392
( 131 )
Weil, as yet, there is no result except the taking down an is
( 130 )
"Of all men else I have avoided thee' as Macbeth says' to if born,
Attorney General. Did you send that to the Friend of China ?* bich in any other case would be merely a personal mat- would, if directed against Sir John Bowring, be against
e Queen's Goverument?
Dr Bridges. That would depend upon the nature of
e libel.
It
Dr Bridges.--I may have forwarded it—but I do not conceive that to be a seditious libel.
Attorney General.-Then do you consider this reflect- ing on you and Sir John a seditious libel? (reads from the "Friend of China" of 28th July, See page 122 supra). You state that you consider the principal charge to be No. 11.
Dr Bridges.-The connection with Ma-chow Wong I consider to be the serious charge. I understand that the charge is, that the Government by a damnable and contemptible trick prevented the connection between Mr Caldwell and Ma-chow Wong from being proved.
Attorney General. You do not confine your opinion to No. 11?
Dr Bridges. The connection with Ma-chow Wong forms the subject of several of the charges.
Attorney General. The information does not specify what the charge is, but the Acting Attorney General says that it refers to charge No. 11. The libel has reference to No. 10. We wish to fix by inuendo what is the principal charge?
ary documents are missing? They were in the custody of occurrence, the Acting Colonial Secretary dared to be guilty Dr Bridges. Because Sir John Bowring is the Queen's some government man in some way connected with the Legis such an interference is more than we could understand, we presentative. As regards myself, I was his principal sub- another Gentleman untimely delivered, not born, or, lative Council, as they were produced before that body. Some
we not so well acquainted with Dr Bridges that nothing bdmate, upon whom the machinery of Government prin- | earth born."-Friend of China, April 11, 1855, can do world surprise us-Hongkong Register July 6, 1857 pally devolved. people may object to the fatal and irrevocable doom "burnt."
COMMITTEE ON THE PROTECTOR OF THE CHINESE-Most We shall not quarrel about a word, and shall therefore return them as "non est inventus," and add, it is a most unfortunate our readers are aware that such a committee had been appoin thing for somebody's character that such a return has to be ed, and perhaps some may wonder what the result has bee made under the circumstances.-Hongkong Register June 29,
"In the face of the menace held out of further enquiry at the mense amount of evidence, to which an immense amount mo conclusion of the committee's labors, I will state what the mal will have to be added. We do not therefore draw attention practices were which were imputed by the Governor to Dr this case at the present time for the purpose of making any Bridges, and some of which I stated to Mr Mercer. The Gov-marks of it, but to introduce to our readers' notice a rath Attorney General. Suppose it related to the Greek ernor said he was never able to obtain an unbiassed opinion strange episode in the case before the committee. One of that, or such personal matters?
Dr Bridges.--If you will show me a libel directed from Dr Bridges, by reason of his being mixed up with a quan- charges is for having intimate connections with Ma-chow Won tity of local business. That there was a strange and illicit con. This man was the Jonathan Wild of Hongkong, the fitter ainst any Governor and Colonial Secretary I'll say nection between him and the Chinese community-that he used and putter up of piracies from the earliest days of the colony.hether I consider it a seditious libel or not,
Attorney General.---Well what do you think of this? it to the great discredit of his office by every kind of extortion from him Mr Caldwell obtained much secret information. of an usurious character-he being an extensive money lender was said at the time we commenced warlike operations at Ca A subscriber has sent us an extract from Legare's Diary
that people. That the house where he lived and con- ton that the information so given was of a most valuable nat 85) which he thinks may prove edifying to the public, as among ducted the business of the Attorney Generalship was filled with for the protection of the Colony against the attempts of hibitory of what different great men think of each other opium and other merchandise not belonging to Dr Bridges, but brave, urged on by the Mandarins. It was however observe hardly to our taste, and if the gentleman caricatured had deposited there in pawn-That he availed himself of his post than when any information was obtained about the braves en consistent to past professions, not in these columns should tion to exact such a rate of interest as the borrowers could not were always too late to catch them. A contemporary wh antagonists have had opportunity of pointing their ridicule. honestly afford to pay. The Governor mentioned to me what the
had been writing against the scoundrel for years never ceases Excellency's late abjuration, however, of all sympathy with sum was--but it was so incredulous that it could not have been urging that the man should be seized and tried. An opponen struggling for liberty, has been so marked, and the mis- paid unless the goods pawned were stolen. The Governor nity occurred, and Ma-chow Wong was captured, tried, four ef he has effected is so serious, and is likely to prove of so further said that the goods going out and into Dr Bridges's guilty, and sentenced. When he was taken everything belon uring a nature, that we have lost all that regard which En- house was a scandal to the neighborhood. He continued by ing to him was seized, including his account books. The shmen generally feel for the representative of their Sover saying that the departure of Dr Bridges was the signal for all books were taken to the Police Office, and of their fate mo manner of complaints respecting Dr Bridges's conduct in office
anon. The general impression was, that Ma-chow We At 6 dine at the Palace in the little apartments. Dinner being privately made to him, the Governor, of which he had would be so well supported that on the rehearing of his ca
de remarkable by the presence of a Radical notabilité Dr never had any previous notice. Finally the Governor said he before the Executive Council Sir John Bowring would exerci
wring har es testamentarius of Jerry Bentham and Editor (dit had been weak enough to give a strong certificate, or letter of his prerogative of mercy, and pardon the pirate, for his service of the Westminster Review; a very vulgar cuistre, lectur- credentials, which Dr Bridges had taken away with him; but as spy. This led to our contemporary throwing out so man incessantly about first priciples, and proclaiming himself in that he, the Governor had been careful to confine his praise to
What a world it dark hints, that he was invited to attend before the Councilery worl, look and gesture Sir Oracle. Dr Bridges's abilities as a lawyer, and that he had explained in give in evidence what he knew. He did so, and stated that buld be if governed by these self conceited and presumptuous the proper quarter that by "lawyer" he did not mean “interna-Ma-chow Wong's books there were proofs of the purchase injays; and yet their favorite theme of railing is the arro- tional lawyer." These were only some of the many things large quantities of arms and ammunition and also the proof thence of the aristocracy, whose whole system of manners (the He talked inces- that I was very much pained to hear from His Excellency he was the proprietor of Chim-sa-tsuy, a piratical village on thy antiththon of this school) is self denial. Hongkong Register July 6, 1857,”
opposite shore, where all the piracies were concocted and thtly at the table (sitting next to me on my right) to Rogier, The Friend of China calls Dr Bridges "a meddling busy plunder concealer; further, that the books contained in addie Minister of the Interior, who listened like a most docile cate- body" he is all that and something more, and every one tion a specific reference to certain produce which had beef men, and apparently with immense edification. knows the fate that attends the schemes of such people. The captured by pirates. The Chinese interpreter Mr Mongan when the Queen and Her Ladies are seated, he goes up to Mail says in reference to this and another case growing out whom the books had been given for translation, said no booker Majesty and harangues her in the most extraordinary man- of it, that "a Governor of a strong decided character would at containing such information had been given him. The edit ever witnessed since the execution of Marie Antoinette; once put a stop to this sort of thing, and suspend right and left." of the Mail was then asked for the authority on which he madasting himself between Her Majesty and the Lady next her, We perfectly agree with our contemporary, for, if Dr Bridges such statements, on which he named Mr May, Superintende bing up and down his head and spectacles like a duck in a had been guilty of nothing but this gross interference with the of Police. On that gentleman being called, he said he hadle gesticulating, &c. police, he should be at once suspended as unfit for his office by desired the interpreters of the Police Court to look through thamilton puts the Grand Marshal up to going to Her Majesty's lonial Secretary, who, as a lawyer and the responsible adviser such interference. The Acting Colonial Secretary is member books, and from their translation he took down such entries of the Legislative Council, and it is not two months since that body passed Ordinance 8 of 1858 for regulation of the Chinese People &c, and for other purposes of Police. By Section VI of that Ordinance the control of the police which had been vested in the Chief Magistrate by 12 of 1844 was transferred in the fullest and most ample manner to the Superintendent of Police; and we are assured that this was done by an express coinmand
contained in a despatch of the Secretary of State who said he objected most decidedly to any divided command of the police that the Superintendent must be solely responsible and have the sole control. How in the face of these facts of so recent
After din-
We looked on in amaze; at last
Court. The answer is that Nos. 10 and 11 run together. Dr Bridges. And the whole of the charges referring to the connection with Ma-chow Wong, which I conceive to be the principal charge against Ma-chow Wong.
Attorney General.-Do you know whether the Attorney General declined to follow the order of charges as laid down by the Government, and that the Commission ac- quiesced and allowed him to take his own course?
Dr Bridges. Yes. I understood that the Attorney on given his evidence before the Caldwell Commission dis- tinctly refused to follow the order of the charges, and that the Commissioners acquiesced in his doing so?
Attorney General-Had not strong language appeared in the news papers on the defence given by me.
Dr Bridges. Of my own knowledge I cannot say, but I believe something of the kind appeared in the Hongkong Register.
Attorney General.--I will read to you,-
"But after this explanation, what then? Why, certain docu- ments were destroyed by order of Dr Bridges, the Acting Co-
of the Governor, ought to have known better; but we will not lay the blame on Dr Bridges-that his superior must still bear, whether the documents included Mr May's memoranda or not. That such memoranda did exist, there can be no question. If not destroyed, as non-produceable at the demands of the Com
iverance by engaging her in conversation; the manœuvre he thought of importance; these he now produced in two mcceeds, for after a few moments indecision the Radical leaves morandum books They were read and corroborated the char Round Table and comes up to us-but after speaking a ges of the Mail to the letter, which shut up Ma-chow Wonge while in a most absurd strain of egotism, finding no sym- claim of being an honest man, Now comes the episode. Whethy in our circle, and no obstacle to his renewing his attack
should have all the documents in the case before them. Among t, and takes him, off by some means or other. Crampton the present committee was appointed it was promised the on the Queen, he is at her again; but D'Aerschot is on the mittee, what does it matter in what manner such extraordin- others called for early in the case were Mr May's memorands he is in advance of his times a long way, and is showing Enquiry in the Colonial Office of the Clerk of Councils was of specimen of the manners of the twenty fifth century. no use; no such documents were in the archives of the Execu tive Council. Nobody knew where they were.
On this the Attorney General proposed to give evidence as to where the
Legaré will be better known to Citizens of the United States than
shmen as their Ambassador at Naples and other courts.
The Editor of the Friend of China did not know who it came from. He thought the hand writing was Dr Bridges's, and by showing it to friends with a view to confirm him in his opinion, the supposition, as to the communicator, was talked of, and so, afterwards, became known to Mr Chisholm Anstey. Had Dr Bridges denied the communication, the defendant would not have attempted to prove it.