16
The Hongkong Government Gazette.
Chairman-As you obtained the introduction into the Ordi- nance of alterations so beneficial to the Monopolist, did it not occur to you that he would be justified in thinking that he would be doing much better by retaining you as his Counsel, than by employing any other Barrister? and do you not consi- der it probable that he being a Chinaman-thinks, and has said, that you were a very clever man, could do what you liked with the Governor, and could make a law and unmake it the next day?
Dr Bridges. It is a difficult question to answer, but in the course of my practice here I have had reason to believe that Chinese have thought that I looked much closer into the details of their cases than any other practitioner, being better acquainted with the people; and I believe that the sole reason which induced Chun-tai-kwong to retain me was the trouble which I appeared to take on behalf of the government, during the interview of the previous day, in perfecting the Opium Ordinance as much as possible.
Chairman.-Did it not occur to you at the time he retained you, that matters connected with the grant might come before you as a Member of the Executive Council, in which you would have great influence in determining the Executive Council to decide favorably or unfavorably to the Monopolist? I refer to such matters as the following: he might fail to pay the instalments of the consideration money at the proper times: the "Regulations" mentioned in Sections 2, 3, and 10 might require revision and alteration.
Dr Bridges-It did not occur to me; but if it had it would have made no difference. I am standing Counsel for the P. & O. Company who may have matters with the Government, for Dent & Co. who have had conflicts with the Government, for Lyall, Still & Co., who have been lately in litigation with the Government, and for many other firms here who might have matters in which their interests might clash with that of the Government. I was for nearly, three years Acting Attorney General, during the whole of which time similar cases of con- flicting interest between the Government and individual mem- bers of the community might have arisen, and never having had even a suspicion thrown upon me throughout the whole of that time, I should not have anticipated any difficulty in doing my duty both to the Crown and my client in the case of the Opium Monopoly also.
Mr Dent-Have you any recollection that you told the Attorney General on the 13th March, that the highest tender had been accepted.
Dr Bridges.That is another of the many instances in which in this case partly true and partly erroneous statements have been mixed up. The Attorney General came to the Colonial Secretary's office, as I think I have already stated here, on Saturday 13th March, about 4 P.M., and I shewed him a list of the tenders that had come in up to that time, but I never said anything that could have led him to suppose that the tenders were closed, or that any one of them had been accepted.
[JUNE 19, 1858,
JUNE 19, 1858]
(D)
vant and the Chinaman with regard to the amount of my fee was without my knowledge, nor was I aware of it until the sitting of this Committee.
Committee closed.
H. TUDOR DAVIES, Chairman.
PAPERS, &c., PUT IN. (4)
HONGKONG, April 23d, 1888. HONORABLE Sir-Since seeing you I have considered over the matter of writing that letter you dictated, which I beg to decline doing on the following grounds, namely, any conversation which I may have had with you relitive to the Opium Farm I consider strictly private between Counsel and Client, I remain, your obedient servant,
H. E. HOEY.
(B)
HONGKONG, April 24th, 1850. HONORABLE SIR,-On reading your Draft last evening, I wrote you that I declined writing it. Since then I have unfortunately mislaid it, and regret to say I cannot find it, or I would have returned it immediately you wrote for it.
I have written to Mr Hazeland to write to Mr Chun-tai-kwong, him, I am, Sir, your obedient servant, or to call at your office for instructions, which you were to give
H. E. HOEY. Honorable Attorney GenerAL.
Copy No. 1.
(C)
ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE, VICTORIA, HONGKONG, 24th April, 1858. SIR, I have the honor to communicate officially the particular of a very scandalous slander upon yourself and His Excellency's Government, in order that I may receive the Governor's directions as to the prosecution of the author.
37
That person is Chun-tai-kwong, as 1 am informed by Mr Hoey, who volunteered the communication, and persisted in declaring, after being repeatedly admonished of the consequences, that "he is willing to swear to the truth of it.”
I should premise that it was my intention, as explained in a "semi-t official" letter to yourself, (written last night but withheld until now in the hope of getting from Mr Hoey the vote of the very expressions used by Chun-tai-kwong, which I took from Mr Hoey's own lips yesterday afternoon,) to have reported the matter to you at the moment I received it yesterday from my informant; but that, at his request, and on his undertaking to write to you forthwith, the note I had drawn up, and at his request adding a few words 1 left that duty to him, coutenting myself with leaving in his hands of explanation in official form,
Mr Hoey however, who appeared to labour under an absurd dread of Chun-tai-kwong's personal favour with the Governor, (insomuch that I had again and again to explain to him that His Excellency's favour must necessarily depend upon the good credit of the person supposed to enjoy it.) after leaving my office yesterday wrote to my private residence, declining, as he said, after considering over the matter, to write to you on the subject.
beforementioned draught, containing his verbal account of the exact And this morning, on my sending to him a third time for the Chairman. Dr Bridges: you have read the evidence pro-has been unfortunately "mislaid, and that he regrets to say he cannot words of Chun-tai-kwong, he has written to say that the document duced before the Committee. Do you wish to make any find it, or he would have returned it to me immediately I wrote for statement or call any witnesses?
it."
Dr Bridges. I do not wish to call any witnesses. I wish I am therefore obliged to give as careful a report of the words as to state, that I understand the first charge against me to have memory and consideration enable me:-And the following may been that I corruptly procured the Opium Monopoly for Chun-be taken to be not only very accurate but quite complete. tai-kwong. I submit that not one tittle of evidence has been
Mr Hoey stated to me :- adduced in support of that. As to my having procured the Ordinance to be altered to suit the views of the Monopolist, ifto sign my recognisances as bis surety, on his getting the grant of the Opium Farm, he told me that he had brought money with him,
a
"On my way up with Mr Chan to the Colonial Secretary's Office
I did so, the Legislative Council are accomplices with me in know he had nose when he came back) and after I withdrew the act. As to the means I took for inquiry into the defama- tory language, which the Attorney General says was reported to him by Mr Hoey, I wish to point out that when I received the official and semi-official communications from the Attorney General, the view I took of them was this, and all subsequent occurrences have confirmed the correctness of that view. Hoey, the Attorney General's client, is in litigation with Chun- tai-kwong, my client. Now the Attorney General by sending up this communication, fancies he has put me on the horn of dilemma: either I must institute proceedings against my own client Chun-tai-kwong upon the evidence of his opponent Hoey-and which prosecution must be fruitless, for the com- munication made by Hoey was made in professional confidence -or I must decline to take notice altogether of the matter, and then the Attorney General will be able to say, that I have shirked an inquiry. I also had very little confidence in the exact state of facts reported by the Attorney General, as he is constantly in the habit of making accusations against every- body. I therefore adopted a course, which would prevent it being supposed that I wished to stifle the matter, and I am satisfied that that course is the best one to be pursued by a straightforward man, who wished merely to elicit the truth. I wish also to state, that whatever took place between my ser-
from the room by Dr Bridges's desire, after signing my name, Mr Chun stayed behind; and when he came out, he said that he had given Dr Bridges, after I left the room, four hundred dollars. I asked him was it for a retaining fee as counsel?' Mr Chun replied, No; Dr Bridges said on receiving it, of course this is as a
BI cumshaw. I asked Mr Chun, 'what retaining fee then do you meas to give him? He said, Ob1 Dr Bridges is a very clever man, he pleases, can tear it to pieces, and can put it together again: and who can do what he likes with the Governor, can make any law I suppose I must give him One Thousand Dollars retainer. He (Chun-tai-kwong) also told me that, whilst I was out of the room, Dr Bridges called in Mr D'Almada as a witness about something.
do not know whether it was about this payment."
i
I
I need not enlarge on the danger to the Government, of allowing Chinaman, or indeed any one, to utter these monstrous stories with impunity. Their gross improbability may shock an educated European, but all other persons who hear them will be less impressed by that, than by the safety and audacity with which they are asserted and circulated,-I bare, &c.
(Signed,)
T. CHISHOLM ANSTEY.
The Honorable W. T. BRIDGES, Esquire, D.C.L.,
True Copy,
Acting Colonial Secretary.
W. T. BRIDGE!,
Acting Colonial Secretary.
i
The Hongkong Government Gazette,
Copy No. 222,
COLONIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE, VICTORIA, HONGKONG, 24th April, 1858. SIR,I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of this date.
His Excellency The Governor, to whom it has been submitted, desires me to state, that he has no instructions to give thereon. I have, in the presence of the Honorable the Colonial Treasurer and the Honorable the Surveyor General, seen Mr Hoey and Chun-tai-kwong, and they both deny having at any time stated anything derogatory to my character.
I am much indebted to you nevertheless for having thus enabled me to put a stop to such ridiculous slander,—I have, &c.,
W. T. BRIDGES, Acting Colonial Secretary.
(Signed,)
The Honorable THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
True Copy,
W. T. BRIDGES, Acting Colonial Secretary.
(E)
No. 18.
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION. Whereas it is under the contemplation of Government to alter the system of licensing the privilege of selling Opium in this Colouy, by making the sale of crude Opium entirely free, and that of prepared Opium a strict monopoly: Notice is hereby given, that Tenders will be received at the Colonial Secretary's Office up to and until the 13th day of March, 1858, for exercising the privilege throughout the Island of Hongkong and the Waters thereof, of preparing and selling prepared Opium in every form and shape, and whether for exportation or consumption.
By Order,
W. T BRIDGES, Acting Colonial Secretary. Colonial Secretary's Office, Victoria, Hongkong, 20th February, 1858.
(F)
LIST OF TENDERS FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF SELLING PREPARED ÕPITH.
Monthly Annual Amouni. Amount.
Name.
Remarks.
Security.
S
(A wealthy builder, certainly good 33,960 for $10,000. He has a good deal
S
Chuen-Idé & Co..-Partners
Lee-chuet, Lee-luck-cheong,*2,830 Luong-clo Chun-tai quang, Ling Yeong,. Wong-ting-yeok,. Tai-foong,
* 2,790 | 33,480
*2,700 32,400.
2,582 | 30,984
2,500 30,000
Foom-ming,
Quong hung. Chun Laong Kee, Choon sung. Hap Kee, Wobang, Heng Kee, Tek-tai-tauen,
Lee Juen,
Wingfat,
Sun-Kee,
Glatz-No amount specified.
1,780 21,360 1.760 21,120 1.725 20,700 1,656 19.872 1,350 16,200
1,256 15,072
1,180 14,160
1,160 13,920
1,050 12,600
1,000 12,000
+
111
!
Council; and His said Excellency in Council has this day been pleased to grant to CHUN-TAL-KWONG, of the Man-cheong Shop, such Privilege for the period of Twelve Months, commencing from the 1st of April, 1858.
By Order,
W. T. BRIDGES, Acting Colonial Secretary. Colonial Secretary's Office, Victoria, Hongkong, 25th March, 1858.
(Copy)
(4
It being the intention of Government, to make the Sale of prepared Opium a strict monopoly, the undersigned hereby gives in his Tender for the privilege of preparing and selling prepared Opium throughout the island of Hongkong and the waters thereof, and whether for exportation or consumption, at an advanced rate of Five per cent above any other Tender or Tenders previously made, until the disposal of the said privilege.
CHARLES GLATZ.
(Signed,)
To the Honorable THE COLONIAL SECRETARY,
True Copy,
Hongkong, the 13th of March, 1858.
(J)
W. T. BRIDGES. Acting Colonial Secretary.
HONGKONG, May 22d 1858. SIR, Urgent business called me hence for the last two weeks past, and I have just this moment returned. It is true your first letter I saw when in Hongkong, but for a few hours, but I assure you no disrespect was intended by not answering or appearing before you, the latter has been impossible. Respecting the inquiry, I candidly confess, I am glad I could not attend, for it is a miserable community to be in, where men cannot utter their impressions from faint recollections of passing events to fellow-men, without use being made of those utterances for other's vindictiveness,-I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
The Honorable H. TUDOR Davies,
Chief Magistrate.
(K)
H. E. HOEY.
HONGKONG, May 24th, 1858. HONORABLE SIR,-I am sorry to say that my business in Canton calls me hence again, most likely for the next two days, therefore it is impossible for me to attend the Council Room as you request. And as undue weight is attached to the information I possess Wong-man-chai-tong, a rich drug-relative to the enquiry, I beg most respectfully to decline saying of writing anything further on the matter,-I have the honor to be, Sir, your obedient servant,
of land in the Colony-Achew.
gist. Wongkin-cheong, a large raw Opuim dealer.
The Quong-fung shops chaz-
dlers; bad Security.
No security named; the taifoong
is a small rice shop.
The tenderer la compradore to
John Burd & Co., and offers to
give satisfactory security for $7,560.
+
These tenders were not received by me until yesterday, the parties stating that they had been to the Office, found it closed, and did not find out my house until the following day. I believe this to be the fact certainly with regard to the second, a xuân from Canton, who came down on purpose to bid.
I believe the bigbest tender to proceed from a company of Chinesse, who have all a large interest in the Colony; the security they offer is sufficient, and I therefore respectfully advise His Excellency to cause such tender to be accepted.
W. T. BRIDGES.
Sic Sit
(Signed,)
(Signed,) J. B.
15/3/58. Privilege granted to Chun-tai-kwong, one of the partners on behalf of the firm Chuan-les & Co., 23d March, 1858.
True Copy,
No. 26.
W. T. BRIDGES. Acting Colonial Secretary.
(G)
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.
The Honorable H. TUDOR DAVIES,
Chief Magistrate.
(L)
H. E. HOEY,
That, on the 16th February, this Council will take such evidence on the subject Matters of the said Ordinance as may then and there be offered.
(M)
Extract from the Minutes of the Legislative Council of Hongkong, held on the 5th January, 1858. The Ordinance for "
licensing and regulating the Sale of Opium in small quantities" was brought forward for the second reading; whereupon, debate ensuing,-
"It was moved by Mr Lyall, and seconded by Mr Jardine, and un- animously agreed, that the said Debate be adjourned to this day fortnight.
"It was then moved by the Acting Colonial Secretary, and seconded by the Chief Magistrate, and unanimously agreed, that the Or- dinance in question be published in the next Government Gazette for general information,'
(True Extract,)
L. D'ALMADA CASTRO,
Clerk of Councils,
(N) NOTICE.
MR date retired from the
R HENRY EDWARDS HOEY begs to Notify to the Publio
It is hereby notified, that the Privilege for the Sale of prepared Opium has been granted by His Excellency The Governor in Council to Chun-tai-kwong, of the Man-cheong Shop, for Twelve Months, from the 1st of April, 1858.
By Order,
W. T. BRIDGES. Colonial Secretary's Office, Victoria, Hongkong,
Acting Colonial Secretary. 20th March, 1858.
No. 28.
(H)
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION. The Privilege for the sale of prepared Opium, granted on the 9th instant, has been annulled by His Excellency The Governor in
OPIUM BOILING and SELLING in favor of CHUN-TAI- KWONG, who now holds the sole License under the Ordinance,
Hongkong, 5th May, 1858
To ROBERT STRACHAN Esq
SIE,--Please insert the above notice in the Register's Advertiser for a fortnight on my account.
For CHUN-TAI-KWONG, L. FERNANDES.
(0)
HONGKONG, April 24th, 1858. HONORABLE SIR,-I beg to inform, that during my conversation with Mr Anstey at his Chambers, I never intended to impute any thing derogative to your character. Your obedient servant
H. E. HOEY, Honorable Dr Bridges,
28
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