But as this report is also signed by the Honourable the Attorney General, I cannot but think that the latter Officer might, when considering this report, have drawn attention to the limitation of my powers to deal with cases of Breach of Discipline and Neglect of Duty (l. S. par: 6) and might have pointed out that I have no power to deal with cases of bribery.
8. Excellency the Governor, I should have acted inadvertently and without proper respect to the secret Commission about to be appointed, had I attempted, without special instructions from His Excellency by premature investigations to anticipate its inquiries. I should have raised an alarm, if any cause existed, that would have been most prejudicial to the success of the inquiry.
I therefore confidently submit to the decision of the Right Honourable the Secretary of State that I adopted the regular and proper course in sending the Constable for trial before a magistrate, that the fate of the other cases hung on his case, and further that in face of the communications made to me by His Excellency regarding such secret inquiry (Para. 2) That he believes in the existence of a system of taking bribes on the part of the Chinese Constables in connection with gambling is clear from his own evidence, in which he shows how he might detect cases, whilst at the same time admitting (page 23) that he had not thought it necessary to take such steps.
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