The Daily Press.
HONGKONG, JUNE 26TH, 1869.
REGINA v. DE SOUZA.
The following correspondence is published by request of the Portuguese Consul for the information of the Portuguese Community in Hongkong.
From J. J. dos Remedios, Esq., Portuguese Consul-General, to Hon. J. Gardiner Austin, Colonial Secretary.
(Translation.)
HONGKONG, 22nd June, 1869.
SIR,-I have the honor to transmit to you a Memorial in which the Portuguese Residents in this Colony respectfully petition H. E. Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell to grant the object specified, and I beg that the said petition, in which I join my voice without hesitation, may be submitted to His Excellency.
Deos Guarde, &c.,
J. J. DOS REMEDIOS.
His Excellency SIR RICHARD GRAVES MACDONNELL, Knight and Companion of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Colony of Hongkong and its Dependencies, and Vice Admiral of the same.
The Humble Memorial of the Undersigned Portuguese Inhabitants of this Colony.
2. HUMBLY SHEWETH :-
That we have heard with surprise and amazement the decision of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court given to-day in the case of Regina v. Antonio Joze da Silva e Souza, against whom an Information was signed by the Attorney-General of this Colony for a Libel on Mr. Marques Pereira, the Procurador of Macau, and his Wife, published in the Echo do Povo Newspaper, of the 3rd of May last, printed and published in this Colony in the Portuguese Language.
That we understand the decision of the Chief Justice to amount to this, viz.: That a person residing in Hongkong, may print and publish libel upon any one in Macao, from the Governor downwards, and not be amenable to the Criminal Law of this Colony for the same.
That such a decision affects us greatly as a community, most of whom are bound by ties of relationship or friendship with the residents of Macao, more especially as Macao is within such a short distance of, and in immediate connection with, Hongkong.
That if the before mentioned decision of the Chief Justice be a correct enunciation of the Law existing in Hongkong, we humbly beg that Your Excellency will prevent the further continuance of such danger to the reputations of our relations and friends residing in Macao by some Legislative Enactments.
And Your Memorialists as in duty bound will ever pray, &c.
Hongkong, 18th June, 1869.
(Signed)
AGOSTINHO G. ROMANO,
Vice-Consul de Portugal.
ALEX. A. DOS REMEDIOS,
(J. J. dos Remedios & Co.)
H. A. LEIRIA,
and 150 others.
Hon. J. Gardiner Austin, Colonial Secretary, to J. J. dos Remedios, Esq., Portuguese Consul-General.
COLONIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE,
HONGKONG, 22nd June, 1869.
SIR,
I have the honor to acknowledge your letter of this date, covering a Memorial from certain of the Portuguese inhabitants of the Colony, drawing attention to a recent decision of the Chief Justice in the case of Regina v. A. J. da Silva e Souza, and praying for Legislative intervention in event of such being a correct enunciation of the Law.
Having submitted these documents to Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell, I am directed by His Excellency to state in reply that his best attention will be given to the state of the Law on the points to which the Memorial refers, and that His Excellency will not fail to suggest legislative action, if it be really needed, to harmonise the Law of the Colony with the exigencies and liberal ideas of the present age.
I have the honor to be, Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
(Signed) J. GARDINER AUSTIN,
Colonial Secretary.
J. J. dos Remedios, Consul General for Portugal.