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institutions , which were published in the Mercury from May 20 to
June 2, 1871. They were memorable, indeed; a passionate, heart-moving
appeal to the citizens not to tolerate such inhumanity to man , and a
terrible condemnation of the Government 's parsimony and stinginess in its
treatment of the aged and suffering. 2 3
effective:
Also, t-hey were immediately
on June 3 the Mercury agreed that the Cascades , .,partly a
prison, partly a refuge for the destitute, ·partly a reformatory for boys ,
was a disgrace and so
excuse it.
repulsive that no question of petty economy could
When its Superintendent, R. Atkins , called for a Board of
Enquiry as well, the Charitab le Corranission took the matter up and visited
the Brickfields and Cascades as well.
On the night of October 5, 1871, sixteen years old
Caravance Errana Barker, who had been apprenticed from the Queen 1 s Orphan
Asylum since the age of twelve and three-quarters years , drowned herself
through sheer misery in the River Derwent.
The finding of her body in
the shallow water beside the river the next day shook Hobart Town with
'
horror to the very depths of its being and confirmed all that the Benevolent
Society, in its petitions to Parliament , and Hall, in his evidence to the
Commission, had endeavoured to say.
passionate letter from Hall on t1White SlaveryH.
It also called forth another
This victim of others ' sin, neglect and cruelty \'las an
inmate of the Queen 's Asylum from the age of seven to twelve
and three quarters years. She was always healthy, though
spare in make and delicate looking . Never gave the slightest
show of insane tendencies, timid and retiring in disposition,
but so docile and well-behaved that neither matron nor
schoolmistress ever had occasion to correct her. Servants
of the institution bear similar test1mony .
The inquest disclosed that when Barker was apprenticed out she was
habitually flogged \'lith a cane , starved and neglected until she could
endure her misery no longer.
could be punished.
Now, there \'/as no law by which her oppressors
Hall maintained that the reason for so many of the
children turning out badly was not the effect merely of their training
in the Asylum, but due to the neglectful way in which they were cared for
after leaving it.
Once again, he stressed that Parliament was responsible
for compelling the Government to adopt proper and efficient measures to
protect the helpless children of the state, and for putting an end to the
system of white slavery Hso justly deserving of tte vengeance of Godt1. 24
23
24
Mercury, May 23 & 27, June 2, 1871 .
Mercury, Oct. 16, 1871.