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Instead, however, of taking the course, recommended to him both by Mr. Cleverly and Mr. Tarrant, in the belief of his innocence of all complicity with the man,—who had, as they thought, thus abused his name,—instead of bringing his Chinese comprador before the police court, to answer for the misdemeanours with which he was thus charged,—it seemed good to Colonel Caine to treat the accusation as a gross invention—to slight it altogether—to reprimand Mr. Tarrant for an excess of duty—to inform him that his functions of Registrar of Deeds were of the merest mechanical order, and that it was his duty to hear, and see, and say nothing,—and to point his meaning by the illustration, that if he were asked to register the familiar but erroneous position of the moon being made of green cheese, it was his duty to ask no questions, but to do it.
Mr. Tarrant, however, persisted in taking another view of his duties; and Mr. Cleverly appeared to think the matter a serious one:—and the Lieutenant-Colonel found himself compelled to act.
But, instead of following the advice they had given him, and prosecuting his Chinaman for extortion and false pretences, it was against Mr. Tarrant that he instituted criminal proceedings, on a charge of conspiring with certain Chinamen falsely to accuse; and he, at the same time, procured his suspension from the Registrarship.
With great magnanimity, he forbore to prosecute Mr. Cleverly, and allowed him to retain his office.
The matter being appealed home to Secretary Earl Grey, the Hong Kong officials were by his Lordship ordered to reinstate Mr. Tarrant in his office, and to make good to him all arrears of salary which had accrued due since his suspension.
