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366 protracted investigation served only to stir up once more the mud of old animosities and produced renewed mutual incriminations between the Registrar General (who resigned and withdrew from his office) and the Superintendent of Police. Moreover, the excessive latitude which the Governor allowed to all parties in the case gave to the editor of the Daily Press fresh opportunity to raise side issues and to produce even prisoners from the gaol to aid him in hunting down the object of his hatred. The final result of this distressing inquiry (continued until September 24, 1861) was that the Colony permanently lost the services of the man who was indisputably the best Court interpreter the Colony ever possessed, and who was never equalled in efficiency as a detective police officer. But the rancour of the editor of the Daily Press was not satisfied with the scope of the inquiry. He clamoured for further investigations and desired the former Acting Colonial Secretary to be impeached. When Sir H. Robinson resisted any re-opening of the inquiry, the irate editor appealed to the Secretary of State, hurling various charges against the Governor and (in his absence) against the Administrator (W. T. Mercer). After a lengthy correspondence, the Duke of Newcastle at last (in autumn 1862) informed the complainant that, as he had five times been prosecuted for libel, he was not entitled to any consideration and that the Colonial Office would henceforth receive no more communications from him. The same Secretary of State regulated also, by Circular of August 20, 1863, the extent to which public officers might write for or to the public papers. The Duke of Newcastle laid down the rule that, whilst there is no objection to public servants furnishing newspapers with articles signed with their names on subjects of general interest, they are not at liberty to write on questions which can properly be called political, nor to furnish any articles whatever to newspapers which, in commenting on the measures of the Government, habitually exceed the bounds of fair and temperate discussion.

In the Legislative Council, Sir H. Robinson introduced an important change by the inhibition now put, by order of the