498
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given on this point. And further, as regards these 72 men, the information given to me, and on which I acted, was that of three men who had nothing whatever to say to Ma-chow Wong as far as I am aware. They went with us in the Niger to identify the boats, one being the father of a man then a prisoner with these people. The information given was to the effect that nine men had been put to death the day be- fore, and the other prisoners were to be executed that day,
That the Registrar General, or any other official in this colony, can of his own power arrest and discharge persons, or confiscate or restore their property, is a simple impossibi-|| lity; and I will not presume to occupy the time of the Com- mission by pointing out the absurdity involved in charge No 7. I am not aware that any evidence has been adduced in support of it, but I may as well state that on no single occasion has any arrest been made by me without either the accused being brought before the Magistrate in the nsual course, or in cases under the Peace and Security Ordinance, without a specific report being at once made to His Excellency the Governor on the subject. I have no power to confiscate or restore any property, and have never done so except under orders from my superiors,
I am
With regard to the gold dust case, and the securities - given in connection with it, even Mr May himself will I think now admit, that his original evidence on the subject Was incorrect. Instead of Mr May handing it over to me with strong moral observations, and in the presence of Ma- chow Wong, Mr Grand Pre is proved to have given it to me when both Mr May and Ma-chow Wong were absent. certain that Ma-chow Wong had nothing at all to say to the matter. The question as to whether the gold dust should be appropriated by the Government, as suggested by Mr May, or handed over to certain petitioners, having been decided by His Excellency the Governor, I simply obeyed the instructions I received. But with regard to the subsequent applicant, it may not be useless to observe, that he came to my office, that I sent for two of the securities-Apang and Foong-shan, and that upon inquiry it came out that he had lost dollars at the time of the piracy, but had never been possessed of any gold dust at all. Mr May constantly sees Foong-shan at the Supreme Court, where he is Shroff. Mr May knew that Foong-shan was one of the securities, as I gave Mr May the security papers myself, and therefore a very little investigation on Mr May's part would have spared the Commission much needless trouble on this point.
"Ting-wa-ping's evidence stood unimpeached em any ald go to prove that I repeatedly refused to receive at for official services performed by me, but that Mrs - Caldwell in my absence did accept of a sum of $100 as a free will offering. If this occurred, and with my consent either tacitly or otherwise, I think that I should be liable to censure as a Government servant; but I beg leave to deny
a
come alone, he came with another man, who carried the money in a basket, and who took it away with him. Mr Caldwell can be produced if required by the Commission contradict Pang-wa-ping, but his credibility appears to me already destroyed by the contradiction given to him by Achong, who could have no motive to conceal the truth, whose evidence is not to be reconciled with that of Pang-wa ping.
The Tin charge upon investigation appears to have rested upon as little foundation as the gold dust and many othe Mr Mitchell was in the first instance very positive as to his statements, without having taken the trouble to refresh his memory by referring to the original documents in his office. Mr Mitchell has now amended his original statement. and the depositions and Jarman's evidence have I trase satisfactorily established that there was no want of proper vigilance or activity on my part. In reality, it was a matter in which I took more than a usual amount of trouble, an the strict letter of the law was, I believe, stretched to recover the stolen property, and it is with considerable surprise that I find it revived after three years for the purposes of this prosecution.
The course pursued with regard to Boggs' paper, will. | think, throw much light upon the manner in which charge have been attempted to be got up against me under this Commission. Relying upon the probability that Borgs would endorse any statement to my prejudice, Lyons, whom Mr May owns to having advised as to the mode of getting up evidence, imagines himself to have heard a letter read, connecting me with Ma-chow Wong and Boggs, and which letter ought to be in my handwriting: then visits Boggs in the Gaol, and the charge is started; but where it starts it falls. Boggs does not supply the wanting links. Mr Grand-Pre has seen the letter, and read it, aud so did the Attorney General if he would but say so; for Boggs and Mr Grand-Pre prove it was read in his presence, and it had no more reference to me than to any one of the Hon'ble Commission. This would be bad enough, but Mr Market Inspector Roberts must needs come to the support of Mr Deputy Inspector Lyons, and revive the dying slander to its original heat. Roberts had also been taken into council by Mr May. Both Roberts and Lyons have byen. during the Commission, promoted by Mr May's means.
Such a charge as the one numbered 8 is easily brought. and somewhat difficult of disproof, on account of its intang- ible nature, but did it not occur to my accuser, that there was nothing between July 1855, and November 1856, ( prevent or intimidate any man, whether Chinese or bel from bringing charges against me. I held no official posi- tion; I was but the Captain of a coasting steamer, there ape peared no probability of my returning to office, and yet during those seventeen months, who complained or said a wond
ost emphatically that this witness has given a true narra- against my character? although, strange to say, Mr Anstey
tive of what occurred. I distinctly remember his coming to my house, and tendering the present to me; but he the not
the accuser general, was here during at least half the time. Bat I do say most confidently, that it is false that any such
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feling of terror exists. Were there any causes of com- thinks it prudent to withdraw the locality to Singapore, plaint, would they not have been attracted long ere now by and put back the time some 24 years, and to make even the the bitter hostility of Mr Anstey, the self-rouched conscien- people comprising such secret society doubtful, being either tions desires of Mr May for the public good, or the unscrupu-Chinese, Klings, or Malays. By Klings, with ludicrous ignor- Jons partizanship of the subordinate partners in this con-ance, he means half-caste Chinese, or Chinese born in the spiracy against me? If ever man had to stand a severe Straits. The Commission will hardly need to be informed ordeal, I have had to do so for the last seven weeks, and if by me, that Klings are simply Madrasses.
Dil ever any
I have been enabled to arrive at a satisfactory termination, itoue, but Mr May, hear of Malays forming secret societies? has been solely because I have ever been a faithful and certainly no one connected with Singapore, and I am con- conscientious public servant.
vinced no one anywhere else, it being entirely contrary to their spirit and customs. When it is remembered, that I was not 17 when I left Singapore, that I could not speak a word of the Chinese language then, nor for many months
The money said to be paid to Ch'o On and Shaplok, in the matter of the pawnbroker whose sentence was mitigated, is, I suppose, brought forward as a case of corruption against
ine.
to a secret society, and so does the Chairman of this Con- mission, and I hold the proud position of Master for the year of it-the Zetland Lodge of Freemasons.
If so, it has signally failed. Whether or not Shaplok after, the malice of Mr Anstey, and the mixture of malice and Cho On did, or did not, get $400 or $450 from these pawn-and ignorance in Mr May, are nowhere more thoroughly brokers, is a fact for which I cannot be in any way respon- developed, than in their attempt, first to bring this charge, sible, unless I was art or part in the matter, which I most and secondly their mode of substantiating it. I do belone earnestly deny. The Commission will remember, that no connection has been proved between my family and Shaplok, that the latter has been for some time out of the Colony, and therefore cannot be produced here. Wohang denies having Charge No. 19: In 1854, Mr Perkins friends being of heard my name, or that of my wife, at all in the matter. opinion that it was owing to me that his murderer was Tong Kwong-sin and Low Shing-keet both were present at detected and executed, wished to present me with a testi- the payment, but up to its taking place, know nothing of monial. The local govern toent refused permission without their own knowledge of the circumstances which led to it; a previous reference home. I naturally thought this a and the latter states himself to have been even ignorant of what was to be done for it. They neither of them heard or Ch'o On mention my being in any way conferned, with one exception, and that is with reference to a statement de by Co On. Ch'o On denies everything connected with the matter. Even if my name had been distinc made of, and money fraudulently obtained on the strength of it is not that a circunstance to which any public officer may
exposed, not only in this Colony, but elsewhere? The With regard to the matter of the Eaglet, I shail say crime is not an unfrequent one, and it has occurred to me nothing more, than that the statements of her officers given prosecute to conviction, before the Supreme Court,before the Commission are substantially correct,--with the exception that I went in my boat out of curiosity, and the amount paid for taking the Mandarins to the village was $2.000.
by me with this very same offence. should but needlessly occupy the time of the Hon'ble Commission with refuting charge No. 10. The prosecution ere this that the premises upon which were erroneous, and my best defence is
actually occurred.
hardship, and while chatting in a friendly way with Mr May in my own house, my wife and some others being present, I said, "It is a great shame; the next time I shall ask them to give it to my wife." This was all that took place; and these trifling words, treasured up for four years by the conscientious Mr May, are reproduced us in- dicating a willingness on my part to consent to my own wife taking bribes.
I have to thank the Commission for having, by limiting my power of cross-examination, prevented me from entering upon one line of defence, which would have almost degraded ing Ma-chow Wong's wife after his convic-me to the same level as that on which Messrs Austey and simply is, that no wife of his ever eat a May now lie. Goaded beyond endurance by the attacks on any occasion, in my house.
my wife, and the unscrupulous betrayal of the confidence of Chargas 1, 18, 19. –
friendly intercourse, I was tempted to reialiate and drag can be the sole reply to charge the details of their private morals before you, but I have been spared this error. Let them not however suppose that
having informed Mr May that Ideeds such as theirs can pass without notice, and although Society, I deny this charge alto- I will not even in my own defence imitate their example, in which it was brought by the At my proofs are ready, and can be produced whenever
no doubt in the mind of any required. pinion, that by Secret Society he in- ad Societies to be understood, or else of saying anything about it. Mr May
And now I have done: I shall call no witnesses unless the Commission require them, because it appears to me that nothing remains which requires explanation or disproof";
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