I have the honor to report for the information of His Excellency the Governor that on visiting the jail a few days ago, Chen Asan alias Amee, a prisoner under sentence of Transportation for life for Piracy, begged me to bring to His Excellency's notice that he was tried at the last Sessions of the Court of Admiralty at January, at the same time with three others named Cheang Chow alias Cheong, Heer, Laing Ashing and Lum Amat, for the same offence; that Cheang Chow was sentenced to imprisonment with hard labour for three years, Laing Aching, Lum Amat and himself to transportation for life; that on the evidence of identity, he, though his case was precisely similar, had not that favour extended to him; that the other three prisoners were enabled to employ a lawyer to embody their case in a petition; that he was too poor to pay for such assistance, and to this attributed his having been overlooked. He prayed that His Excellency would grant him a free pardon.
I have examined the Criminal Calendar of the January Admiralty Sessions, and I find that Chun Asun was tried at that Sessions with three Prisoners whom His Excellency pardoned, upon a separate indictment, but as far as I can judge from the depositions taken before me previous to their trial, upon similar evidence. I am not aware that additional evidence was adduced at the trial, namely that of the informer Ahpo; that in consequence of Ahpo's having been subsequently convicted of extorting money by threats of prosecution for the piracy in question, Cheong, Ashing and Afab were pardoned by His Excellency.
I enclose a petition in Chinese from the mother of Chun Asan, with...