5298. He mentions here an instance of a vessel, the Gollupchik, being captured and being sold, and becoming the property of certain London merchants, and being again sent out with a cargo of goods for the slave trade factories of Gallinas, under British colours, and commanded by a British subject. “The vessel,” he says, “was condemned by the Mixed Court of Justice at Sierra Leone, and the English captain was committed for trial at the ensuing assizes. The grand jury found a true bill against this man on the clearest evidence, but the petty jury, all of whom were persons of colour, returned an unanimous verdict of acquittal, which was received by the coloured persons in the court, and by some others of similar sentiments, with decided tokens of approbation.” Are you acquainted with that case?--Not at all; without knowing the case it would be impossible to say whether the jury were right or wrong; I have known cases where they have discharged persons accused of slave dealing, and where they were right. In the case referred to by Mr. Hartung of the Echo, the jury thought that the prisoner was not liable to conviction; but I never knew in my time any man who ought to have been convicted of slave dealing escape. 5299. Generally speaking, did you find the coloured juries do their duty in all cases?--Certainly; they do their duty very well. 5300. Mr. _W. Patten_.] Is it from any particular class that juries are selected?--The grand juries are selected from the most respectable inhabitants of Freetown, and the petty juries from shopkeepers and the reputable class of traders. 5301. Viscount _Courtenay_.] Who selects them?--The sheriff. 5302. _Chairman._]--Has the office of chief justice been frequently vacant?--It has been vacant several times since I was in the colony, and an acting chief justice has been appointed. 5303. Who has acted in the interval?--During one interval, Mr. Melville, who was Queen’s advocate at the time, and Mr. Carr, who was also Queen’s advocate, and who is now chief justice, officiated on another occasion. 5304. Were they gentlemen who had a legal education?--Both of those persons had; but there were two other instances in which the office was held by men who had no legal education; once by a merchant, and a second time by the collector of customs. 5305. Was that under the necessity of the case?--Yes. 5306. Mr. _Forster_.] How long did the collector of customs hold that office?--A very long time; he held it from the death of Chief Justice Rankin until the appointment of Mr. Carr as chief justice, which was probably a year and a half after. 5307. Mr. _W. Patten_.] Do you know what year it was in?--From August 1839 till, I think, the end of 1840, or the beginning of 1841. 5308. Mr. _Forster_.] It is a part of the duty of the chief justice to deliver the gaol at the Gambia, is it not?--Yes.