STRAITS
SETTLEMENTS
This Colony-now consisting of the island of Singapore, the province of Malacca the island of Penang, the Dindings further south, Province Wellesley on the mainland, and the Cocos or Keeling Islands, and Christmas Island, the latter two placed under the same Government in 1886 and 1889 respectively-was transferred from the control of the Indian Government to that of the Secretary of State for the Colonies by an Order in Council dated the 1st April, 1867. The seat of Government is the town of Singapore, on the island of the same name. The Government consists of a Governor, aided by an Executive and Legislative Council, the latter body consisting of nine official members and seven unofficial members, of whom two are nominated by the Chambers of Commerce of Singapore and Penang. There are Municipal bodies in each Settlement, the members of which are partly elected by the ratepayers and partly appointed by the Governor.
Penang was the first British Settlement on the Malayan Peninsula, having been ceded to the British by the Rajah of Kedah in 1785, and it soon acquired a monopoly of the trade of the Peninsula. Malacca, which had been successively held by the Portuguese and the Dutch, finally passed into the hands of Great Britain by treaty with Holland in 1824, having been previously held by Great Britain from 1795 to 1818. With the establishment of Penang in 1785 most of the trade which had formerly centred at Malacca was transferred to the former. In 1819 Singapore was taken possession of by Sir Stamford Raffles, by virtue of a treaty with the Johore Princes, and it soon took the lead of Penang as a commercial centre. In 1826 Singa- pore and Malacca were incorporated with Penang under one Government, Penang remaining the seat of Government until 1830, when the administration was transferred to Singapore.
The census of the Straits Settlements, taken in 1901, gave the population of Singapore as 228,555 (170,875 males and 57,680 females) against 184,554 in 1891. Penang and dependencies 248,207, against 235,618 in 1891. Malacca, 95,487 against 92,170 in 1891. Christinas Island 704. The Cocos Islands 645. The total increase in the Straits Settle- ments since 1891 in 59,907 or 11.69 per cent. The increase in males is 34,600 or 10 per cent. and in females 25,307 or 15 per cent. The resident population of Europeans and Americans increased by 669 or 20.5 per cent There was a decrease of 1,531 in the whole European and American population (including floating population and British military) mainly owing to there not being a British regiment stationed there when the census was taken.
The actual revenue of the Colony for 1900 was $5,386,556; the three Settlements contributing as follows:-Singapore $3,244,431, Penang $1,736,130, and Malacca $406,366. There was an increase of $186,901 as compared with the revenue for 1899. The expenditure was $6,027,084, as compared with $5,060,523 in 1899 and 84.567,366 in 1898. The balance to the credit of the Colony on 31st December, 1900, was 82,053,134 as compared with 82,698,065 on the same date in 1899. The Colony has no debt.
The annual report on the Straits Settlements for 1900, states that the value of Imports of merchandise increased by over 334 million dollars or over 13 per cent.-the total amounting to nearly 2799;10 million dollars or £28} million sterling. The value of exports of merchandise exported from the Colony increased by 234 million dollars or 11 per cent., the total export trade in 1900 being nearly 240 million dollars or £241 million sterling. Tin exports valued over 61 million dollars, an increase of nearly 5 million, due to an increased output combined with an increased average price. Tin exports recorded 48,000 tons, an increase of about 3,000 or 6 per cent. To the United Kingdom nearly 26,000 tons were sent, an increase of over 8,000 tons, and to the United States of America nearly 14,000 tons, a decrease of 5,500 tons. Coal imports arv the heaviest on record, having increased by 123,000 tons. Japan coal considerably increased its average price and shows an increase of 162,000 tons over the previous
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