Report of Royal Commission upon the Administration and Operation of the Contagious Diseases Acts.
- Great Britain. Royal Commission on the Contagious Diseases Acts
- Date:
- 1871
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Report of Royal Commission upon the Administration and Operation of the Contagious Diseases Acts. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.
766/952 page 668
![FOKTY- ment of the liberty of these women. The conversa- ^ T>Av^^ tion of this woman would bear on this point. I spoke ■ to her and asked what she thought of the examina- 21^^ tion and of these Acts, and she expressed her great H. Richardson, horror of them, and she told me the first time she appeared at the hospital she w.as brought by a 6 May 1871. policeman. The policeman did not tell her where she was going to, until she found herself there ; she had no idea where she was going. 18.534. This woman having been taken to the hospital, was she detained there ?—I think not, but I am not sure. I did not ask that question, 18.535. But when you saw her she was a young woman practising her calling in the street ?—Yes. 18.536. You have spoken of this woman's feeling that her liberty had been invaded ?—Yes, she seemed to feel very strongly on that point. 18.537. That she had been meddled with by the police ?—That she had been meddled with by the police, and brought up to the hospital and not told where she was going. I may mention that when these women are brought before the magistrates, it is Avhen the sitting magistrates leave the bench, and the reporters leave the office, that these women are brought up before the stipendiary magistrate. 18.538. The stipendiary magistrate has jurisdiction in these cases ?—Yes, the others leave, and the re- porters, and the stipendiary magistrate remains, so that the matter is kept very secret from the public as to the bringing of these women before the police. That is a fact, because the chief medical man, Dr. Johnstone, told me that. 18.539. The stipendiary magistrate, I suppose, exercises his own discretion as to the cases he hears, and the ordering of them ?—Yes. 18.540. And lie thought proper to hear these cases late in the day when the reporters had left ?—That is his habit, Avheu the other magistrates leave and the reporters leave. 18,540 «. Have you been present at the trial of any of these cases, Avhen Avomen have been brought before the stipendiary magistrate ?—1 have not, and I may mention that the public know scarcely anything that is going on at the police office Avith regard to these women. 18.541. But you or anybody could have been pre- sent if you had desired ?—If I had time, but I believe the effort is to keep it as quiet as possible. 18.542. Are there any refuges or reformatories for these women at Cork ?—There are two. 18.543. Are they under the care of Roman Catho- lics or Protestants ? — One is under the care of a Roman Catholic, and the other a Protestant. 18.544. May I ask you whether you are a Roman Catholic ?—No, I am a Protestant. s 18,545. Are you acquainted with the Protestant reformatory ?—No, I am not. 18.546. You are not acquainted with either insti- tution ?—No, not personally. 18.547. Then have you any knowledge as to the effect they produce on the women. Are they of any use in reclaiming them ?—I have made enquiries on that point, and the evidence is rather conflicting. 18.548. Are they recent institutions, or have they been long in existence ?—I believe the Roman Catho- lic institution is rather a recent one, more recent than the Protestant. A lady with whom I was speaking, and who has a great deal to do with benevolent institutions, and takes a great interest in the good of the people, told me that she had enquired at the Roman Catholic institution a few days ago, and was told that there were none reclaimed from that insti- tution, at least from the lock hospital, while on the other hand others say that they have been received. I did not go to the institution, because I knew the statements were so conflicting. 18.549. You say you have discussed these Acts ■vT/ith all classes of people in Cork. Have you ever talked with soldiers about tliem ?—I have. 18.550. In what way ; have you gone to the bar- racks ?—Yes, I have gone to the barracks. 18.551. And entered into conversation with private soldiers ?—The person was a sergeant, and I thought it better to ask him because he would probably know the minds of the soldiers, and I would ascertain their feelings better than by going personally among them. 18.552. Will you state what passed between you and the sergeant?—I may mention that this sergeant is a man who was born in the regiment, and therefore very competent to know the minds of the men. I asked him what operation this Act would have on the minds of the soldiers chiefly. He would speak of his own regiment, the 72nd Highlanders ; and he told me he believed it increased the habit of sexual inter- course. I forget the per-centage because I did not take a note of it, but it was very large. I think he said, but I will not be certain, that it certainly has very largely increased he belisved ; that is his decided experience ; and he spoke in the presence of the adjutant of the regiment, a man who has risen from the ranks, and therefore lias been a long time in the regiment, and the adjutant assented to it. 18.553. Did he give any reason why the Acts had had the effect of increasing the immorality among the men ?—The adjutant thought the reason was these women, he said, come out Avith free bill of health ; those are the Avords of the adjutant; and naturally the men are freer to mix Avitli them, and have intercourse Avith them. 18.554. Did the adjutant or sergeant say anything about the effect it had on the health of the men ? No, I did not ask him that. 18.555. Then is your knoAvledge of the opinion of the soldiers themselves confined to your conversation Avith this adjutant and sergeant ?—Yes. 18.556. Have you talked to Avorkmen on the sub- ject ?—Yes, I have. 18.557. HoAv have you come into contact Avith the Avorking men for the purpose of opening this conver- sation ?—Meeting them indiscriminately, and I went specially to a large printing establishment, and to the foreman whom I Avas told represented about 300 men of that trade. I Avent into the establishment Avithout any notice. I asked this man Avhat he believed the minds of these 300 printers was on this subject, and he said almost to a man they Avere against these Acts. 18.558. Had you been previously informed of the opinion of this man as to these Acts ?—I was told that he was decidedly opposed to them, and I should go and ask him his opinion. This man, I am told, represents in other official Avays the minds of 2,000 of the men in Cork; he is or Avas Secretary of the Odd Fellows Society; he Avas connected with the Roman Catholic Confraternity, and some other official offices he held. 18.559. What Avas his name ?—Ford. 18.560. Then he expressed an opinion decidedly adverse to the Acts ?—Decidedly adverse. I asked him might I walk into the printing establishment Avhere the men Avere employed Avithout any notice. The men did not know Avhat I Avas going in for. I stood amongst them and said, My friends, I wish to knoAV Avhat you think about these Acts, if you under- stand the nature of them, and what is your opinion of them ; and soon after the others said they had signed the petition and Avere opposed to them. 18.561. ]3id you find that the men really under- stood Avhat the Acts Avere ?—They did. Printers are, generally sj)eaking, a A'ery intelligent class of men. 18.562. Did you describe to the men Avhat the pro- visions and nature of the Acts Avere ?—Before putting the question I did not, but after speaking together about them I spoke to the men and found that they quite understood the nature of the Acts. 18.563. You have yourself read the Acts ?—Yes. 18.564. And are well acquainted with their pro- visions ?—Yes. 18.565. And you think that this foreman and his men Avere equally instructed on the subject ?—Per- haps not equally instructed, but at ail events they understood the nature of them very well, I believe. 18.566. Was this foreman, Mr. Ford, a member of](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21365945_0766.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
