study of insanity and its treatment, he was sent to Europe and America to learn the system of management of the lunatic asylums of those various countries. He perfectly sneceeded in his mission, and has greatly improved all the asylums of New South Wales since his return. Surely it may be possible to find a man of similar tastes and intelligence in New Zealand, who may go and do likewise, with great benefit and at small cost.—A. B.