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(d.) The impression produced on my mind was, that the case was one that could be most properly dealt with, in the first instance, by the Civil Court of Summary Jurisdiction, as that court would, if on the evidence Sergeant SHEIK ALIM was found to blame, be able to award Mr. La KWONG CHI damages for ordinary civil trespass or damages for trespass as a Police Officer. Mr. LI KWONG CHI was therefore informed to that effect.
At this point the following correspondence commenced:-
Petition of La Kwong Chi.
A petition from La Kwong Cur, of the Yat Lung drapery shop, No. 3, Jervois Street, com- plaining of a certain party who has trumped up a false charge, and entered his premises to make a search without a warrant, and praying that, as a special favour, an investigation may be made into the matter and the party complained of dealt with, so as to give a warning to the untoward.
Petitioner begs to state that the business of his firm has hitherto been carried on in an orderly manner. Unexpectedly on the 16th of this moon, (24th July) at 12 A.M., an Indian Sergeant, ac- companied by two Chinese Constables, came to Petitioner's shop and entered it saying that they had come to arrest some one. To this Petitioner replied that the inmates of his shop were all well- behaved men and had not been guilty of any breach of the law. The Constables said that one of the inmates of the shop was guilty of having taken away another inan's wife. Petitioner asked them to show a warrant but they were unable to produce one, and, forcibly entering the shop, made a search all over it upstairs and downstairs until at last they pointed out one of the employes of the shop, LEUNG KING, as the man charged with the offence. On this Petitioner went with him to the Central Police Station. On enquiry it became known that the Police in question had brought a false charge against LEUNG KING who was sent to the Registrar General who, after a further inquiry into the matter, allowed LEUNG KING to go. Petitioner submits that to enter a house without a warrant and to trump up false charges are both serious breaches of the law. He is therefore constrained to lay the facts of the case before your Honour with request that an inquiry may be instituted and the party who brought the false charge dealt with as a warning to the untoward and wicked and with a view to protect the inhabitants of the Colony from mo- lestation--a concession for which Petitioner will be ever grateful.
To the REGISTRAR GENERAL
For transmission to
HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR.
Minute by the Registrar General.
The Hon. THE COLONIAL SECRETARY,
Transmitted. On the 24th instant, Sergeant SHEIK ALIM came to this Office with the China- man LEUNG KING, referred to in this Petition and said that the Inspector-in-charge at the Cen- tral Police Station had sent the parties to see me, as I might be able to arrange the difficulty. On inquiry I found that the Sergeant accused the Chinaman LEUNG KING of having induced his- wife to run away with a considerable amount of property. LEUNG KING denied the charge, and as there was no evidence whatever to support it, he was allowed to go. Soon afterwards the master of the shop, Mr. LAU YAM-TSUN, a highly respectable Chinese Merchant, with whom I am well acquainted, came to see me and complained of Sergeant SHEIK ALIM having gone to his shop in company with Detectives and having entered it without a warrant, which had caused a large crowd to collect and might lead to bring his bu- siness into disrepute. He stated that he did not in any way desire to screen his employe if he were guilty of the offence with which he was charged, but he submitted that it might give rise to no end of abuses and would create aların among the native population if members of the Police Force dressed in uniform were allowed to enter premises and search them without having any warrant authorising them to do so.
The Petition transmitted herewith is from the Manager of the business, who asks that the parties who entered the shop and searched it may be reprimanded in order to prevent a recurrence of the same kind on any further occasion.
J. H. STEWART LOCKHART,
Registrar General.
26th July, 1888.
Minute by the Colonial Secretary.
To the Honourable Captain Superintendent of
Police for his observations.
27th July, 1888.
F. STEWART,
Colonial Sceretury.
Minute by the Captain Superintendent of Police.
Petitioner has previously been told that one of his shopmen is supposed to have eloped with Ser- geant SHEIK ALIM's wife and $1,100 in clothing, &c., and that Sergeant SHEIK ALIM suspected that she was in Petitioner's house and was look- ing for her. He was further told that he had his remedy by an action for trespass in the Summary Court if he choose to bring it.
27th July, 1888.
W. M. DEANE, Captain Superintendent of Police.
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