CD. ACT.

Observer, Volume 5, Issue 114, 18 November 1882, Page 152

CD. ACT.

By Miles. " I will aplain unvarnished tale deliver." So much lias already been said and written of lafce on this topic that it may appear almost superfluous to continue the discussion. My object in doing so arises solely from the fact that for some years I resided in Malta, in the city of Valetta. The city contains a mixed population of Maltese (half-Arabs), English, Italians, Greeks, and Jews, numbering nearly 130,000. But the most characteristic feature of the place is the largeness of tbe Garrison, being rarely less than from 6000 to 7000 men of arms. Besides, it is also the chief naval station of the Mediterranean, and there are consequently a large number of sailors and naval officers. It is, or was, customary for the men of the fleet to receive payment of wages there, and I have known as many as four or five hundred man-of-war sailors ashore on hh-e at the same time from the ships returned from a cruise. Under such circumstances practical-minded persons can easily understand how necessary it was for the health of the troops to have houses of accommodation and women of this class brought under regulation lam not certain of the exact date of the introduction of regulations, but they were in full force more than twenty years ago, and it is, I believe, a fact that the present Imperial A.ct was partly based upon the experience of the regulations enforced at Malta (and probably Gibraltar and other places) for at least 12 years before. Fortunately for the success of the experiment the Government of Malta was not hampered by any local ebullition of moral sentiment. The Governor of Malta, assisted by a nominated council, is supreme in Civil affairs ; of course always subject to approval of Imperial authority. But these regulations were established through a local necessity, and enforced by the authority of the local authorities. For many years previous Malta had a very bad reputation in this respect, far worse than that which such towns as Portsmouth, Dublin, Winchester, etc., had in later -times. Since the adoption of these regulations, and for many years back, Valetta enjoys the reputation of a healthy station in this regard ; far more so, considering the circumstances, than do most cities having an equal population. One advantage which it possesses is that superior facilities exist for a rigid enforcement of the law. In consequence of the number of soldiers and sailors on leave after hours, and for other reasons, such as the continual arrivals and departures of mail steamers, there is an exceptionally large force of police. The administration of the law is in their hands. Every person who is desirous of opening or maintaining houses of accommodation of this kind, or individuals wishing for private practice, are compelled to apply for permission to the police authorities, and to give their names and places of abode. They are likewise required by law to pay periodical visits to the General Hospital, where a register of the names of such

persons is kepi, for the purpose of examination's- > They are not allowed to walk the streets. I think also that public-houses are prohibited from maintaining persons of this class. The punishments awarded for infringement of these rules are pretty severe. Of course the police have a ready means of detection through the military and naval hospitals. For soldiers and sailors there is no evasion in the event of disease. To hospital they must go, and when there they have to indicate the circumstances, person, place, etc., under which the disease was contracted. The guilty persons are sure to he found out, and are invariably punished, sometimes banished from the island altogether. These facts may ©r may not have a bearing upon the present controversy, but ■ there can be no question whatever about -the ' efficacy of these regulations in the suppression of disease. In English garrison towns, such as Portsmouth, the worst phase of this question was that these persons were attached to public houses, there being as many as twenty-four or more in some of them. . Of course non-garrison towns or sea-ports are less subject to evils of this nature, but they are by no means exempt, and what has been efficacious in the one must be deemed equally so in the other. The fundamental mistake which appears to be made by those who are opposed on principle to the Act, is that this question can be looked upon as isolated from other social problems. We have, on the one hand, a very restrictive marriage law, and on the other, an almost unrestricted intercourse among the sexes ; while such are oui' social customs and sense of propriety, that women who are known to have trespassed in this way, or who may choose to live in a state of concubinage, are socially outlawed. Bub both polygamy and concubinage are on moral grounds equally ' out of the question. The dignity of woman is supposed to be outraged in the principle of the Act, but facts are facts, and the health — that is, the welfare of the community, is paramount, and on the principle of utility must be preferred to that of a sentiment, however'praiseworthy in itself. The question is also linked with that of the over increase of population, which in thickly-populated countries is viewed as an evil of the greatest magnitude, implying increased poverty and a lowering of the moral nature. The regulation, or non-regulation, or recognition by law, will not alter the facts ; and it is clearly incumbent upon our local administrators to adopt the Act and enforce it with every deference to public decency possible.