L.
criminal information on the evidence adduced against the two Chinese, and a meeting of the Ersecutive Council taking place on the 13th July considered the evidence, with his report, and came according to the annersed
to the same conclusion, according to the Minute. Mr. W. Tarrant was on that
summoned.
• before.
I occation
: the Council and censured for
bringing forward at that late date charges founded
on
hearsay run
rumours,
of which, by his own -*-
testimony, he had as full a knowledge eight
nine months
ago
ov
as at present, and might have brought the parties to trial before the Supreme
in
--
-Court, at any of the Criminal Sesions, that long interim. If he believed them, he should have produced them then; if not, he should have been silent now. He before the Council, disavowed all belief in the indirect imputations against the Colonial Secretary:
As a
question
arose
with regard
regard to the
propriety of publishing the evidence adduced in
the official investigation, or inquest, of the
17.4.
J5
16
221
Attorney General, that Officer has pince presented
the enclosed objections to such a proceeding
unlawful, his part on that occasion,
as
being that
secrecy.
of a grand jury, which is always swon to percoy On professional prints, I must of course leave that officer to his professional responsibility.
On the 24th July,
an examination took
place in the Magistrates Court before Mr Johnston,
as a Justice of the Peace, in a
charge of conspiracy : by the Colonial Secretary, against Mr
adduced
William Tarrant, upon evidence which led to
the latter being committed to take his trial before the Supreme Court. This evidence, which
is now
enclosed, was reported to me.
Attorney General,
by the
and it appeared to me that
any person to committed for trial ought at least to be suspended from employment, pending Your Lordship's pleasure!
I brought the matter before the Executive Council on the 5th. Instant, the Minutes of which are transmitted herewith.