38.
39
payment of their expenses, for, although it was admitted that the action against the King and the seizure of his ship was wrong, would he make any order, or direct the issue of any paper, which could be shown to the King & the Country, that the debt out of which the action arose was a private matter with which the King had nothing to do. Lai, the senior Officer asked if the Government would call on the Chief Justice to send out the decisions of the Court for the King's information, and I explained to him that the Executive could not interfere with the action of the Court, but that a suitor feeling himself aggrieved could appeal to the authorities in England. I added that this could only be done at great expense.
He then expressed his intention of reporting upon the matter to his Government, and of requesting His Excellency Tung Pok (probably the Minister of Marine) to communicate with the Government here. He desired to offer thanks to the officers of the Government and to his counsel, the Attorney General, for the way he had been treated during his stay in the Colony and after I had said a few words about Great Britain being desirous of maintaining...
211