CO129-020 - Sir John Davis - 1847 [5-8] — Page 226

3.

2

Acting Attorney General to institute an

investigation in the nature of a grand jury inquest, with a view to a criminal information being filed against the parties, should that Officer consider that the evidence called upon him to do so.

This investigation or inquest accordingly took place on the 6th July before Mr Campbell, assisted by the Acting Chief Magistrate and the

Chinese Interpreter to the Court, and I have now the honor to forward the

to forward the same in extenso. From the Attorney General's report upon the same ( also appended) Your Lordship will perceive that he considered the charges groundless.

as

by

" and that the money received the two Chinese was strictly their due, as part

of the Market,

- in question, proved by the written instruments which they produced;

owners

and the only

crime

of one of the Chinese accused

appeared to be the circumstance of his being

creditor to a considerable amount due to him

from his accuser.

143.

220

I will here add that the Chinese are : born and bred in the universal belief of official

venality and corruption, from the undisguised habits of their native magistrates, who avowedly

only a nominal pay from Government,

receive

and make up the bulk themselves. So indelible is this habitual conviction, that many of them

will never

- believe that the fines

in this

Colony.

imposed by our Magistrates, under the Police and other Ordinances, 4 for those Magistrates

own

are not

wn benefit ; whereas in this Colony there is not

in existence that is not paid into

even a

a fe Her Majesty's Treasury Your Lordship will perceive from the enclosed evidence, that the four hundred dollars, monthly paid in to the Treasurer on account of the Central Market, was supposed to be for myself, probably because it was largest.

the

The Acting Attorney General, according

to the tenor of his enclosed report, did not deem himself justified professionally in filing

al