CO129-074 - Lieut. Governor Caine & Sir Robinson - 1859 [6-12] — Page 378

Ert

374

( 96 )

same afternoon that Wohang came to me, and found that to Mrs Caldwell, Mrs Caldwell would answer her, this is she was in Canton, I did not communicate with the Gov-all I can say. She never came as a friend to the house.

I am quite ignorant of the circumstances relative to the ernment or Police about it. It is impossible for me to say whether Ch'o on would or would not pay $400 to Shap- capture for attempt at breach of the blockade of the Canton lok without he thought she had some one to back her up. River, of the boat to which the pass was granted mention- He has been fifteen years in Government service, and Ied by the Attorney General, in page 73. I have given so should think that he would not be so stupid as to pay any money at all.

I did not consider it necessary to cross-examine Mr May

upon his statement regard my telling him about my wife receiving presents, because I considered the inference drawn from the words spoken by me was so absurd that I did not think it necessary.

us is correct.

many of such passes that it is impossible for me to tell about this particular one.

I did not know Po-pak-shing as a notorious pirate at the time I went on board his boat. I most solemnly de- clare I never heard of his name up till that time.

I only know that the Sinon Wo ground lot is in the Lower Bazaar, because it is marine lot 33. I suppose that I do not think that Ma- Sinon Wo is the lessee's name. chow Wong is the owner. I know he used to have the management. When this Sunon man (referred to in page 59) came and asked me about the increased rental of the lot, I knew that Ma-chow Wong had been connected with the Sinon Wo. I am sure that the land so far as I have

Mr May's statement of the misunderstandings between We have had no others. I do not consider Ma-chow Wong's conviction chiefly owing to the exertions of Mr May, but to the public mind and that of the jury being prejudiced against him by the local papers. Mr May did not to my knowledge apply for my reinstatement in Government employ. I did consider, and I am now more ful- heard did not belong to Ma-chow Wong. From what I ly confident, that Mr May had a vindictive feeling towards have heard, Ma-chow Wong was only head of some com- me at the time of the conducting of the case of Ma-chow-mittee of management; there were others connected with Wong, but I have particular reasons for not wishing to give my grounds for such belief on this occasion. As I have already stated in my evidence of to-day, these reasons may form the subject of future complaints by me; but of this fact I am certain, that nothing would give Mr May more pleasure than to see the situation of Registrar General be- come vacant for him by my dismissal.

not

Adjourned till Friday, the 16th, at 12 o'clock.

TWENTY FOURth Day,

Friday, 16th July, at 12 o'clock Noon.

Present,-All the Members.

Hon. H. T. DAVIES,-Recalled at his own request to explain a part of his previous evidence.

Mr Caldwell is no doubt correct in stating that he did the sureties for Ma-chow Wong; but when I procure said that I should require them, and that I would take their recognizances as soon as their validity had been ascertained, Mr Caldwell said "they are here now,” and pointed out some men. I asked him whether he guaran- teed their validity, and upon his saying that he did, I took

them at once.

D. R. CALDWELL,-Cross-examination continued. I deny that any intercourse whatever has been kept up between any member of my family and Shaplok. She has been many times to my house to see me on business of different kinds, and as a matter of course she has also seen Mrs Caldwell and spoken to her. I wish to state, that, when I married Mrs Caldwell when she was converted, I threw off all Chinese connections. Shaplok came to me only on business matters officially. I suppose if she spoke

it.

I do most decidely deny the existence of any family connection in any sense whatever, whether by blood, usage, or adoption, between myself and Ma-chow Wong. Ma- chow Wong is an inferior man, not an equal, and I consid- er this attempt to connect me with Ma-chow Wong nothing better than a villainous attempt to injure my repu tation. The very fact of the woman Awoon (who was no wife of mine) being some years younger then Ma-chow Wong, makes Mr Inglis's statement of less value, because it isentirely contrary to Chinese usage or custom for a young woman to adopt a man older than herself as her

son.

After the time of his apprehension and trial I believed Ma-chow Wong to be an honest man, and I believe now that he always was an honest man up to his apprehension. With regard to the case mentioned by Mr May in page 39, in which Ma-chow Wong is charged with resisting the Police, I refer the Commission to my letter to the Clerk of Councils dated 5th October, 1859. With regard to Mr May's statement in page 39, that a wealthy Chinaman came to him in secrecy and terror to complain of the man- ner in which petitions for Ma-chow Wong's pardon were got up: the rich Chinaman I believe to be Tam Achoy, and in my letter of 5th October last I shew why I think he had hostile feelings towards Ma-chow Wong. This I referred to at the time of Mr May's statement. The Com- missioners must be mistaken in thinking that I said I would prove the petition in question related to another matter altogether.

Pang Wa-ping paid to the paymaster of the Rattler about $200 salvage for rescuing his boat, for which the Pay- master gave a receipt, I witnessing it. I saw a Chinese doc- ument belonging to Beaver after his apprehension at the Police Station. It was a kind of certificate from Chat

( 97 )

This was a

I do not know the man who accompanied Pang Wo-ping. I could make inquiry concerning him, but I am quite cer-

tain that they were both there, and that I saw the basket

with the lid to it. With regard to the search of Assow's house, the anonymous letter was my only information that

Awei the pirate Chief, but who styled himself a Rebel, made about that in my letter of 5th October, 1857. I ne showing that Beaver had been in his employ, and meution ver heard that Ma-chow Wong was closely connected was there made of a man Wong Kee with another as with the Shanghae Rebels. I know that he went to Shang- having come from Kongnam (Keangnan), I believe, to hae. I only know that Alin, Mr Scarth's informant, was carry out the Rebel movements. I was to state that the not very friendly to Ma-chow Wong. Wong Kee mentioned there was never intended for Ma-

The petition in the Pawnbroker's matter was, as all peti- chow Wong. Both the characters were entirely different tions are, sent to me. I merely translated it, as I do all from his name, the Wong was different and the Kee petitions, and sent it up to the Acting Colonial Secretary. also, and the fact of his being a Keangnan man made it

I did not cover it by any special report. the less likely, Ma-chow Wong being a Sun-on man. Mr Wade

may have

gone by the sound, not knowing perhaps the characters of Ma-chow Wong's name. red paper folded, I think four times-similar to the paper on which petitions are written, but without the Blue back to it. On casting my eyes over the document, this name

a musical box was stolen. I also knew that a man was Wong Kee made no impression on me at all, whereas had

in custody for stealing a barometer, which was referred to it been in the characters of Ma-chow Wong's name in the letter. Mrs Caldwell did not detain the messenger, should certainly have been attracted by them. This was

and I took no steps to ascertain its author before acting the only paper produced as found on Beaver which I saw.

upon it as it was impossible to do so. I merely asked who The Master of the Masonic Lodge is elected. My pre- brought it and I was told it was a boy. I do not now decessors have been gentlemen of unblemished character know the author. I considered that, as a Justice of the While the lorcha Kee-loong poo-on was in my name, I Peace, and particularly as Registrar General, I had autho- employed her with European masters-Johnson and Ban-rity to search the house. I am permitted as Registrar General to enter any house where there are Chinese resid- ing not on the suspicion generated in my mind by an anonymous letter only; but in this case there was the ad. ditional fact of a person being in custody for stealing a barometer, which was also referred to in the letter. It does not strike me that I acted even in a high-handed man- ner. I do not think that I have subjected myself to any legal proceedings for what I have done. Had I found a musical box in one of the houses which I searched, I should have taken it to the Police to find the owner of it, and then charged the party in whose possession it was found. I have not since then made any further search about it—and have made no further inquiry as to whether a musical box has been stolen. I had heard that the prisoner who had

croft were the two-I let her out on charter.

Lai Szekai still collects the rents for Mrs Caldwell's sister, under a lease which he has of the houses.

I accompanied Mr Grand-Pré in searching the boats in one of which Po-pak-shing was seized; he was there on the spot, and was cognizant of the particulars himself. 1 was merely sent for to assist. I did not in way direct Mr Grand-Pré. I acted as an Interpreter, and explained all the matters to Mr Grand-Pré, and examined the Registers and papers of the boats,

I cannot say whether it was in answer to a question from myself, then sitting on the bench, that Mr Grand- Pré gave the answer which convinced the Magistrate as to the men's innocence. I found the Register and papers in order I think the boat had a Chinese pass from the head of the marine department at Canton.

I was present with Mr Anstey, Mr Cluff, Mr May, Mr Strachan, and several others at the Debtor's Gaol yard, on the afternoon of the day on which Mr May apprehended all the men on Bonham Strand. I was also up at the tread-mill yard on another occasion with Mr. Cluff the morning after I apprehended some 160 men,

and on both these occasions for the purpose of ascertaining who the people were. I know nothing more about the depor- tation,

I never saw the men-either before deportation, when on their way to the ship, or when on board,

I know nothing about what Boggs says of the payment of black-mail by the pirates to Ma-chow Wong, I do not think it likely that these pirates could have done so, because on various occasions their fleets were attacked by our men-of-war on my information received from Ma-chow Wong. I also beg to refer the Commission to mention

stolen the barometer had been seized and the barometer

given up. I searched the house opposite Pat-mui's.

Assow had interpreted here, and at my request, before I searched the house. I had known he was going to give | evidence here before I searched the house. Considering that Assow was acting as Interpreter and about to give evidence here, 1 think that I should have done better had I taken a Police Constable with me, but knowing the ra- pidity with which all information flies from the Police Court and the Police Station by the emissaries of the In- terpreters and the Lokangs, I considered that I was only faithfully performing my public duty in hastening to the house to search for the article. I did not mean to say that I meant I thought it not prudent to search Assow's bous, that I thought it useless, as the information would have I don't recoilect whether I wished got there before me.

I have given Assow to interpret at Ma-chow Wong's trial. him a certificate as Chinese and Malay Interpreter. I don't think I have given him one since Ma-chow Wong's trial. I consider honesty as necessary for Interpreter. I