AS UNDESIRABLE IMMIGRANT. Wellington, April 27.

Otago Witness, Issue 2200, 30 April 1896, Page 36

AS UNDESIRABLE IMMIGRANT. Wellington, April 27.

A man named Robert Livingstone, who waf before the court on a charge of stealing am <rit> v ekin coat, said he had been confined in a IS.nU bourne lunatic asylum, whence he was dis> charged as ' cured. Thence he was sent te Sydney in a Huddart-Packer Co.'* boat, and that company had to find a ftOßd of £600 for his maintenance aa within two days of hi* arrival he again showed signs of buaoity. Then according to Liviagstone the oosapany persuadwl him to go to New Zsaland, where a bond of n£loo only is required. At Christchurch he was placed in the Sonayaide Asylum, and the oompany refused to Uka him back cither to Sydney or Melbourne. Be came up here, and informed Inspector Pend«r he was going to commit! a theft in order to bring out the facts. Mr Murrell, Messrs Huddart, Parker, and Co.'s agont, told a representative of the Pootj who interviewed him on tbe subject, that they had tried to get the man to return from Sydney to Melbourne, but ho refused. The' ooacpany would now probably have to pay for bis maintenance. They would like to send him back te Melbourne, bub he' wanted to go to Sydney. Ii they shipped him they could not prevent him . landing at Sydney or H<-bart, and to the company found thtiiß*e!vi s quite unable to get rid of him. The case i« now being considered by the Melbourne Shipowners' Association. He Murrell thinks there should be a prorision giving the Government power to send *nj lunatic back to the place he came from.