53

D.—2

board to be totally exhausted in mid-ocean, while having so many souls under his charge and such an epidemic on board. (9.) That the supply of children's rations has been calculated -on a wrong basis, although, probably, according to the scale required by the charter, in that no provision was made for the excessive number of children in proportion to adults. We think that children's rations should not be calculated as per statute adult, but according to the number and requirements of the children on board. 16. We forward, for the information of your Excellency, the following papers : —Commission; Evidence; Despatching Officer's Report; Surgeon-Superintendent's Report; Copy of Report by the Immigration Commissioners, Otago; Copy of Report by a Member of the Local Board of Health, Otago. H. S. McKellae, Alexandee Johnston, M.D., Feedk. Augustus Keull. To His Excellency Sir James Fergusson, Bart., Governor. Note. —The evidence is presented in manuscript. Tho other enclosures are printed in pages 30-36.

Enclosure 2 in No. 49. The Undee Secretaey for Immigeation to the Chaieman of Royal Commission. (No. 161.) Sic, — Immigration Office, Wellington, llth May, 1874. I am instructed by the Hon. the Minister for Immigration to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 22nd April ultimo, enclosing report of the Royal Commission upon the s.s. " Mongol." The Hon. the Minister observes that the surgeon-superintendent had no opportunity of giving evidence, in explanation or otherwise, of his report of the voyage, upon which grave animadversions of his conduct are founded by the Commissioners. Dr. Davison is now in Wellington, and the Hon. the Minister will be glad if the late Commissioners would give that gentleman an opportunity of appearing before them, as he is desirous of doing, and explaining the apparent neglect, information of which appears to have been, gathered from the document referred to. I have, Ac, H. S. McKellar, Esq., Wellington. C. E. Haughton.

Enclosure 3 in No. 49. The Chaieman of Royal Commission to the Undee Seceetaey for Immigeation. Sic,— Wellington, 15th May, 1874. With reference to your letter of tho llth instant, No. 161, I have the honor to report that, in accordance with the request of the Hon. Minister for Immigration, the late Commissioners in the matter of the s.s. "Mongol " met on the 14th and 15th instant, and received the statement of Dr. Davison on all matters in their report reflecting upon him, which statement has been revised by him, and is now forwarded for the information of the Hon. Minister for Immigration, together with the report of the Commissioners thereon. I have, Ac, H. S. McKellae, The Under Secretary for Immigration, AVellington. Chairman.

REPORT. We the undersigned, Henry Scott McKellar, Alexander Johnston, and Frederick Augustus Krull, late Commissioners in the matter of the s.s. " Mongol," having had before us Dr. Davison, late surgeonsuperintendent of that vessel, and heard his statement in explanation of certain portions of the Commissioners' report reflecting upon him, report for the information of the Hon. the Minister for Immigration that they see no reason to alter their report with the exception of part of paragraph 4 of section 15, and we desire to expunge the following words therein, viz., " especially as he w-as aware of the unusual proportion of children to adults," as we find that he did not receive any copy of the list of emigrants until within an hour of sailing. ' H. S. McKellae, Chairman. Alexandee Johnston, M.D. Wellington, 15th May, 1874. ' F. A. Keull. At a meeting of the Commissioners in the matter of the s.s. " Mongol," held at the Custom House Wellington, on the 14th day of May, 1874 : Present : H. S. McKellar, Esq., Chairman; A. Johnston, M.D.; F. A. Krull, Esq.; W. J. Davison, surgeon-superintendent of the " Mongol," attended, and having been allowed to read the whole of the evidence and the Commissioners' report, and having had explained to him that the Government had desired the Commissioners to meet to receive any statement he might like to make, states, — I find in paragraph 4 of section 15 of their report, that the Commissioners, after referring to the fact of the existence of scarlet fever and measles amongst the " Mongol " emigrants in the depot at Plymouth two days before the sailing of the ship, further say, — " And the surgeon-superintendent accepted a grave responsibility when he took charge of them, especially as he was aware of the unusual proportion of children to adults."