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Sbss. 11.—1891. NEW ZEALAND.

THE SEACLIFF ASYLUM INQUIRY (PAPERS RELATING TO).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

Dr. MacGregor,— Inform Mr. Kitchen that a copy of his charges has been forwarded to Dr. King for explanation, and, after perusing Dr. King's reply, I do not consider it necessary to hold an inquiry into the matter, but it is my intention to lay a copy of the charges and reply before Parliament for public information. 9th September, 1891. A. J. Cadman.

Mr. W. F. Kitchen to the Hon. A. J. Cadman, Wellington. Bib,— Dunedin, 11th August, 1891. Be Seacliff Inquiry.—ln response to your request that I should formulate my charges in writing, I beg to do so as follows. I affirm— 1. That since Dr. Truby King has been Superintendent of the Seacliff Asylum, there has been upon his authority wasteful expenditure of public funds. 2. That the food supplied to the patients has been frequently poor in quality, and, in some cases, insufficient in quantity. 3. That the supervision of the patients has been so lax as to permit of the escape of numerous patients, including some considered dangerous. 4. That Dr. Truby King has been unduly harsh or insulting towards the relatives of some of the inmates of the Asylum. 5. That Dr. Truby King has behaved towards subordinates in a harsh or unfair manner. 6. That Dr. Truby King's supervision has been so inefficient as to permit of a patient or patients selling for their own benefit goods or farm produce belonging to the Institution. 7. That Dr. Truby King has been guilty of gross abuse of power by improperly causing attendants to be locked up. 8. That Dr. Truby King has conducted the Seacliff Asylum in such a manner as to be injurious to residents in the neighbourhood. 9. That Dr. Truby King has been guilty of cruelty to patients by allowing them to be worked under improper conditions. 10. That Dr. Truby King has issued orders by which patients were left without sufficient attendance. I undertake to prove these charges, or to find those who will prove them, before Mr. Beetham or any fair tribunal at anytime, provided Dr. King has at least three days before handed over charge of the Institution to a temporary relieving officer.* I make this condition because I hold a written and attested statement that under Dr. King's influence, and for fear of losing his situation, an attendant has made a false declaration; and I hold another statement setting forth that another attendant has been dismissed simply for giving a truthful answer to a question. It will be understood that, in accordance with Dr. Macgregor's original request, I make these charges in my private capacity, and not in any way as representing the Globe newspaper. Yours, &c, The Hon. A. J. Cadman, Wellington. William Freeman Kitchen.

Dr. Tbuby King to the Hon. the Minister of Native Affairs, Wellington. Sib,— Seacliff, 29th August, 1891. In response to a letter received from the Inspector-General of Asylums enclosing Mr. Kitchen's charges, I have the honour to submit the following reply, in which such comments will be found as may suggest themselves in the elucidation of various points. As far as possible I shall endeavour to make my report embrace a refutation or explanation, not only of the abridged list of

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* Mr. Kitchen had long before been informed that to insist on this condition would make any inquiry impossible, for to suspend Dr. King without any tittle of evidence against him was out of the question.