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monies . 2 Superfi cially, Bedford's reasoning appeared logical enough .
255
On January 11, 1862 , Bedford replied to his critics and '
expressed his beliefs pub licly for the first time.
This time a principle of great importance l$ involved.
It is right peop le should see upon \'lhat unjust principles
a large portion of the pub lic revenue is expended in what
are miscalled charitable institutions.
Faithfully and fear lessly e declared his oppos ition to the management of
institutions supported by the pub lic revenue bv unp aid Boards \'lhich were
less economi cal than a paid officer;
moreover , the principle was one of
compromise, divided authority and shirked responsibility.
He obj ected
that the Boards in their methods of administration followed the procedures
established elsewhere by Boards whi ch were dependent upon charity,
endowments and subscriptions , but at the same time were not limited by
their financial restrictions ; in fact, they had all they wanted. The
troub le \'las that Boards in Tasmania \'lere acting as Boards of Charity, and
not as Boards of Poor Law Guardians \'lhich in fact they really were .
\'las a large poor la\'1 of orphans , destitute, sick and insane;
There
since taxes
\'/ere paid by all classes , it was an injustice, especially to the working
classes , if inmates of institutions were in better conditions than honest
labour could place the working man in his old age or sickness , or provide
for his children 's maintenance and education .
To be consistent the Government should extend its paternal
care to a \'lider range. Why a:re the 1400 patients and 400
children, the invalids and lunatics in the asylum alone to be
provided for out of taxes ; is it just to grant this enforced
benevolence of unlimited supply to a portion who are not the
tax paying portion either, and the sorro\'1, sickness and wants
of the suffering among the rest of the people to be provided
for by their O\'ln means \'lhich can never give them the luxuries
·these Boards dispense, and yet from the pockets of the excluded
is taken the money that supports these miscalled charities ?
If the suffering and destitute \'/ere to be surrounded \'lith luxuries , it
should be the "pure field for charity" ;
the necessity was provided for, nothing more .
the state had done its duty \'/h en
In short , he obj ected to
the right \'lhich Governments and Boards had taken upon themselves to spend
the pub lic taxes in providing far more than should be given out of public
However, in spite of years of controversy with Hall, he still missed the
one factor \'lhich had ah.,rays been a source of contention bet\'leen them - the
need to introduce the new developments in sanitary science, diet and health
2
Mercury, January 11, 1862 .