394
(127)
wards. If perfectly convenient to yourself I shall feel obliged to you if you will have the goodness after perusing the draft to come up to Government offices for I should be glad to be put in possession of your views generally on this subject previous to the meeting of the Legislative Council.
I have the honour to be Sir,
Your most obedient and humble servant,
(Signed) W. T. BRIDGES,
Acting Colonial Secretary.
'The Honourable
The ATTORNEY GENERAL. Dr Bridges. You are the only person to whom I ever wrote a semi-official letter who ever raised any question about it.
Attorney General-Did not Mr May complain that you had given orders to him without the Governor's authority, and that he had consulted the Law Officers of the Crown about it?
Dr Bridges. I remember his complaining of my overbearing manner.
Attorney General. Did he not complain that such transactions were illegal?
Dr Bridges. He may have said something of the kind but I should observe that, with Sir John Bowring, it was very difficult to know what was to be done. He expected you to do everything without authority, to act upon your own responsibility, and if you did so would blame you afterwards for it. All I could do was to follow my own line of conduct according to circumstances.
Attorney General.-You understand that this libel, as it is called, was printed and published by the Defendant, with intent to move Her Majesty's subjects to hatred and contempt of the Queen's Government?
"The members of Council shall have freedom of speech "and shall not at any time be questioned by Government "for anything they have said therein."—
Dr Bridges.-I drew up those rules, taking as model the rules of the Mauritius and Ceylon Councils.
Attorney General. Do you remember Sir John Bowring saying he drew them up himself?
Dr Bridges.--I have nothing to say to that.
Attorney General.-Was not this Commission of inquiry to which you have referred, issued after the date of transmission to Lord Stanley of the charges imputing incapacity and corruption in the charges of Mr Caldwell?
Attorney General.—I think you stated that previously this circular, you acted upon it as much as if it had been in existence?
Dr Bridges. Certainly.
Attorney General. Did you not occasionally write to public officers on matters of official business, not officially in letters of which no records were kept?
I would have sent the correspondence home.
Attorney General-All this happened in March or April last?
Dr Bridges.-No, In June or July. It was after the Caldwell Commission, a short time before I went out of office, between May and August.
Attorney General.--Was he not called on to shew cause why he should not be suspended for insubordination?
Dr Bridges. I did a great deal of the business of the office with chits,-questions of minute, giving directions, which were intended to be obeyed.
Dr Bridges.-I must explain that there were two matters to be considered. The first, that of insubordination; the other, his conduct respecting the Caldwell inquiry. The first originated in a misapprehension of my own; with regard to the second, I heard nothing more about it.
Attorney General. Did the Executive Council call upon him to answer those charges?
Dr Bridges. In small matters the officers of the different departments were constantly asking for advice and instructions in matters not of sufficient importance to be permanently recorded. If a murder was committed, or it was necessary to dispatch a steamer immediately, I should certainly have given orders without consulting the Governor. I was peculiarly situated. Matters constantly occurred requiring me to write without keeping copies or entering them on the official minutes. I bargained that my time should be at my own disposal, and I was a great deal away from the Government Offices.
Dr Bridges. The Commission was formed after such letter; but the steps towards making the inquiry were taken before. The Mail went out on the 24th of May your letter was dated Monday the 17th.
Attorney General. On the 24th, did you receive a letter from me acknowledging the receipt of the charges?
Dr. Bridges. Yes. That is to say, copy reached me after office hours on the 22nd or 23rd. At any rate it was after the Mail left.
Attorney General.--Have not very serious complaints been made, by Mr May for instance, respecting this practice of yours, to be forwarded to the Supreme Government?
Dr Bridges.—Yes.
Page 351
Dr Bridges. I have already explained as to the first charge, as to the second the matter was pending when I left office.
Attorney General.--Would he not have been suspended on the first charge, if not satisfactorily answered?
Dr Bridges.-No, I think not.--The charge was not sufficiently grave.
Attorney General. What would have happened to him?
Dr Bridges.--I think Sir John Bowring would have reported him home, and left it to the Home Government to deal with the case as he has done half a dozen times before.
Attorney General. Well, we have disposed of your official disagreements with the Treasury, the Police Department and the Chief Magistrate's. Did not the Attorney General during his tenure of office, over and over again refuse to respect your directions?
Dr Bridges. We had so many rows together I forget.
Attorney General. On the 18th May, (you see I am travelling backwards in the dates for convenience), you wrote to me that you had made the mistake of withholding for four days a communication from the Governor (written by the way on a ragged scrap of paper), overlooked in the pressure of other matters to the following effect. "Mr Anstey is requested to repeat in writing the averments he has made; so that opportunity may be given to rebut them," and my acknowledgement ran: "Mr Anstey has nothing to add for His Excellency's information on the subject of the Memorandum. He can only say that His Excellency has now before him the substance, and much more of the averments made by me. The matter has now assumed the shape of an appeal to Downing Street."
(Reads further two letters, dated 17th May, from Dr Bridges to Mr Anstey, the first acknowledging receipt of one from Mr Anstey, and correspondence on the subject of Mr Caldwell's fitness for the Commission of the Peace, and censure of Mr Anstey's communications by the Home Government.)*
Attorney General.-Did not a meeting of the Justices of Peace take place on the 19th, in which they refused to take up the inquiry, as it was the business of Government?
Dr Bridges.-I believe so.
Attorney General.-Does not this memorandum bear date the 17th of May, the date when my letter was sent out?
Dr Bridges. It was before the receipt of your letter;
Dr Bridges.-The Attorney General at that time made certain statements, which involved certain charges against the Registrar General, about the beginning of May.
Attorney General.-Had any charge been referred to the Queen's Government here, which had also been submitted to the Legislative Council?
Dr Bridges.--The Attorney General made charges in the Legislative Council, and also in a certain letter.
Attorney General.--Here are the Standing Orders of the Legislative Council, and I read to you Section XVI.—
Dr Bridges.-No.
*The letters referred to, and not printed, were not impounded by the Court, and so are not available for publication herewith.
Attorney General. I believe also that he wrote again a month afterwards, requesting an answer to his complaint?
Dr Bridges.--Yes.
Attorney General.--In reply was he not told that the Executive Council were considering the question of his suspension?
Dr Bridges. He was told that he should have an answer from the Executive Council, when they had considered the matter. All these answers of mine, with respect to the letters, are given from memory.
Attorney General---I only ask you, to the best of your belief. He requested, did he not, that his letter might be sent home to the Secretary of State?
Dr Bridges--Very likely; it may have been so. I do not remember exactly. I know there was something about the Secretary of State.
Attorney General.-Was Mr May's correspondence ever, as requested, sent home to the Secretary of State?
Dr Bridges. Not while I was in office. I think that the charges had gone on against Mr May, His Excellency...
Attorney General-Did I not take my stand on your determination to break the rule of all public offices, and send letters to heads of department without, in the first place, officializing them among the archives?
Dr Bridges. Yes. I know you sent the Governor one letter I wrote to you, and it was returned.
Attorney General.-Is this that letter?
Dr Bridges.--It is.
Attorney General.-(to Registrar) I deposit that letter among the papers in this case.
SIR,
March 16th, 1857.
By the direction of His Excellency the Governor I send you a draft Ordinance for the Regulation of Prostitution in this Colony. Will you have the goodness to peruse the draft so as to ascertain whether in your opinion it is in a state to be laid before the Legislative Council for a first reading on Thursday next. It appears to me from a cursory perusal that it will eventually require considerable alteration and amendment but perhaps you may be of opinion that such can be made on the second reading if so time will be gained by having it read a first time printed and then it can be put into proper shape after,
ɛet
394
( 127 )
wards. If perfectly convenient to yourself I shall feel obliged to you if you will have the goodness after perus- ing the draft to come up to Government offices for I should be glad to be put in possession of your views generally on this subject previous to the meeting of the Legislative
*
Council.
I have the honour to be Sir,
Your most obedient and humble servant,
(Signed) W. T. BRIDGES,
Acting Colonial Secretary.
'The Honourable
The ATTORNEY GENERAL. Dr Bridges. You are the only person to whom I ever wrote a semi-official letter who ever raised any question about it.
Attorney General-Did not Mr May complain that you had given orders to him without the Governor's authority, and that he had consulted the Law Officers of the Crown
about it?
-
Dr Bridges. I remember his complaining of my overbearing manner.
Attorney General. Did he not complain that such transactions were illegal?
Dr Bridges.He may have said something of the king but I should observe that, with Sir John Bowring, it was very difficult to know what was to be done. He expected you to do everything without authority, to act upon your own responsibility, and if you did so would blame you af- terwards for it. All I could do was to follow my own line of conduct according to circumstances.-
Attorney General.-You understand that this libel, as it is called, was printed and published by the Defendant, with intent to move Her Majesty's subjects to hatred and contempt of the Queen's Government?
"The members of Council shall have freedom of speech “and shall not at any time be questioned by Government "for anything they have said therein."—
Dr Bridges.-I drew up those rules, taking as model the rules of the Mauritius and Ceylon Councils.
Attorney General. Do you remember Sir John Bowring saying he drew them up himself?
Dr Bridges.--I have nothing to say to that. Attorney General.-Was not this Commission of inquiry to which you have referred, issued after the date of transmission to Lord Stanley of the charges imputing in becility and corruption in the charges of Mr Caldwell?
Attorney General.—I think you stated that previously this circular, you acted upon it as much as if it had been in existence?
Dr Bridges. Certainly.
Attorney General. Did you not occasionally write to ublic officers on matters of official business, not officially in letters of which no records were kept?
would have sent the correspondence home.
Attorney General-All this happened in March or April last?
Dr Bridges.-No, In June or July. It was after the Caldwell Commission, a short time before I went out of office, between May and August.
Attorney General.--Was he not called on to shew Dr Bridges. I did a great deal of the business of the cause why he should not be suspended for insubordina- office with chits,-questions of minute, giving on then on, instead of sending his letters home? directions, which were intended to be obeyed.
Dr Bridges.-I must explain that there were two Attorney General. These letters were not recorded in matters to be considered. The first, that of insubordina- any way in the archives of the Colonial Secretary's office?tion; the other, his conduct respecting the Caldwell inqui Dr Bridges. In small matters the officers of the dries.The first originated in a misapprehension of my own; ferent departments were constantly asking for advice and
ith regard to the second, I heard nothing more about it. instructions in matters not of sufficient importance to be Attorney General. Did the Executive Council call permanently recorded. If a murder was committed, or it upon him to answer those charges? was necessary to dispatch a steamer immediately, 1 lethould certainly have given orders without consulting the Governor. I was peculiarly situated. Matters constantly ccurred requiring me to write without keeping copies.or entering them on the official minutes. I bargained that my time should be at my own disposal, and I was a great deal away from the Government Offices.
Dr Bridges. The Commission was formed after such letter; but the steps towards making the inquiry wer taken before. The Mail went out on the 24th of May your letter was dated Monday the 17th.
Attorney General. On the 24th, did you receive a from me acknowledging the receipt of the charges?
Dr. Bridges. Yes. That is to say, copy reached me after office hours on the 22d or 23d. At any rate it was after the Mail Jeft.
Attorney General.--Have not very serious complaints been made, by Mr May for instance, respecting this prac ice of yours, to be forwarded to the Supreme Govern- ment?
Dr Bridges.—Yes.
#
อะ
Dr Bridges. I have already explained as to the first charge, as to the second the matter was pending when I left office.
Attorney General.--Would he not have been suspended on the first charge, if not satisfactorily answered?
Dr Bridges.-No, I think not.--The charge was not sufficiently grave.
Attorney General. What would have happened to him?
3510 Dr Bridges.--I think Sir John Bowring would have re- ported him home, and left it to the Home Government to deal with the case as he has done half a dozen times before.
Attorney General. Well, we have disposed of your official disagreements with the Treasury, the Police De partment and the Chief Magistrate's. Did not the Attorney un-General during his tenure of office, over and over again
directions.? refuse to respect your
Dr Bridges. We had so many rows together I forget
· Attorney General. On the 18th May, (you see I am travelling backwards in the dates for convenience), you wrote to me that you had made the mistake of witholding for four days a communication from the Governor (written by the way on a ragged scrap of paper), overlooked in the pressure of other matters to the following effect. "Mr Anstey is requested to repeat in writing the averments he Attorney General. Did he not complain of your writ has made; so that opportunity may be given to rebuting, first in your private capacity, secondly, for that you them," and my ackowledgement ran: "Mr Anstey has notes were in an insulting tone as he considered? nothing to add for His Excellency's information on the Dr Bridges. He never complained of their being subject of the Memorandum. He can only say that His Ex-official. He did complain of the tone in which they were cellency has now before him the substance, and much more written. of the averments made by me. The matter has now as Attorney General.-I believe he appended your letters them all. sumed the shape of an appeal to Downing Street." (Reads to his letter of complaint? further two letters, dated 17th May, from Dr Bridges to Dr Bridges.-Yes.
Dr Bridges. I have not said a word about it yet, but Mr Anstey, the first acknowledging receipt of one from Mr as you ask me, I say, Yes.
Attorney General. And to cause it to be believed that a certain grave and scandalous charge had been preferred against the Registrar General, &c., &c.
Dr Bridges.-That appears to be the meaning of it. Attorney General. —— Was there any charge, grave scandalous, or otherwise, which was referred to the Queen's Government, and also submitted to the Commis- sion ?
Dr Bridges.-Yes.
Attorney General.-State to whom?
Anstey of the 15th, and correspondence on the subject of Mr Caldwell's fitness for the Commission of the Peace, and censure of Mr Anstey's communications by the Home Gov- ernment,)*
Attorney General.-Did not a meeting of the Justices of Peace take place on the 19th, in which they refused to take up the inquiry, as it was the business of Government?
Dr Bridges.-I believe so.
Attorney General.-Does not this memorandum bear date the 17th of May, the date when my letter was sent out?
Dr Bridges. It was before the receipt of your letter;
Dr Bridges.-The Attorney General at that time made certain statements, which involved certain charges against the first came to me at the Government office; the other
the Registrar General, about the beginning of May.
Attorney General.-Had any charge been referred to
came to my private residence.
the Queen's Government here, which had also been sub-20th of May, and the charges were prepared by you al Attorney Genral. -The Commission was dated the mitted to the Legislative Council? --
Dr Bridges.--The Attorney General made charges in the Legislative Council, and also in a certain letter.
Attorney General.--Here are the Standing Orders of the Legislative Council, and I read to you Section XVL-
your office?
Dr Bridges.-No.
*The letters referred to, and not printed, were not impounded by the Court, and so are not available for publication herewith-
Attorney General. I believe also that he wrote again a month afterwards, requesting an answer to his com- plaint?
Dr Bridges.--Yes.
Attorney General.--In reply was he not told that the Executive Council were considering the question of his suspension?
Dr Bridges. He was told that he should have an answer from the Executive Council, when they had con sidered the matter. All these answers of mine, with pect to the letters, are given from memory.
Attorney General---I only ask you, to the best of you belief. He requested, did he not, that his letter might sent home to the Secretary of State?
Dr Bridges--Very likely; it may have been so. not remember exactly. I know there was something about the Secretary of State.
do
Attorney General.-Was Mr May's correspondence eve as requested, sent home to the Secretary of State?
Dr Bridges. Not while I was in office. I think tha
the charges had gone on against Mr May, His Exceller
Attorney General-Did I not take my stand on your determination to break the rule of all public offices, and send letters to heads of department without, in the first place, officializing them among the archives.?
Dr Bridges. Yes. I know you sent the Governor one Fletter I wrote to you, and it was returned. Attorney General.-Is this that letter?
Dr Bridges.--It is.
Attorney General.-(to Registrar) I deposit that letter among the papers in this case.
SIR,
March 16th, 1857.
By the direction of His Excellency the Governor I send na draft Ordinance for the Regulation of Prostitution this Colony. Will you have the goodness to peruse the ft so as to ascertain whether in your opinion it is in a state to be laid before the Legislative Council for a first ding on Thursday next. It appears to me from a cur- y perusal that it will eventually require considerable eration and amendment but perhaps you may be of nion that such can be made on the second reading if so time will be gained by having it read a first time printed and then it can be put into proper shape after,
H
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.