152
The Songhong Government Gazette.
[FEBRUARY 5, 1859,
I have been in 'ormed that some Members of this Council have stated, and I have read on more than one occasion in the lo Newspapers, that De Bridges-then Acting Colonial Secretary, and himself the person whose conduct had been under inquiry by Committee referred to-forwarded to Downing Street the Report of the Committee, immediately after it was presented to the Coun before the evidence was printed, and with his answer to it,-in which answer he charged Mr Dent and myself, the only Members of t Committee, with injustice, falsehood, and hostility to himself. He stated, it is reported, that through some management of Mr Anste we were appointed because we were hostile to him (Dr Bridges),—that we conducted the Proceedings of the Committee under Anstey's influence, and that the Report which purported to be ours, was not sɔ, but was really drawn up by Mr Anstey. The Coun knows that some of these statements are untrue; and I denounce the whole of them not only as untrue, but as the very opposite of tru slamh rous they clearly are. Had I been allowed to speak in favour of iny Motion, I could have given facts in evidence of their untru I shall only now state, that I believe that the Honourable Mr Lyall would, if called upon, without any prompting on my part, rel circumstances which manifestly contradict the notion that I was actuated by any hostility to Dr Bridges. I say, that I could ha given facts in evidence, but I should not have considered it necessary to do so, until I had ascertained by the production of the Co respondence, that the above statements had been made in it.
But the public reports do more than allege that Correspondence went henne to Downing Street which should not have gone: the Turther assert, that no communication has ever been made to the Secretany of State, that the Report of the Committee was unanimou approved by the Council. Until I know whether this statement is true, I refrain from reinarking on it-I might be but fighti shadows. But how am I, how is this Conncil, to be informed of its truth or falsehood, except by the production of the Correspondenc The reports do not even stop here: they further allege that a Despatch has been received from the Secretary of State highly com plimentary to Dr Bridges, and approving of his conduct in reference to the Opium Monopoly. Surely, if there be a Despatch of th nature, virtually condemning a Report unanimonsly adopted by the Council, it is desirable that the Council should be informed there and it can only be properly informed by the production of the Correspondence.
These reports of communications sent home, which should not have been sent home-of facts not communicated to the Secretar of State, which ought to have been communicated to him-of a despatch received from the Secretary of State, virtually reflecting up: the conduct of this Courcil,-may be true or may be untrue; but they are certainly very widely known and believed, and that relat to the Despatch from the Secretary of State appeared in the China Mail-a Newspaper which, although it is denied that it is t Government organ, does certainly appear to have more ready access to official information than other Newspapers, and which, in i accounts of the Proceedings of the Council which adopted the Report of the Committee of Inquiry, curiously enough_omitted. mention of the important fact that the Report was so adopted.
It will scarcely be contended, therefore, that it is not of importance that the truth or untruth of these reports should be know to Mr Dent, Mr Anstey, and myself, whose honor and honesty it is said have been called in question to the Council, whose condu also, it is said, has been disapproved by the Secretary of State ;-to the Government here, that these reports, so injurious to character for sincerity and justice, may, if untrue, be contradicted--to the Secretary of State, that he may learn whether he has bee deceived or not;-to the Public, who are present by their representatives at our sittings, in order that they may know whether secret injustice has taken place. It is only the production of the Correspondence before this Council, which can satisfy any one on the points.
For the above reasons, I think that my Motion for the production of the Correspondence was a proper one for debate; and for th game reasons, I respectfully protest against the refusal of the Acting Governor to allow any discussion whatever on the subject.
H. TUDOR DAVIES, Member of the Legislative Council.
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And the same having been read, and ordered to be entered on the Minutes,- His Excellency remarked, that the Correspondence between himself and the Secretary of State being of a privileged of Ladi
character, he was not at liberty to lay it on the Table without special instructions; and as to the reports in th local Newspapers, if the Honourable Member trusted to them, he would find himself frequently misled. Be His Excellency had no objection to state, that the whole of the Documents connected with the Opium Monopol Committee appointed by the Council had been sent to the Home Authorities, and though acknowledged, they had elicited no opinion from the Secretary of State. In another Despatch, however, of a subseqent date, the Secretary of State desired the acknowledgments of Her Majesty's Government to be conveyed to Dr Bridges for his very effective services, energy, and judgment, whilst discharging the duties of Acting Colonial Secretary. Read Despatch, No. 44 of 1st October last, from the Secretary of State, conveying instructions for amending
Ordinance No. 8 of 1858.
The Ordinance “ to amend Ordinance No. 8 of 1858," was then read a second time,—
And the Council went into Committee upon the said Ordinance.
Section I and the Preamble being agree to,-
The Governor proposed, that this Ordinance do pass, and that the Title be "An Ordinance to amend Ordinanc
No. 8 of 1858."
Question put, and carried, the Ordinance being numbered “No. 1 of 1859."
Ordered, that the said Ordinance be published in the next Government Gazette.
Read Despatch, No. 33 of 20th October last, from the Secretary of State, conveying instructions for the amendment
of Ordinance No. 10 of 1858.
The Ordinance "to amend Ordinance No. 10 of 1858," was then read a second time,
And the Council went into Committee upon the said Ordinance.
The Provisions of this Ordinance being agreed to,-
The Governor proposed, that this Ordinance do pass, and that the Title be “An Ordinance to amend Ordinanc
No. 10 of 1858."
Question put and carried, the Ordinance being numbered "No. 2 of 1859."
Ordered, that the said Ordinance be published in the next Government Gazette.
With reference to Ordinance No. 5 of 1858, a Despatch having been read from the Secretary of State, with En
closure, recommending the re-consideration by the Colonial Government of the said Ordinance,
It was moved by the Acting Attorney General, seconded by the Colonial Secretary, and carried unanimously,-
That the consideration of the Despatch now read, and of the Ordinance therein referred to, be deferred until some
permanent appointment shall have been made to the office of Attorney General for Hongkong. Resolved, that this Council do adjourn to Friday, the 4th February next, at 12 o'clock.
The Council adjourned accordingly.
Read and approved, this 4th Day of February, 1859.
L. D'ALMADA E CASTRO,
Clerk of Councils.
JOHN BOWRING,
Governor.
Penins Isteam Navig Hongkong
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