The second I think is how the atmosphere of HK. has been absolutely poisoned by recent libels for years. No man is safe, the best have left, those who remain are thick-skinned & somewhat reckless. It is most desirable to second the judicial force in the endeavour to put down this pest, which has been partly exempted by the extreme feebleness of Sir J. B. administration, and, for aught I know, by his very lenity in this instance.
The third reason I think, as far as appears (not hearing what may be behind), singularly unfair.
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Col. Caine may well have said, so long as I administered the government, I held a licence for I committed, I disregarded these charges, mainly because I was faithful to myself, I might be damned by an incautious appeal to the precious tribunal of a jury. But now I am about to leave: I am a free man.
I will vindicate my character. It will be by reference to the libel, that it contained not only the old charges, but that the sting lay in the charge that "Col. Caine is now about to leave the colony, he has seen himself depraved, he will leave it a self-condemned man."
Now, a man; and character.
And this he has done, by going into the witness box & submitting to cross-examination.
I think therefore it would be undesirable to do anything which might be interpreted as expressing disapproval of recent sentence, or of the formal conduct in enforcing it. But as regards de Tarrant, there can be no wish to have him vindicated; and