I submit therefore that the books of account were legally and properly put in and that the Council was justified in accepting them as part of the case against Ward.
In considering what weight should properly be attached to the entries in these books it is important to remember that no charges had been voluntarily preferred by the witnesses against Ward or indeed against any Officer of the Sanitary Board.
No Chinese trader has any objection to bribery in the abstract nor does he consider it any particular hardship if persons in authority expect him to contribute reasonable sums in aid of their regular salary.
On the contrary he is very well pleased to be able to as he would call it oil the wheels and make regular payments in the hope of preventing harsh or overbearing treatment and of ensuring toleration for his own lapses from duty.
The Commission I understand were fully aware of the circumstances and took the precaution of issuing without notice simultaneously on a given date a number of sub-poenas requiring the persons to whom they were directed to appear immediately before the Commissioners bringing with them all their books.
These subpoenas were served by the Police and the witnesses and their books were thus brought up sullenly without any previous warning.
The books having been detained by the Commission were thoroughly investigated: and the witnesses were then required by the Commissioners among whom were two Chinese gentlemen of position to give an explanation of every suspicious entry.
No premeditation was possible as the witnesses were quite unaware that they would be called up and had...