Sir,
He fell,
(Colonial Office, Victoria 127
HongKong, 5th January, 1848
In reply to your letter of the 25th Ultimo addressed to the Clerk of the Councils, I am directed to inform you by His Excellency the Governor, that the trial to which your communication refers was necessarily relinquished when brought at the last Criminal sessions before the Honorable Acting Chief Justice, as it would have been impossible for that Officer to have presided as Judge at a trial which he had previously, in his capacity of Her Majesty's Acting Attorney General, expressly given a legal Opinion upon and even taken the evidence.
Under all the circumstances connected with this case, His Excellency considers it desirable that you should await the instructions of The Right Honorable The Earl Grey, which are looked for by the next mail.
M: M. Tarrant