THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 429

the 14th of March, the Commissioners feel that they
would not be fulfilling their duty did they not recom-
mend to the Government that the captain's gratuity
of £25 be withheld, and that a similar amount be
deducted from that payable to the surgeon, whom
they cannot recommend for further employment.

J. T. ROUSE.
J. E. MARCH.

Lyttelton, 15th March, 1879.

I was present at the inquiry, and concur in the last
paragraph of this report.

H. MACDONALD, M.D.

MINUTES of Proceedings of an Inquiry held on board
the ship "Boyne," on Friday, 14th March, 1879,
to investigate a charge preferred by the Surgeon-
superintendent (in his report) against the captain,
of selling spirits to the emigrants during the pas-
sage. Present: Dr. Rouse (Chairman), Dr. Mac-
donal, and Mr. J. E. March, Immigration Com-
missioners. Captain Kelly, Dr. Reed, Surgeon-
superintendent, and Mr. Skinner, chief officer,
were in attendance.

Dr. Rouse stated the reason why the inquiry was
held, although no mention was made at the time of
the inspection of anything improper taking place
on board during the passage; it was not until after
the Commissioners had received the Surgeon-super-
intendent's report that they were first acquainted
with the circumstances. The charge preferred against
the captain and officers of the ship was contained in
the surgeon's report, and was as follows:-

"General Conduct of the Officers. In the first
place I feel it my duty to complain of the sale by
Captain Kelly of spirits, such as gin, whiskey, and
rum, and this of course accounts for the cases of
drunkenness which have occurred amongst the pas-
sengers, and spirits has found its way to the single
women. I used my best endeavours to convince the
captain it was a great mistake, but, the sale still con-
tinuing, I wrote him an official letter, but received
no written reply (vide diary, Jan. 23rd, Feb. 6th,
11th, 2nd, and 16th). The matron reported the
first officer, Mr. Skinner, for passing down rum and
milk to Elizabeth Memory, with holding a conversa-
tion with her through the water-closet ventilator on
the poop (vide diary, Feb. 21st and 16th). I have
therefore not received that amount of support from
the officers of the ship which I was entitled to expect,
and Mr. Reed, the second mate, has told me that he
is not paid for looking after emigrants, and therefore
does not consider it his duty (vide diary, Feb. 6th)."

On receipt of this report the Immigration Officer
had written to Captain Kelly and also to the chief
officer, and the following replies had been re-
ceived :-

"Christchurch, 13th March, 1879.

"GENTLEMEN,-In reply to your letter of 11th
March, requesting to be informed if spirits were sold
on board my ship, I respectfully state that previous
to doing so I informed Dr. Reed, and asked if he had
any objections to me selling my small lot of spirits;
if so, I would not dispose of any, but he agreeably
consented, and with his full knowledge spirits were
sold, Dr. Reed proposing to sell by the glass, in
order to guard against intoxication. To his letter,
January 22nd, I considered no reply necessary, as it
it was forwarded when my stores were done. I am
pained to think that this matter should be found
necessary to call up after the very warm and most
friendly manner all the immigrants parted from the
'Boyne,' all of them conveying to me their expres-
sions of gratitude, in many forms, to myself in par-
ticular; and as the class of immigrants were from
those sections of people at home that are often found
troublesome, I prize their feelings of friendship more
highly. The wines and spirits came on board at
Plymouth, and then I was only aware of the great
displeasure I should incur by disposing of them. As
I have been very largely employed in the passenger
trade, carrying 400 to 1,200 persons per month, on a
voyage averaging thirty-four days, I always found
the sale of spirits on board by Board of Trade
officers.-I am, &c.,

"JOHN KELLY,
"Master of ship 'Boyne' of London.

"To the Immigration Commissioners."

"Ship 'Boyne,' 12th March, 1879.

"GENTLEMEN,-Having received your letter this
morning referring to Dr. Reed's report to you of
my conduct during the passage in passing spirits
down to the single women, and likewise failing to
give him that support to which he was entitled,
with regard to the first complaint, I solemnly deny
that I on any one occasion passed spirits down to
the single women; and I can assure you that this
complaint is entirely without foundation, as Dr.
Reed cannot possibly show any proofs for this
assertion.

"Referring to my not giving him the amount of
support he was entitled to expect, I will leave it to
you, gentlemen, to decide whether I did or not. I
will quote two instances where, but for my support,
serious results might have occurred, while Dr. Reed
was lying apparently stupefied on one occasion while
the colic was prevalent amongst the single women.
Having charge of the deck, I was attracted by
screams of agony coming from the single-women's
compartment. Hearing the matron calling out, I
went to the hatch, when she implored me to call
the doctor, as one of the girls was attacked with
violent cramp. I immediately went to his cabin,
and endeavoured by every means in my power to
arouse him, but all I could get him to say was, 'Has
not the matron got any brandy?' I still persevered
in shaking him, and thirty-five minutes elapsed before
I could get him out. The circumstance is inserted
in the ship's log-book, to which you can refer if
necessary. The other instance was of a similar
nature, only I was obliged to call the captain, as my
attempts to arouse him were ineffectual, as the case
required immediate attention, it being a woman in
the pains of labour. These are but two instances of
the many cases in which, had I been neglecting my
duty in supporting him, serious consequences might
have ensued; and in the latter instance the child
was born before he arrived at the hospital.

"And now, gentlemen, having, I hope satisfac-
torily, explained the matters referred to in your
letter,-I have, &c.,

"T. SKINNER,
"First Officer, ship 'Boyne.'

"To the Immigration Commissioners."

The Chairman said he would first call on Dr.
Reed to substantiate his charge, and to reply to the
letter he had just read.

James Reed, Surgeon-superintendent, said: With
regard to the captain's reply about the sale of spirits,
I did, after several times being pressed, consent to
the sale, provided the spirits were drunk at the
cabin door, and that not more than one wineglass
should be allowed to one man. I superintended this
myself in the presence of the third mate; but the
demand for spirits becoming so large, I foresaw the
injurious consequences that would arise, and therefore
withdrew my consent. The sale still continued, and
on one or two cases of drunkenness occurring, I