2
Carric Seeti
The Bonghong Government Gazette.
[JUNE 5, 1858.
Je
-by the Governor voting for the Ayes.
IP and 20 were renumbered, and ordered to stand as Sections 30 and 31. Paragr raphs 1, 2, and 3, under Section 31, were amended.
A new
Paragra
ragraph was introduced for Offences against Section 13, or Sections 16 to 19 inclusive, and ordered to
Paragraph 4.
4, 3, and 6 were renumbered as Paragraphs 5, 6, and 7, and amended.
Section 21 was made Section 32, and amended.
Tide
The
Quest
vas renumbered as Section 33, and agreed to.
nor put the question, That this Ordinauce as amended do pass, and that the Title be "The Markets' vance, 1858,” and the Number of the Ordinance, “No. 9 of 1858.” put and passed.
Orders that the said Ordinance be published in the Government Gazette.
1. d 16.
Read a Petition from Chun-tai-kwong to ilis Excelleney the Governor in Legislative Council (received on the 28th instant), setting forth that he tendered for the Opium Privilege in pursuance of Government Notification of 20 February last, and praying for sundry alterations in the Opium Ordinance, No. 2 of 1858, Sections S, Read Report of the 29th instant, from the Attorney General, advising to the effect that the Government has fed all the conditions of the Notification on the faith of which the Petitioner tendered for the Opium Monopoly, and is not bound to grant the Prayer of the Petitioner.
"That His
It was thereupon moved by the Acting Colonial Sceretary, and seconded by the Surveyor General,~
Mrcelloney The Governor be requested to cause amendments to be made in the Opium Ordinance, 1858, with a view to granting such part of the Petition of Chun-tai-kwong as to His Excellency seems reasonable.” Debate ensued.
The Governor desiring a specification of the alterations sought in the Ordinance,
K
The Acting Colonial Secretary, by leave, amended his motion, and seconded by the Surveyor General, moved,- "That His Excellency The Governor be requested to cause amendments to be made in the Opium Ordinance 1858, with a view to granting such part of the Petition of Chun-tai-kwong, as to His Excellency seems rea- sonable, and especially with reference to two points:-
"1. To the possession of prepared Opium within this Colony without a Sealed Certificate from the Person selling
or retailing the same.
2. To the forfeiture of all contraband Opium.”
Debate ensued.
The Governor put the question as amended, and The Council divided...
Ayes (2.)
ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY. SURVEYOR GENERAL.
l'ur
The
No.
Noes (6.)
MR DENT.
for
Question negatived by a Majority of 6 to 2.
MR LYALL.
MR JARDINE.
CHIEF MAGISTRATE.
ATTORNEY GENERAL. CHIEF JUSTICE.
The Chief Magistrate, Chairman of the select Committee appointed to enquire into the conduct of the Acting
Colonial Secretary as connected with the Opium Monopoly, brought up their Report ;
And the same having been read, it was moved by the Surveyor General, and seconded by the Attorney General, that the Report be received and entered on the Minutes; and that'the Report and Evidence be printed in the Government Gazette.
Question put, and passed.
The Report was as follows:-
REPORT.
Your Committee considering that the words of the order of reference should be taken in their widest sense, and that the integrity of the Acting Colonial Secretary implies not merely ordinary honesty, but the wholeness and singleness of his character as Colonial Secretary, have enquired into his entire conduct in reference to all matters connected with the grant of the Opium Monopoly. Your Committee have also allowed themselves as wide a range as possible in their method of inquiry. They advertised in the local papers the publicity of their proceedings, and invited aud made use of suggestions from all sources as to the witnesses to be examined and the questions to be put to them.-They permitted themselves great latitude in the kind of evidence which they admitted, and only struck out as inadmissibly one question and its answer, and part of the answer to another question.They omitted to call only one witness suggested to them, as his evidence would not have referred to the matter under enquiry; and every person invited to give their infor mation did so, with the exception of Mr Hocy. His evidence would have been important, but he refused to attend, whence they conclude that he dared not deny before them having made these defamatory statements (though he has elsewhere denied having made them) which gave rise to the present inquiry.
Your Commitice have now to report as the result of their proceedings, as follows :
1st. It appears that the tender of the present Monopolist (Chun Tai-kwong), and those of two other persons, were not received by the Acting Colonial Secretary until the 14th March, the day after the last day for tendering; that Chun Tai-kwong's tender was the highest, and the reason given for the lateness of his tender being satisfactory to His Excellency, that it was accepted by him, with a full knowledge of the facts, on the 15th March; that two days after this, on the 17th March, the Opium Monopoly Ordinance passed the Legislative Council, on which day various changes highly favorable to the Monopolist, and suggested by him or his partners to the Acting Colonial Secretary, were introduced into the Ordinance on the Acting Colonial Secretary's motion, but that this was done with the most perfect openness-the Members of the Legislative Council being fully informed by Dr Bridges of his reasons for proposing the alterations. It does not appear that any undue influence was used in obtaining the grant for the present Monopolist; or that any corrupt motive existed for making these changes in the Ordinance; and there is not the slightest ground or believing that anything in the nature of a douceur was offered to, demanded by, or accepted by, Dr Bridges.
24. The above matters being the only ones connected with the grant of the Opium Monopoly, in which it has been suggested that the honesty or hoof of the Acting Colonial Secretary could be involved, your Committee are clearly of opinion that the honesty and honour of Dr Bridges, in reference to all proceedings connected with the grant of the Opium Monopoly, remain wholly unimpenclied.
32. fumier appears that, early on the morning of the 17th March,—the day when the Ordinance passed, and when the altera- tions referre i to were made in it-or of some subsequent day, the Monopolist retained D. Bridges as his Counsel; that on the 25th March, immediately after the Monopolist had executed a Bond to Government connected to the Monopoly at the Government Offices, Dr Bridges called the Clerk of the Councils into the Colonial Secretary's Room, that he might hour Dr Bridges tell the Monopolist that though he was his Counsel, he could not act for him against the Government; that the Fee on the Retainer was paid in the evening. of the same day to Dr Bridges at his House, and that the Monopolist had ascertained some days previously tron. Dr Bridges's Compra-
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