J
proceed to subject those two persons to
torture, in order to extort
or
to extort confessions
of
guilt from them. Fortunately however, we
...
ad
Political point of view,
etion is no
Magistrate's suggestion
cable
the Chief
longer applic
the Chinese Government have tacitly waived the right they first claimed of trying
all Persons (residing on the Island of Hong Kong) who might be charged with
capital,
or other serious crimes..
It appe
as
to me.
little
very
that it would require
ingenuity to show, from these
Proceedings, that stronger cause for suspicion
exists against
the Complainant in the
instance, and his only
than
to
Re
first
Witness "Porbsiye",
et the Prisoners, but it is necessary
against
for on
will re
such remarks..
I request, that the Chief Magistrate
release all the prisoners, making them over to the Elders of the Village, or Villages, to which they belong, but without exacting
Security
minute of His Excellency the Governor. The Governor's minute is on page 40
of
416
Security,
and that he will
further write to
the Criminal Magistrate of Sumor, informing
that officer, that after the most partial, and painstaking investigation, the charge against
the Prisoners
has not
been proved; that it is contrary to the English
system of Jurisprudence to inflict torture,
whatever; that the accusers have
in any
case
failed to establish, either by direct or circumstantial evidence
the fact, set forth in their Petitions and that although there are
reasons for
believing
that
murder has been
perpetrated,
yet, it is not possible, at this lapse of time, and amid the contradictory
testimony that has been adduced by
the
accusers, and the accused, to say by whom that crime
was
perpetrated...
The Chief Magistrate will add, that
it is a maxim of the Law of England, to
consider
every
individual who may
be
accused of committing
a crime, innocent,
until