The Honorable the Attorney General prevented the conduct of the investigation on the part of the Governor and Council.
Mr. Day, Sessions Judge, who at the Criminal Sessions drew up the lament for one of the prisoners concerned in the murder, against whom sentence of death was recorded, attended this meeting by invitation; and, on the score of humanity, undertook to act as counsel for all the criminals.
The Rev. Dr. Legge, who, also from motives of humanity, had interested himself for the prisoners, was in attendance, and invited to be present at the enquiry with some of his friends.
The five prisoners under sentence of death, namely, Junny Lehun, Char-wheir king, Trung hut heng, Leachin Chea-Alsony, and Lee-Abono, were then brought before the Council, and several witnesses in the cause called in, and examined; but not on oath, for the Attorney-General was of opinion that the Executive Council had no power to administer an oath under the circumstances.
Ting-along, the prosecutor at the trial, and two other important witnesses, who had been summoned to appear, were not, from some unknown cause, in attendance on the Council.
The investigation lasted till 6 o'clock in the morning.