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It appears, however, that, in the certain anticipation that such would be the righteous judgment of Earl Grey, Mr. Tarrant's persecutors had, in the interim, abolished the office, and, nearly at the same time, reorganised it, but under a slightly different name.
Consequently, all the benefit that poor Mr. Tarrant has hitherto derived from Earl Grey's decision, has been the receipt of all salary, for the weeks intervening, between his suspension from office and the nominal abolition of the office itself. But he has never been restored to the public service, nor compensated for the wrong done him.
He has not even been able to obtain his own trial, for the misdemeanour with which he was charged.
Colonel Caine was never ready.
In the first instance, his Comprador, he said, had left the colony, and there must be a postponement on that ground.
Why he allowed the man to leave, without his presence at the trial being secured in the usual manner, he could not say.
Months elapsed; and every month brought with it the appearance of Mr. Tarrant and his attorney at the bar of the Supreme Court. But still the Colonel was not ready.
A Mr. Molloy Campbell, a personal friend of the Lieutenant-Governor, was, at that time, the Acting Attorney-General.
To him, at length, Mr. Tarrant's attorney gave notice of his intention to move the Court for his client's discharge, unless brought to trial forthwith. The ground was, that Colonel Caine's Comprador, for whom all this delay was prayed, was ascertained to be living quietly within Hong Kong after all!
