A REPLY

West Coast Times, Issue 10342, 4 August 1896, Page 4

A REPLY-

[^o the Editor.]

Sir, — I must acknowledge my indebtedness to your courtesy in publishing my letter re the CD. Acts In your article commenting on the letter you say that the opinions of Herbert Spencer, Lord Halsbury and Professor JNewman "are entitled to very little consideration and that the opinion of an intelligent and reliable police officer is worth a dozen of them." In this I beg to differ from you. The eminent authorities whose opinions I have quoted are men of great culture, accustomed to take broad views and to consider questions from varied standpointsA police officer necessarily takes a much narrower view. His is noc to question, nor even to interpret the law. He has simply to enforce it and leave the decision as to its justice or efficacy to others. But since you believe that the opinion of n police officer is the only one worth havr.ig let mo give you one. M. Secour, Connnissaire, Tterrogateur, and Chef de Bureau a' la Prefecture de Police, whose duty it is to superintend the administration of these Acts in Paris, says :—": — " The evil is a moral and social one, and cannot be controlled by the police, who can neither restrain nor destroy it." In another place the same eminent, reliable, and intelligent police officer shows the usel-issness of the Acts, winding up with the words " All these results prove that it (prostitution) is now more dangerous than ever to the public health." It is generally admitted that the CD. Acts have been better administered in Pans than in any other purt of the world, and yet these are the miserable results according to the police.

You take exception to the W.C.T.U. saying that the will of the people has been set ,at defiance by the Legislative Council. Since we have no referendum, the only method by which the people can express their will n through' their representatives The representatives of the people have twice passed a Bill for -the repeal of the CD. Aofcs, and the Council has twice thrown out the Bill. Where is the falsehood in saying that the will of the people has been opposed %y the Legislative Council ? You also express a doubt as to the sincerity of pure-minded women who say they fear the operation of the CD. Acts. Pardon me for saying that you must be very ignorant of the history of the operation and repeal of the Acts in Great Britain. Nowadays no one will question either the saintly purity or the sincerity of the venerated Josephine Butler and those associated with her. They agitated for the repeal of the Acts and were successful. The record of iniquities and outrages perpetrated while the Acts were enforced is enough to make the blood of any good woman, or any good man, boil. I dare not trespass on your space further than (.o express the opinion that the CD. Acts aie <'oomed to be swept away as being unjust, indecent and useless.

I am, &c, A MKMKKKOt' TIIK W.C.T.U.