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5.--Your Petitioner has reason to believe that the representation unde to the Honourable Superintendent about Petitioner's alleged implication in money-lending transactions was made in the shape of an anonymous petition, by evidently interested parties for their own aggradisement, but your Petitioner does unt mention this cirenistanee with a view to underestimate the due consideration that the Honourable Superintendent may have giren before accepting such a representation. Your Petitioner only begs to state the circumstance with a view to point to the jealousy subsisting in the Indian Section of the Force against success and promotion, and your Petitioner respectfully submits that for that very reason greater opportunities of meeting the charges alleged against him was due to him. As your Pelitioner was ever definitely informed of the exact unture of the charges made against him, he respectfully submits he Jul not had those opportunities of meeting those charges as could have thoroughly exculpated him in the eyes of his superior officer. So far as he has been made aware of such charges, your Petitioner honestly avers that no such offence has been proved to have been committed by itim as should have led to the summary dismissal of your Petitioner, and to the entire extinction of the rewards and emoluments to which he was entitled after his eighteen years' unsullied service.
6.The only definite charge your Petitioner has been able to ascertain was made against him, was to the effect that about three years ago your Petitioner lent a sum of $50 or thereabouts to one Da Rocha, who was at the time a Telephone Clerk in the Central Polies Station of this Colony.
7.-Your Petitioner respectfully begs to deny that he ever let any money to the said Rochn. To the knowledge of your Petitioner, the money was lent by one Gunda Singh, an excise officer, as was stated by the said Da Rocha to the said Captain Superintendent, and as could be proved by your Petitioner. Your Petitioner cannot deny that the transaction took place in his presence, but the presenco was, your Petitioner verily now believes, inveigled by the said Gunda singh, probably with a view to secure testimony of the transaction. Gunda Singh is well known in the colony as a money-lender--he is a professional money- lender-and under the pretext of inquiring of your Potitioner about. Da Rocha's credit whilst giving the loan, your Petitioner's presence, it can never be gausaid, was to his great disadvantage fairly prossed in.
S.--Beyond that your Petitioner most respectfully pleads not-guilty to the money-lending attributed to lim, and that he is likerise innocent of ever having received a single cent of interest or any other commission in Gunda Singh's trausaction.
9.--Your Petitioner regrets that barring au intination of his alleged implication in some money- lending transaction, as conveyed in the Certificate embodied from the Honourable the Captain Superintendent dated the 6th December, 1996, as also to some extent conveyed through some verbal inquiry, partly made in his presence and partly in his absence, as to the transaction alleged to have taken place with Da Rocha some three years ago, your Petitiouer enonot but with due deference submit that he has been kept altogether in the dark as to the culpability of his conduct, and that he has not been given any fair opportunities of meeting any definite charges. As to the partienlar transaction attributed to have been effecte:1 with the said Da Rocha, your Petitioner camot but lay stress on the significant fact that when questioned by the Honourabic Captain Superintendent in Petitioner's presence as to his having received any money from your Petitioner, Da Rocha subverted his story altogether and told a radically different story from that which he told under that officer's previous inquiry in Petitioner's absence, and as the Captain Superintendent was not slow on that occasion to tax him severely for thus acting, this fact could well be corroborated by him, and the question arises as to how far my reliance can be placed on, and as to what credence can be attached to, one or quother version of Da Rocha's story in dealing with the conduct of a Police Officer who had been assiduously and honestly serving in the Force for no less a duration of years than eighteen years, and during which period not only that he served in a very unique manner, without eren so much as a month's absouce on leave, but also even without so much as a single blick mark sgainst his conduct in the official record, sa uch so that the Captain Superintendent has himself done your Petitioner justice to certify on the fith of November 1806, after the order of dismissal, that Petitioner was for four years under my personal command, during the last two of which be filled the post of Indian Sergeant-Major. He performed his Polies duties to my entire satisfaction and bore a very good character.”
10.- Your Petitioner cannot but apprehend that, projudged and prejudiced Rocha has been from the outset, nuder the prejudice created by the anonymous representation referred to as the matter with Dis in paragraph f as received by the Captain Superintendent, it has been further prejudiced by certain cases that have cropped up recently against some men of his nationality about money-advances; but your Petitioner anflinchingly believes at his conduct in the matter of the alleged transaction with Da Rocha will bear thorough investigation, and that he also confidently believes that he will come out of that inquiry without the slightest tar or tarnish on his character, nad he will thereby be saved from the ignominy attaching to a dismissal.
11.---Your Petitioner, therefore, carnestly petitioned and prayed His Excellency the Governor, first on the 11th day of March, 1997, as per Petition herewith attached, marked I, and secondly on the 24th day of April, 1897, as per Petition herewith attached, marked II, that, taking all the circumstances equally narrated in those Petitions as in this, flis Excellency would be graciously pleased not to conderan a servant of the Crown in the position of your Petitioner beard, and that His Excellency would be pleased to appoint an independent Commission of Isquiry to formally investigate the conduct of the Petitioner in the transaction attributed to him with Da Rocha, inasmuch as an informal inquiry conducted by the Captain Superintendent had not been sufficient enough for eliciting the facts of the case from Da Rocha, and that the safe-guards instrumental in guarding against deliberate prevarication had been altogethor wanting in such inquiry.
12. -Your Petitioner unfeignedly regrets that beyond the informal procedure of inquiry adopted by the Captain Superintendent, not only was Petitioner never detinitely informed of the exact nature of the charges, but that he was also deprived of the opportunities of substantiating his plea of not guilty by being not provided with a copy of the different statements of Da Rocha, as also those of Gunda Singh, as taken down by the Captain Superintendent,
13.--Your Petitioner further unfeignedly regrets and respectfully submits, that the exceptional severity with which he has been condenmod and dealt with almost unheard, and the extent of the punishment inflicted on his by dismissal and the entire extinction of his pension due after eighteen years' services, have not been fully appreciated by His Excellency the Governor.
1-1.----Your Petitioner, therefore, ventures to approach you with a respectful prayer that you may be pleased to review the considerations urged with all due deference by your Petitioner, and graciously to grant that redress and that justice to him which the merits of his case, in conjunction with the consideration of bis long and faithful service of eighteen years, entitle him to as a servant of the Crown.
15. Your Petitioner begs to append to this a Petition, marked III. presented to His Excellency the Governor on his behalf by several Indian Merchants and Truders of this Colony, as that Petition bears ample testimony of the general character of the Petitioner, as also advances considerations having weighty bearings on the subject matter of this Petition.
16.And Your Petitioner will ever pray, &c., &c.
1 fongkong, 13th September ions.
1897.
Utter Lingh late Longeant Major Hong Kong Police Force
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