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and the system of punishment used.
243
He reminded the Board that in the
time o£ Captain Booth corporal punishment was discarded and the children
control led by kindness and affection;
the Superintendent 's consent and was recorded;
no punishment was inflicted without
now , for some trifling
chattering or misconduct they were striped with the cane and often
punished contrary to the Superintendent 's directions. 15
As his frequent
observations convinced him that much was to be desired, he expressed his
dissatisfaction both in the official Visitors' Book and at the Board
meetings.
Moreover, anxious not to monopolize the guardianship of the
institution, he proposed the estab lishment of a Visiting Committee of
members to exercise weeklY) or oftener, supervision, and also a Ladies '
Committee to overlook the food , clothing, health , moral instruction and
education of the children.
Both these two reso lutions were negatived·.
Though my exertions to obtain e£ficient supervision of our
estab lishment were de£eated, I did not feel that I was
thereby exonerated from my individual responsibility, and
have, therefore , continued to exercise a vigilant oversight
of the institution , by which I have frequently been enabled
to give useful information at our Board meetings , and to
get beneficial resolutions enacted.·
Hall explained on August 7.
From the first, he endeavoured to work hamoniously with Benson,
often giving him verbal suggestions for improvements , but he was not met
in a like spirit;
completely ignored.
then he tried written communications which were
As I had no idea of the children's welfare being made
dependent upon the caprices or obstinacy of the Superintendent ,
I was then necessitated to constantly press such matters on the
. notice of the Board.
As Benson objected early in the year that there were no 11Rules and
Regulations'1 in £orce for the management of the institution and this was
technically correct , Hall assiduously, with great perseverance in spite
of obstruction, remedied this defect by drawing up a new set of regulations
\'lhich were put into immediate effect by the Board, only to find them evaded
under any fleeting pretext.
It seemed that Benson was free to ignore the
Board's resolutions , and to appeal to the Executive Government whenever
he wished. 16
Of course, such an impasse could not continue .
year the latent hostility between the various members of tl1e Board
All during the
1 5
16
Ibid.
Mercury, August 9, 1861.
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