The Sun.
London, England, 1860-06-29 00:00:00

lIONG KONG.

Earl GREY presented a petition from Newcastle, setting
forth that certain legal proceedings had taken place in
Hong Kong, by which it appeared that a person had been
convicted of being engaged in transactions of a piratical
character, and apparently with the countenance of an officer
of the Colonial Government, and praying for inquiry. He
(Earl Grey) expressed his own opinion that the state of
things in Hong Kong of the local government required
serious attention.

The Duke of NEWCASTLE said he had received no ac-
count of the piratical attack, or of the indictment to which
the petition referred, though perhaps the despatches which
arrived yesterday, all of which he had not time to peruse,
contained some account of the matter. lle could assure the
noble earl that there was not that neglect in the Colonial-
office which, according to the petition, was supposed to
exist. It was not to be inferred because the Colonial-office
did not pay immediate attention to the questions and in-
quiries of a body of persons calling themselves the "Com-
mittee of Foreign Affairs," sitting at Newcastle or Sheffield,
for they seemed to be a joint concern, that grievances in the
colonies could not be inquired into or redressed. He con-
fessed he did not feel bound to communicate either the de-
spatches he received or the instructions he sent out to thes
persons. His noble friend was in error in supposing that
these things were not inquired into. An enormous blue
book had been presented by the Colonial-office this year,
which reflected very little credit on many of the parties
concerned, and showed that the state of society in Hong
Kong was anything but satisfactory. He instructed Sir
H. Robinson verbally to inquire into the, charges raised

by Mr. C. Anstey with regard to the transactions that
occurred in Hong Kong, at the same time telling him
to avoid stirring up the filthy mud which surrounded
the state of society there. There was no part of her
Majesty's dominions where libels seemed to be so rife

and flagrant. Every man libelled another in the most
reckless manner, so that libelling seemed to be the normal
state of society in Hong Kong. Everything that ap-
peared in the newspapers there must therefore be re-
ceived with caution. The matters referred to in the

petition would be inquired into, and everything possible
done to redeem that colony from the bad reputation which
it had acquired in consequence of the behaviour of some of
those who he was happy were now removed from it.
The Earl of HARDWICK E said that the Foreign Affairs
Committee deserved to be mistaken if they expected an an-
swer to all their communications, as it would be altogether
impossible to answer correspondence of that kind. He re-
collected receiving a deputation from them, and they ap-
peared to him to be artisans who instructed themselves, to
the best of their ability, in foreign affairs. But they must

not suppose that they were treated with indignity because
their communications were not attended to.

EVIDENCE IN CHANCERY.

The LORD CIIANCELLOR laid on the table the report
of the commissioners appointed to inquire into the mode of
takkg evid.nce in the Court of Chancery.
EXAMINATION OF DEFENDANTS IN CRIMI•