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104
On May 18, 1852, the Halls' eldest daughter turned eighteen.
To celebrate this important occasion Mary Jane and her parents visted
Hobart Town to attend several social functions . On Monday , May 24,
Hall attended a Levee at Government House, held by Denison in honour of
the anniversary of the Queen 's Birthday .
The Levee, comp lete with a
guard-of-honour and the band and colours of the 99th Regiment , was attended
by Colonel Butterworth, the Governor of Singapore.
On the evening of
May 25 the Halls accompanied their daughter, a lively girl who was fond
of dancing , to the Governor 's ball.
In the later part of 1852, Hamp ton ,
who was on a tour of
inspection of penal establishments in the colony , visited the Ross
stations.
He praised Hall 's management unreservedly , remarking that
the Ross establishments were amongst the best managed in the state and,
though he rarely visited a station where he had no fault to find, those
under Hall's care were an exception.
Unfortunately for Hall the happy
state of affairs at Ross did not continue.
Owin to some incident in
September , of which the details cannot be traced, the Assistant­
Superintendent at the Female Factory and his wife were dismissed.
Hall
was left to manage the station almost single-handed with the assi stance
of only one competent female officer.
Even under these circumstances
Visiting Magistrate T. Mason on his monthly tour of inspection was ab le
to write on October 15 , 1852
.... The establishment is in the same clean state and good
order as previously to the dismissal of Mr and Mrs ,
although the dut ies are exceedingly onerous upon the officers
remaining. The women seem perfectly contented, and make no
complaints. The prov isions have been satisfactory. Few
cases have been tried either of men or women during the month
of Septemb er.
In October Hall, who se health was being impaired by the
overtaxing of his mental and physical powers , concluded that he had not
been given adequate protection and support by the Comptroller-General
during the very arduous and trying events which had occurred in Septemb er
at the time of the dismissal.
Feeling that he could not execute his
duties satisfactorily or honourably to himself, and hence not
advantageously to the Govenunent or beneficially to the prisoners , he
resigned his office as Medical Superintendent.
Understandably enough,
Hampton was annoyed by the inconvenience and Hall 's inference of lack of
support , and probably more so by his spirit of independence which was
. prepared to sacrifice a part of his income in support of a principle.