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ELEVENTH DAY.
house in which I resided when I came on a visit the first time Commission would on the morrow proceed to investigate to Hongkong, was in Cleverly Street; from thence I removed the charges contained in the second branch,] to Choong Wan. I did not know. Mr Caldwell at that time. Adjourned till to-morrow at 12 Noon. The house belonged to Ashe, who was a ship's comprador. I remained in Achow's house in Choong Wan about eight months. From thence I removed to Jervois Street, and remained there three months, and then again to Taipingshan East Street, to a house built in lieu of Achow's house which had been pulled down. There my first child was born on the 24th day, 10th month, 24th year of Taoukwang. Mr Inglis never came to the house in Taipingshan in which I was living, but when I removed from there to the upper part of a druggist's shop, near Western Market, he did visit me there.
Chun Atsoo owns eleven houses in this colony, besides one lately purchased. The houses were bought with money of her own.
Szekai has received the rents and paid them to me.
I have kept them till asked by my sister for them, when I paid them over to her. None of the eleven houses have been bought with money belonging to my husband. I do not know the numbers of the lots, but can tell the posi- tion: six of them are near the Chinese Joss-house, and five are about the last houses beyond Circular Buildings.
Thursday, 17th June, 1858, at 12 o'clock Noon. Present,-All the Members.
The Chairman stated that the Commission would now proceed to investigate the 2d branch of the Enquiry, con- sisting of Charges 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL,-Called and examined. I wish again, to disclaim giving evidence according to the charges as made out on the Charge List. Some of those alleged charges I have never made at all, others are incor- rectly stated, and others were certainly not intended to be the subject of a public and scandalous inquiry, because they affect the family at least as much as the head of it. My statement therefore has reference not to the List of Charges at all, but to my own letter of 13th May.
"Chinese outlaws and pirates" I certainly consider Ma- chow Wong and his gang to be, "That the antecedents of Mr Caldwell's life were passed amongst them,”
take ta
Szekai came to me and asked me if I would like to purchase a house, and also produced some documents. I be already in evidence, and I believe that further evidence said, if it was cheap I would buy it for my sister. It was agreed is accessible to the Commission, but the intimate know- to be bought at $500. I asked my husband to examine the ledge which is displayed by Mr Caldwell's suggestions. document, and see whether it was a whole lease or a portion for the cross-examination of Mr Lyons, of the move- of a lease. He told me that it was in the name of Leong ments of myself, of Mr May, and of every person who Ayook, and as the person offering it for sale was not Leong has had a single communication to make to either of us Ayook, I refused to buy. It was about the middle of April upon the subject-matter of inquiry-compels me to be that I spoke to my husband about this. I did not at that time cautious, and I therefore respectfully decline now to mention mention that I was going to purchase the house. I only asked any names not already mentioned. I presume the Com- him to look at the lease, and see in whose name it was. Of this mission are in possession, however, of my report of the Cri- $500, I have paid $400 to Szekai, the purchase-money minal Sessions of October 1856, which contained the brief being at length fixed at $470. This money was the accu- results of a very long cross-examination of the famous Eli mulation of rents belonging to my sister in my hands, Boggs, when a witness for the defence in a piracy case. To and was to be paid by Szekai to the seller of the house. that letter His Excellency's Government have to this hour The purchase-money was reduced from $500 to $470, to not vouchsafed me a reply, nor I believe paid the slightest allow $30 to pay for the transfer of the lot, owing to a attention. I would suggest that if Eli Boggs be examined, defect which had been found in the lease. I can confi- as I hope he will be upon other matters, that report may be dently affirm, that my husband has no direct or indirect also used in his examination. I think it bears date the 1st interest in this property, and that no part of the pur- of November, 1856. I have no copy of it. Eli Boggs, chase-money belonged to him. I remember my husband though not a Chinese outlaw, was certainly a pirate. I did coming home from Council last month, and saying he had not then know the fact of his connection with the Eaglet or been charged with having bought land lately in this colony. Mr Caldwell. The Commission have also a right to know He told me also that he had denied having done so. I then what was the public repute respecting Mr Caldwell at the said, "we have not purchased any, but my sister has purchas- beginning of his early career in these waters, and the oldest ed a house." I had never told him before that I had pur-surviving members of the Canton and Hongkong Community chased this for my sister. Mr Caldwell was not present might speak to that. As to the Chinese girl from a brothel, when I agreed with Szekai about the purchase. I do not think that Szekai ever mentioned the matter to Mr Caldwell, and I do not know the seller.
[The Chairman here stated, that no further evidence being procurable with reference to this branch of the Enquiry, the
the alliance itself he proved, it will follow as of course to have been an alliance with some of the worst of the Chinese; but there is direct evidence of notoriety and reputation. When I penned those words in my letter, I had read a list of names prepared by Mr May from the mouths of neighbours
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or acquaintance of the parties, and I recommend that list to that they were bis own and had been piratically captured be asked for, as it shews what the occupations of the relations from him. That merchant is said to have been Ma-chow or reputed relations of this female were and are.
Wong in person. It has been frequently told me by I again refer to the evidence already taken as to Ma-chow Inspectors of Police, how they had been embarrassed Wong. Witnesses already examined on other points, particu- in their actions on pirates or alleged pirates by means of this larly Mr May and Mr Inglis, will be able to say whether there deplorable influence, and I have no doubt if they are called was not a long and intimate connection between that convict they can give information upon this head to the Commission. and Mr Caldwell.
As to its still existing, I am personally On the other hand a really suspicious vessel obtained the aware that Mr Caldwell has evinced great resentment to patronage and protection of Mr Caldwell, I presume on the every one who has taken a different view as to the propriety same information. She was captured by one of our cruiser's of a pardon of the man from himself, and I have, as in the attempt to break the blockade of the Canton River, Attorney General, had reason to believe that since his con- and on board of her was found Mr Caldwell's certificate to viction the functions of police spy and informer continue to her character, which was handed over with her papers to be discharged by the man under the immediate auspices of the Queen's proctor, and which I now hold in my hand. It Mr Caldwell. Chinese of good repute have been arrested.
sted bears a seal which he had no power to put on it-the seal thrown into Gaol, and refused bail, upon charges got up in of his Registrar Office, and bears date anterior by some the Gaol, Mr Caldwell and his chair being personally pre-months to the Registration Ordinance of last year. I hand sent, founded upon the unsupported evidence of Gaol inmates in that document (Q). believed to belong to the same gang-proved to be false- I re-assert in the language of my letter, and upon my own then replaced by more aggravated charges, founded on the personal knowledge of the fact, that the Chinese people of this same unsupported evidence which broke down in like manner Colony no more dare to complain now of these connivances The instance to which I particularly allude, is that of a man and procurances of Mr Caldwell, than down to his conviction who had incurred the entity of the confederates, by declin- they dared to complain of the immediate tyrannies and ex- ing, in the hour of need, subsequent to his prosecution, to actions of Ma-chow Wong. I venture to say, that the fact is help Ma-chow Wong, with money, evidence, or otherwise.hotorious to every member of the Commission, and that The Stipendiary Magistrate and Mr May may be questioned their own compradors, if they ask them, would confirm the on these points, and also the Governor and Warden of the statement, but would not dare to appear to support it.
Gaol.
Take this recent fact:
A levy of money by way of reward I remark here an incidental observation, not a charge, but for services rendered by Mr Caldwell and others in the case introduced by way of explanation and corroboration of the of Ma-chow Wong, upon the clan or secret society to which last foregoing paragraph. I have stated that when I first re- he belongs, has taken place since the final rejection, if it be presented the scandal of this connection to His Excellency anal, of the last attempt to procure his pardon. Purposely more than eleven months ago, I was not aware that the concealing the place where these Chinamen live, I have to principal link in it was a bond of affinity by adoption accord-state that not less than three of them have placed in the ing to Chinese law. The fact is immaterial, but I have no hands of the writer of this letter, which I hold in my hand, objection to state who my informant was, and if the Com- the account, I believe receipted, in Chinese, of this quota; they mission think it material he may be called and examined. being supposed to belong to the body on which the levy What I meant had no reference to the present Mrs Caldwell. was made. These men complain loudly of the exaction, and I am again under a difficulty as to saying more.
my correspondent spoke to me on the subject, I think two [The name of the informant handed into the Chairman.] months, certainly more than a month, before I dreamed of For what follows in the letter I am personally responsible, being ever able, to direct the attention of Government to Mr but I respectfully decline to give up the name of any of the Caldwell's case. Unfortunately he had given them back Chinese informants, whose representations so completely these papers, and I told him that without them I could do satisfied my
mind as to justify the strong language I used in nothing, for he wished me to take it up as crown prose- my letter, that I knew that it was Mr Caldwell's habit to act cutor, at least so I understood him. For weeks he endea- in the way they had described, on the unsupported informa- voured to get these papers back, but after a good deal of tion of that pirate. I will not give up those men to de- hesitation on their part, they finally told him they would not struction, and I prefer to bear the consequences of what may produce them. These are the reasons given by him in the
em an unsupported statement.
As to Europeans the Com- | note which I now read: mission has some evidence already on this point, and I think if the authorities Naval and Police are pressed, the Commis- sion can get still more.
There was one notorious case in which the Nankin I think was imposed upon by false infor- mation, and induced to destroy lorehas belonging to Rebels
upon false representation of a so-called Chinese merchant, before the subject of this inquity was bruited in Council.
"I have your note regarding the papers, but am sorry to say I cannot get them, the holders being afraid that they may be troubled by Samkwei, or some of Ma-chow' Wong's friends at least so they told me when I saw them the other day,"dated 5th May, 1858, five days
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