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156
he had seen nothing worse, even in the cellar dens of Liverpool which
were famous as the most destructive to infant life in Great Brita ­
With the unlimited means at the command of the convict
authorities, as regards lodgings, ventilation , cleanliness ,
food, clothing, artificial warmth, nurs ing, medical
attendan ce, in many of which a great part of the population
at large is so ill provided, I cannot see any valid gounds
on which the mortality in the convict nurseries should not
be greatly below, instead of so much above, that of the
district.
Hall indeed was confident that the class of children in the convict
nurseries could be preserved by proper management in a better state of
health than that of the population at large.
Despite all the pe . rsonal bitterness he suffered, Ha ll, with
Mi ller's staunch and never-fai ling support, _
achieved the object for which
he fought .
On November 19 the paily News jubilantly reported that in
the last three months a great reform had taken place in the management of
the children; the numb er of deaths had dwindled away ; no longer was the
life of a helpless convict child trifled with and uncared for.
During
the next few months the various issues connected with the Convict
Department Affair were gradually solved.
A new Bill, designed to render
guilty any person refusing to attend at the Bar of the House or before a
Select Committee, was laid before the Legislative Counci l on November 28
by the Governor who hoped in this way to prevent any further disturbance
to the peace.
On January 21, 1856, Hall was summoned to give evidence at
the 'Commi ttee of Convict Enquiry ' which had been reappointed on
December 4.
As it was the Governor's intention to dissolve the
Legis lative Council on January 29 and the last witness was called on
January 21, the Committee was given little time to prepare its report,
al theugh the subject oF its enquiry had occupied the attention of the
Public for most of 1855 . The report , which was laid before the House by
.
Wedge on January 25, satisfied no one since it expressed no opinion on
the charges made and was careful not to blame anyone .
Hampton , it was
discovered some years later, was exonerated from all blame by the British
Government, financially recompensed, and appointed Comptroller-General in
Western Australia.
However, the British Government 's decision on the
11question of privilege11 delighted those, like Miller, who had fought
strenuously for their constitutional rights . On February 1, 1856 ,
Colonial Secretary Labouchere wrote to the Governor: