Page:Crime and government at Hong Kong.pdf/114

 Surely enough, and more than enough, was found, even by this wretched "Report," to disqualify Mr. Caldwell for all employment under the Crown;—if not to set the police authorities upon his track.

Yet Dr. Bridges and Sir John Bowring affected to regard the "Report," as tantamount to a finding, "that none of my charges had been substantially proved," and, ' " the decision of the Commissioners in no other light than as an exculpation of him." I was therefore notified of their intention, to summon an Executive Council for the purpose of suspending me from my office.

In my reply, I demanded a hearing for myself and my witnesses before the Executive Council; and,—no other attention being paid to my demand, beyond in forming me that the Council had condemned me already, and a renewal of the intimation, that Sir John Bowring was about to submit to that body the propriety of my suspension,—I lodged my protest against its jurisdiction to proceed, in so flagrant a violation of the law of the land and the Queen's regulations, already noticed.

In the face of my protest, they met on the 7th August last, and, without taking any notice of it, or communicating with me in any way, pronounced the sentence of suspension from that date, and published it in their Government Gazette of the following week.

This was done  to the other European witnesses;–none of whom, however, have as yet been suspended, albeit threatened with suspension. But the Chinese Interpreter, Assow, in the very face of their own Commission's Report, was dismissed at