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Legislative Council
1870 Jun 17	Friday

Vaccination

The Hon Mr O'NEILL, in moving the motion standing
in his name, said the paper which he was desirous
to see on the table of the Council was not in any
of the Government Offices, and it would be an act
of grace for the Government to procure a copy, as
it would be of great value to honourable members
in discussing a measure which was before the House.
The paper described the nature of small-pox, its
fatality, and the necessity of guarding against it;
it also gave a large amount of information on the
subject generally, and showed, according to the
writer's view, the nature of the virus after it had
passed the constitution of graminiverous animals.
He thought, as there was a Bill for promoting
vaccination before the Assembly, that honourable
members should have every information given them.

Motion made, and question proposed, "That there be
laid upon the table a copy of a paper read by Dr
STRATFORD before the Medical Section of the New
Zealand Institute at Auckland, on the subject of
Vaccination." - (Hon Mr O'NEILL)

The Hon. Mr WATERHOUSE did not wish to throw a
difficulty in the way of the honourable member,
but he thought that his proposition was open to
the objection that documents which were not public
should be asked for. If documents of that kind were
to be procured, where would the system end?  The
rule was a healthy one that only public documents
should be laid on the table, and that private
contributions, whether with reference to medicine,
literature, or theology, should be withheld.

The Hon. Mr GISBORNE felt very strongly the objection
raised by the Hon. Mr WATERHOUSE as to where they were
to draw the line. The honourable member might want
a volume of the Lancet; or every doctor in New Zealand
might wish to write a paper, so that it might be laid
upon the table of the House. The proper course would
be for the honourable member, when he spoke on the
Vaccination Bill, to fortify himself with the information
furnished by the paper, and quote from it. Dr STRATFORD
had peculiar views upon the subject, and so had other
doctors. If the document were laid in manuscript on the
table he did not think that many honourable members
would read it, and he did not suppose the honourable
member was going to move that it should be printed. He
had no objection to the paper itself; what he took
exception to was, that laying it on the table would be
establishing an inconvenient precedent.

The Hon. Dr GRACE wished to say, if it were a case of
doubtful precedent, that the merits of the paper
scarecely entitled it to the honor, as there was nothing
new in Dr STRATFORD's treatment of the subject. What he
brought forward had been known for a long time to the
profession, and to himself individually for eleven years.
The paper did not possess any extraordinary individuality,
and possibly that absence of originality might be taken
into consideration by the Council.

The Hon. Colonel KENNY suggested that the motion should
be withdrawn.

The Hon. Mr O'NEILL had never seen the paper himself, but
from what he had heard he thought that it might be an
assistance to many honourable members in considering a
subject which was new to them. There was hardly any
question of greater importance to the public than that of
vaccination, and he had thought that when he brought
forward the motion, instead of its being objected to, he
would have received the thanks of the Council. He believed
that anything emanating from an old and experienced
member of the medical profession in the Colony would be
read and seriously considered. He must therefore decline
to withdraw the motion.

Motion negatived.