472
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PANG WA PING.-Called and examined.
pro-
of cowards you must bear the consequences." I know, be- opinion. When I found out, from the examination of Ma cause of a reference I made to the documents of the case in chow Wong's books and papers, the extent and variety of the Supreme Court, and from hearsay and repute, that Ma- the villanies of Ma-chow Wong, I was, very much against chow Wong was tried there in 1847, on a charge of receiving my will, and led by common sense, necessitated to alter my stolen goods. I have examined the depositions which ap-opinion about his being a dupe. When Mr Caldwell was in pear to me to be strong, the stolen goods having been command of the Eaglet, on one occasion I asked him how actually found in Ma-chow Wong's house, I know that in his marine affairs were getting on, and he told me that he February or March, of 1857, a petition was presented by was partner with Ma-chow Wong in a carrying trade carried Mr Caldwell to the Government, for the establishment of a on in many vessels, and that they owned several Chinese monopoly of passage-boats. I knew at the time that Mr vessels. I observed, if you let the Eaglet be engaged in Caldwell strongly advocated the measure. I was consulted these expeditions against pirates, you will have a combina concerning the measure, and gave my opinion strongly against tion against you, and have the Eaglet snapped up; and he it. In my letter of the 20th July, I made reference to that said, "no fear of that, such is the fame and terror caused by proposed scheme. I made inquiry anterior to Ma-chow the Eaglet, that many vessels have applied to us, and we Wong's apprehension, and my informant told me that Ma- are thinking of granting the Eaglet's flag as a pass of chow Wong was the secret mover in the affair, and was to tection." be its conductor. I have stated that I always found that Ma-chow Wong was always interested either for or against pirates. I knew always from the position the case assumed I live in Jervois Street, and deal in unprepared Opium. in what scale was placed the influence of Ma-chow Wong. On the 18th day of the 3d moon of 4th year, (April 1854) The same persons known to be in business and trad with I had a lorcha, which was captured by pirates. A native of Ma-chow Wong presented themselves time after time to Tychow, an island near which the piracy had been commit bail persons charged with piracy · and exhibiting anted, had bought rice from the pirates who had taken her, and interest for the defence in cases which broke down through he informed me of her capture. I gave information through the non-attendance of the witnesses. Upon that account a friend of mine-a Shroff in the Supreme Court to Mr Cald- I should like that the oldest interpreter at present at well. An English man-of-war, a screw steamer with two the Police Court-Assow-should be examined. I recollect funnels (the Rattler), was sent in quest of her. The steamer in one case, that a fishing boat was attacked by pirates, came up with the pirates and re-captured the lorcha, and and a man killed; the body was brought to Hongkong, brought her back to this harbour when she was restored to and an inquest held. I was Coroner. The witnesses in me. The day after I went to Mr Caldwell's office, at the the case said they could identify some of the pirates the old Central Police Station, and paid upwards of $200 on boat. A verdict of Wilful Murder against persons unknown account of the Coals expended by the steamer; this was in was returned. Some days afterwards the principal witness the outer office. I then went home, and in the evening of pointed out a boat then anchored in Hongkong Harbour; the same day I came back, and in an inner room I offered Mr Police boarded and took the boat, and some four or five men Caldwell $100 on account of his exertions, the more espe into custody. Mr Stace appeared for the defence; the case cially as I had a father on board the lorcha, and I was afraid began to assume the wonted complexion I have before he would have been ill-used had not the lorcha been
got alluded to; the witnesses having positively identified the back so speedily. Mr Caldwell refused the $100, made a boat and certain of the prisoners at the Police Station, said, gesture of indignation, and said, "there is no such custom, I at the Police Court, that they could not identify them, and can't take it." I then said, "I do not wish to give it to you, the prisoners were necessarily discharged. That very same but to buy ornaments for your wife," Mr Caldwell again boat was the boat seized in the trial in which Ma-chow refused, and said Mrs Caldwell had enough ornaments. I Wong was convicted. This was proved by the evidence in then. said "well, to be given to the children." Mr Cald- the Police Court.
well did not answer. I put the #100 upon the table, and Mrs Caldwell afterwards took the $100 inside. That money has never been returned to me. The money was paid on account of two lorchas, both of which had been rescued from pirates, one belonging to Acheong, the P. & O. Comprador. Not the slightest promise had been held out before that this money would be paid on the recovery of the lorchas, hor was money spoken of.
My knowledge of Ma-chow Wong arose from my know- ing that Mr Caldwell used him as an informer. Every per- son connected with the Police Department, and the Chinese community generally, knew of the position in which Ma- chow Wong stood to Mr Caldwell. Up to the date of my letter of the 20th July, I believed, as I therein expressed, that Mr Caldwell was the dupe of Ma-chow Wong-and I judged this partly from believing that Mr Caldwell was Cross-examined,—When I spoke to Mr Caldwell about this under family influence. I knew he was careless and indif- $100, Mrs Caldwell was in the adjoining room, the wife's ferent upon many points, and was subject to that family room, I saw her there. The money was in a small mat influence, and this knowledge partly led to my expressed bag. When Mrs Caldwell took the money from the table,
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Mrs Caldwell. She said, she very much thank me. I told Mrs Caldwell about my father, and why I wished to give this present to her children.
Mr Caldwell was walking to and fro outside in a verandah. I of a discrepancy between the report of Mr May, and that of do not know that Mr Caldwell saw her do so; I spoke to Mr Caldwell, they were to be sent to Mr Wade for re-exa- I said, "I too much chin chin Mr Caldwell." {mination. I sent them to Mr Wade's private house. They
were returned by him to the office in the beginning of March last, when Mr Wade went to the North. They were returned exactly as I sent them. I am confident they had not been opened, for I put them up very carefully, and the tape and sealing wax were exactly the same as when I sent them. I was ordered up to Whampoa about this time, and when I came back I did not know what to do with them; they were an incumbrance in the office. I went to His Excellency Sir John Bowring, and asked him what was JAMES MONGAN, Assistant Chinese Secretary,-Re- to be done. He gave me no
instructions at all, but referred called.
me to Dr Bridges, the Acting Colonial Secretary; I went immediately in to Dr Bridges, who said, "they are mere rubbish, you may burn them, and I saw them burnt myself,
THIRTEENTH DAY,
Wednesday, 23d June, 1858, at 12 o'clock Noon.
Present-All the Members.
**
I remember on the 29th September, 1857, two baskets and three or four packages of books and papers being sent up from the Police Magistrate's office to the Chinese Secretary's office. Mr Caldwell was directed to make a translation of Cross-examined--I had the custody of the papers while the books, and I was requested to afford Mr Caldwell every they were under examination. As I finished the examina- assistance in my power in the translation required, favour- tion of each packet, I sealed it up again as well as I can able or unfavourable to Ma-chow Wong. When they reach-remember; and I unsealed each packet, when its examina- ed the office they were tied up and sealed. They were tion began. As far as I could see, the papers handed by me delivered by the messenger to Mr Morrison, who delivered to Mr Caldwell were returned to me by him. I considered them to me. One of the baskets had been opened, apparently | the papers were in my custody. I could not say I counted for the purpose of seeing if the two packages which it professed every paper I gave to Mr Caldwell; but I am not at all sure to contain were there. The two packages were still sealed, that I did not do so, because I was very particular about it. About two days afterwards I proceeded with Mr Caldwell to It is my impression that all the papers I handed to Mr Cald- make the investigation. I was assisted by my Chinese teacher, well were returned by him to me. and Mr Caldwell had his Chinese clerk. I and my teacher first sorted the papers, and in doing this ran over the con- tents, and any that were of a suspicious nature we put on one side. I understood my instructions to be, to look for any entries bearing on the statements made in the China Mail of the 17th September, 1857. The papers put on one side were then examined by Mr Caldwell, and the contents noted down. In doing this Mr Caldwell consulted me, and upon what he noted down. I think, but am not quite sure, that this examination occupied about three half days. As far as I was concerned, I should call it a cursory exa- mination; I should not call it a searching one, unless I went over every item myself, and compared it with the books. Of this I am certain, that I saw nothing of a suspicious nature In the books which I did not put on one side, and I believe that all those so put aside were afterwards examined. I think it hardly possible, that anything of a suspicious nature escaped mc, but I cannot pledge myself to the exact accu- racy of every item noted down. I have read through the report made on the examination of the books by Mr Cald- well, and do not recollect seeing any entries of a suspicious nature not therein enumerated. When the examination was concluded, I tied up and sealed all the books and papers myself; and on the 13th of October, up to which time they remained in my custody, I sent them in the same state to Mr. Wade. On the 12th October, I had been summoned to appear before the Council. I heard that in consequenes have never board of them since. The papers were burnt,
also
Re-examined, I do not exactly recollect whether Mr Caldwell consulted me on every one of the suspicious docu- ments. I was present when some questions were put to Mr Dixson at the Executive Council; I was not present when Mr May was examined; he was just called in when I went out. I do not remember any memoranda of Mr May being produced. I was not examined in regard to them. I certainly did not say before the Council, that I could not account for the entries in Mr May's memoranda not having been discovered by me in the books and papers. I
may have said so on other occasions when I heard of the memoranda, but I cannot say that I did ever say so. After hearing the evidence given on this point by Mr Dixson before the Com- mission, I still adhere to my statement, that the memoranda by Mr May were not produced at the Council in my presence, and that I was not called on to account for the discrepancy between them and Mr Caldwell's report. All I heard was, that Mr Dixson said that Mr May's memoranda would sub- stantiate the statements in the China Mail. I may have made a remark on it, but I think I did not; I am quite certain that Mr May was not examined while I was in the room, and that I saw him coming in as I went out. Mr May's memoranda were never at any time then or afterwards in my hands, nor ever referred to me for examination or collation. I do not know whether they were sent to Mr Wade. I do not know what became of them after the Council broke up, and I
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