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251
be defined by Parliament, and the control of the institution vested in
it; not in name, but in reality; contrary to the Colonial Secretary 's
statement, the greatest difficulties were being encountered by the Board
in getting its resolutions carried out, and indeed the Bill should be
delayed until members of the Board could offer suggestions as to its
merits . 22 The Mercury agreed that the Board \'las in a complete state of
uncertainty, with many of its resolutions over-ruled . Hall also affirmed
' .
that if the 'Rules and Regulations ' drawn up by him and passed by the
Board were efficiently exercised by the Superintendent, there would be no
need for much of the Bill at all . 23 Obviously the new act bypassed the
Board.
At a meeting on September 2 Hall and Crowther expressed their
dissatisfaction strongly in their separate ways . Whilst men argued about
power and authority, children \'lere dying . Hal l, the medico-statistician,
once again raised the question of mortality in the Schools \'lhere, out of
475 children , there were 12 deaths in the last 8 months , or rather, in the
last 3 months .
As this \'las very serious indeed, he moved a resolution
that the Medical Officer be required to lay a special detailed report on
the measles epidemic before the next meeting of the Board.
Crowther, the
administrator, was equally indignant ;
faced with a ne\'1 draft of rules
setting forth the functions and powers of the Board, which he considered
quite unsatisfactory, he launcted into a vehement attack on the :nanner in
\'lhich the Executive had treated the Board by overruling its appointments
and decisions ; he declared that the Board was attacked on all sides ,
powerless , consulted when convenient, and ignored at other times ;
even
its membership \'las incongruous , composed as it \'las of some people opposed
to its existence . · He presented three resolutions to correct some of this
injustice.
Bedford, who \'las present at the time , defended himself as of
some use in limiting the expenditure and \'latching the economy, a fact \'lhich
Hall denied. 24
In the Legislative Council, the next day , Whyte took up
the cdels for Cro\'lther and laid bare the naked truth that the Board \'las
a farce, a sham.
The Board, it \'lould appear, might pass resolutions and offer
suggestions , but had no pO\'Ier to compel their being carried out .
In fact, the Government retained all the power in its own hands
and it \'las useless for the Board to protest.
22
23
24
Mercury, August 31, 1861.
Mercury, September 3, 1861.
Mercury, September 8, 1861.