To the
Queen's Most Excellent Majesty
in Council
263
The humble Petition of the Inhabitants of Tynemouth in Public Meeting assembled.
Humbly Sheweth-
That, in the month of November, last, an Information against William Tarrant, publisher of the Hong Kong newspaper called the Friend of China, was filed in the Supreme Court of Hong Kong, by the Government of that Colony.
That the Information charged the said William Tarrant with falsely and maliciously printing and publishing a certain scandalous and malicious libel of and concerning the said Government of Hong Kong, to the effect that the said Government had destroyed certain public papers and Records, for the purpose of screening one of the Officers of the Government Daniel Richard Caldwell, Registrar-General of the colony from conviction on a "grave and scandalous charge" which had been preferred against him, to the effect that he had been a partner with one Nachow Wong in a lorcha, and had participated in his acts of piracy.
That the said William Tarrant pleaded not guilty and a justification to the effect that William Thomas Bridges, the acting Colonial-Secretary by connivance with Sir John Bowring, usurped the said Government, and during such usurpation did cause certain public papers and Records to be burnt to prevent the truth or falsehood of the criminal charges against the said Daniel Richard Caldwell being established, and that the publication was for the public benefit, in order to accept punishment of the said William Thomas Bridges and others.
That the Jury impanelled to try the said Information, after hearing the evidence for the prosecution only, returned a verdict for the defendant on both pleas, thus establishing the truth of the charges brought against the said Government of Hong Kong, and that it was for the "public benefit" that those charges had been printed and published.
That the presiding Judge awarded costs against the said Government. Your Petitioners therefore humbly pray Your Majesty to take such means as may be necessary to vindicate Your Majesty's honour and to do Justice: And Your Petitioners will ever pray.
Signed on behalf of the Public Meeting held on the day of March, 1859.
Jela Vellen
Thayer of Tynemouth authorised