CO129-087 - Sir Robinson - 1862 [7] & Acting Governor Mercer - 1862 [7-9] — Page 328

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must have been cognizant of it, being head Turnkey during the period mentioned.

Witnesses to Signature

Signed JOIN ROSS,

G. Shepheard, --Tide Surveyor, Customs, Canton, H.S.Sproles. H. B. M. Consular Coustablez

Canton, 27th January, 1862.

Or the fifth day of February in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Indred and sixty two, personally cane and appeared before me William Henry Fittock, Esquire, Her Kritannic Majesty's Vice-Consul at Canton, James Ritchie, a Tile Waiter in the Canton Customs' Service, who did solemnly declare and state as follows-That the signature *James Ritchie" to the paper writing appendek, dated the 14th JanuALLY 1802, and witnessed by F. M. Wheeler" is in my proper hand writing. and that the contents of the saich appended paper are true in every respect

and I make this solemu declaration, conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of the provisions of an act made and passed in the sixth year of the reign of his late Majesty King William the fourth, intituled an act to repeal an act of the present Session of Parliament: intituled an act for the more effectual abolition of oaths and affirmations. taken and made in various departments of the state, and to substitute declarations in lieu thereof, and for the more entire suppression of voluntary and extra-judicial oaths and affidavits, and to make other provision for the: abolition of unnecessary oaths..

Thus declared in due form of law

at the British Consulate, the day and year first above written.

• Before me

Signed JAMES RITCHIE,

[L.S.1 Signed W. II. FITTOCK"- H. B. M. Vice-Consul

*

On the sixth day of February in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight hundred and sixty two, personally came and appeared before me, William Henry Fittock, Esquire, Her Britannic Majesty's Vice-Cesusub at Canton, William Gant, Proprietor of the Canton Hotel, Honum, who did soledy declare and state as follows:--

I William Gant, do solemnly and sincerely declare that the signature "W. R. Whiteman" to the paper appended, was done in my presencu. On

"W. Gant" 03 the 17th Jamary, 1862, mentioned; and the signature witness to the signature of the said W. R. Whiteman, is in my proper hand writing. And i make this solemn deç'a ation conscientiously believ ing the same to be true, and by virtue of &a

Signed W. GANT.

On the fifth day of February in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight hunted and Sixty two, personally came und appeared before me, William Leury Fittock, Esquire, Her Britannic Majesty's Vice-Consul at Canton, John Ross of the Canton Customs' Service, who did solemnly and sincerely declare and state as follows:-

I John Ross do solemnly and sincerely declare that the signature *John Ross" to the paper writing appended, dated the 17th Jamary, 1862, and witnesse. I by G. Shepheard and II. S. Sproles, is in my proper hand writing, and that the statement made by me in the said appended paper is true in every respect—and I make this solema declaration. &c, &c.

Signed J. ROSS.

CANTON 15th Marc', 1862.

Officiating Colonial Secretary

W. H. Alexander Esq.

Hongkong.

SIR. His Excellency the Governor having been so good as to say that he would give consideration to any statement which I might submit regirling the case of Stun Ahing, at present confined in the Victoria' god under the sentence of four years' penal servita le pissed on him at the Criminal Sessions of the Sapreme Court on the 21st February 1860, in a conviction of kidnapping and selling forty five men into slavery, I have the honour to request that you will lay before His Excellency in Council the following fuels.-

The indictment against Shum Ahing ran to the effect that, in Decem- ber 1859, he had cajoled some forty five Chinese, who had been boarding at his hong, to enter a boat on the assertion that they would be taken to Kupchee, their native place on the East Coast.

That instead of proceeding to Kupehee, the boat, with Shum Aling and the men on bar, went to Macao, where the forty five were again cajeled inte landing at night to take up their quarters in a long called

DEX.