CO129-066 - Public Offices - 1857 — Page 474

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establechment of which he was Chef

Cheif in charge of his partners. A few minutes before the steamer sailed, the sheriff went on board and arrested this gentleman under a writ of Ca : re: The solicitor whom this gentleman usually employed most fortunately happened to hear what was going on, and succeeded in reaching the shamer with a bail bond fearches to the Sheriff's subsfaction. Thus the Trick was

frustrated but fancy my · Lord, a gentleman in presence of his wife his children, his clerks, his acquaintances _ before the other passengers and the gaping Crew, dragged on shore with what he stood in, just in time to save a ducking from the padate wheels. Your Lordship's good heart will record at such a Contingency & say "Oh they would not have done it, they would have stopped the shamer? Would they? Why my Lord the same feat resulted in the most brilliant succies on board the very lact mail steamer. The victim was a master marener, who having sold his ship was proceeding home overland. His arrest was so beautifully, timed that getting his baggage was out of

the

question it went in the steamer, and he went to Sail in what he stood in _ If the claim on which such an arrect was made were a good one, and the party were abeonding

· or leaving to avoid payment _ Or if the claim were even a desputed one that the party leaving had declined to make arrangements about, then such arrect might be justipable. But I uck my Lord, is it likely that any man most remotely Cognizant of a

upon him, would pay his passage, pack up his effects, and complete his arrangementer, and at the same time allow his name to be published in the passenger list, as was done in both the case I have named. I submit the very fact of the atrocity being attempted is a suppecent proof that either extortion on the infliction of malice was the moving power. In the lact-named instance the poor shipper could not even find his assailant ! alth! the

writ was issued on affidavit out of the supreme court And now my

Lord for a reply to the Earl of Carnarvon. Rad as the noble Earl made the case to be. I maintain that he understated it. At the tome of the personing case, the Colony, was partially protected by a tody of men, designated by the Coloniste the Sad Brigade. This force consected of Sail men under sentence of hard labor, for mutinous conduct on ship board. The hard labor was compromised for military drill, and Confinemement for

claim

Keeping guard.

Thip Conqueror

keeping guard better rations were allowed in consideration of good ? 3 behaviour, and fair pay agreed upon, payable on the expiry of the sentence

• Whether crcumstances warranted this proceeding on the part of Government or not, is a question about which there is a difference of opinion, but I would submit that it was most indecorous & unbecoming to place these men on guard at the Court house as the custom was. I must further- explain to your Lordship, that the Hongolong Court house is situated about a quarter of a mile from the Sail, the space between the two being the most populous part of the Town. When the sessions are on the prisoners are paraded thro' this space in Irons, from Sail to Court and from Court to Jail For instance, the ten prisoners tried for prisoning were thus paraded lach morning and suck evening of every day for the whole week that the Ireal lasted, under excert of the Sail Bregude. Notwithstanding the axiom of British law, that a man is to be considered innocent until he is found Guilty, still

my Lord I admit that the

to justify were the grounds for suspicion against Alwin and his father, were strong eno in treating those tive men with some degree of indignity, but regarding the other light there never was the smallest- circumstance elicited, before the Grial, during the course of it, or subsequently to it, to implicate in the smallest degree any one of them, and there can be no doubt whatever that they were perfectly innocent. Let me describe what these men underwent. After their arrest followed a most tedious committal_ then some weeks imprisonment in a horrible cell, and then the trial under the circumstances above desenbed. The result was an acquittal, and now my Lord mark what followed. Were they mobbed ? not a bet of it well perhaps the Government having deceded on deporting them, held ther

Lood restraint until their deportation security could be procured. No my

that they were huddled like swine out of the dock, under the impression

__

in

they were being taken to a place of execution _ they were pushed in bewilderment int the stret; and these roughly suged by their tails by the ruppean of the Sail Prigade, and so dragged back to Jail, whilst the Attorney General of the queen of the West, who had been bawling for their blood for a week, stod, balked of his prey, laughing in derision at them on the steps of

the Court