226
full credits in every respect
This matter was, as is
3.
such
Coroner's Requests,
is customary
the
occasions, investigated by two separate
one held on the bodies of Chinese, and one on that of the Policeman, and. Copies of the Proceedings had on these occasions are enclosed for your Lordship's perusal. The Coroner's Jury at this Colony is composed of only 3 members.
4. I confess that I am by
no means satisfied either with the justice or legality of the verdict returned by these Juries, for
they came to the conclusion,
it would seem
that the opposition offered by the Suntimen
to
legal Authority,
was sanctioned by
the
translation of a Proclamation issued by Sir John Davis in 1846.
5.
The
wording of the original of this document, as promulgated by Sir John Davis, appears to me
unobjectionable, and sufficiently expressive of all that it intended to declare,
N. 4.
but it has been urged that the Translation
is incomplete, and likely to mislead the Juntmen to whom it was addressed. The
Translation was made by Dr. Butzlaff, Chinese secretary
attached to the
the
Superintendency, who on being questioned, satisfied me of its accuracy, 125. forwarded to me a letter on the subject,
in which he maintains that the Translation is correct. Nor should it be forgotten that Sir John Davis is himself an accomplished Chinese Scholar, and it is not improbable that he also perused the Chinese version before it
was issued.
See his Evidence. b.
From Dr. Legge's testimony before the Inquest, it would seem that he and his Chinese acquaintance consider the Translation incomprehensible, and if such were the case, the natural inference would necessarily be, that a paper which they did not understand, could not have been the means of impressing