in quarantine. This made his blood boil with indignation. He was then determined to take the matter up and, meeting Dr. MacKenzie, suggested that a demonstration would be promoted to protest against the landing of these men . . . He concluded: He had been a volunteer and had served for over 20 years . . . He was as loyal as any man there . . . but when they placed the Indian subjects on one side and his home and family on the other, the birthright of his children and the memory of his dear parents and what they had done to make the Colony what it was, he would do the only thing he could, and the only thing they could expect of him. )(Applause.) Rather than this evil, he would be content to hand matters over to the tender mercies of the Transvaal Government—that would be simply a drop in the ocean compared with this evil.— (The Natal Mercury, 18th February)
It was also stated that the Indian passengers, instigated by Mr. Gandhi, and possibly by other lawyers that he may have brought with him, were to sue the Government for damages for illegal detention in quarantine. The Natal Mercury made the following remarks in its issue of the 30th December:
- The report that the Indians on board the s.s. Naderi and Courland intend bringing an action against the Government for damages for alleged illegal detention in quarantine, almost confirms the rumour that Mr. Gandhi is on board. His keen legal instincts have scented a splendid brief to occupy him immediately on his release from the durance vile of the quarantine and purifying effects of the carbolic bath. The large sums of money said to have been subscribed for the purpose would naturally go to Mr. Gandhi, whether the case was lost or won, and nothing in fact could suit the gentleman better than such an interesting case to devote his attention to, immediately he got on shore. Probably he has some of the other Indian lawyers he said he intended bringing with him on board, and among them they have persuaded the other Indians on board to sue for damages.
The Natal Advertiser of the 29th December contained the information about the alleged legal proceedings, and it came out with the following, the next day:
- The feeling against the wholesale importation of free Indians has steadily increased in Durban, and the recent arrival of 700 more Indians of this class by the steamers Courland and Naderi, would seem to have aggravated the feeling. The announcement that an Indian clique intended to sue the Natal Government for heavy damages for the detention of the steamers in the anchorage, apparently brought the question into more painful prominence still, for yesterday afternoon
