East India Company : And by the Act of 6 Geo 4 Cape 85 Sincapore and Malacca were annexed to the Government of Penang
or
Prince of Wales Island, but subordinate to the Presidency of Fort William, Bengal. Sincapore is a free port in the most
unlimited sense.
Under the Act of 37 Geo 3 Cap 117 intitled "An Act for regulating the Trade
to
be carried on with the British Possessions
"as well as the
"in India by the Ships of Nations in Amity with His Majesty, Regulations which have been framed and promulgated in India, under the Authority of that Act by the East India Company, Foreign Ships belonging to any state or Country in Amity with His Majesty are allowed freely to enter Sincapore
as
well
as all the other British Sea Ports and Harbours in the East Indies, whether they
come directly from their own Country, from any
other place, and trade there in Imports and Exports, thus in point of fact
superseding
65
superseding the provisions of the Navigation Act of 3 & 4 Wm 4 Cap 54, which restricts foreign Ships from importing any Goods into a British Possession not under the government of the East India Company,
unless they be the produce of the Country to which the Ship belongs and from which the Goods are imported.
Sincapore is still more a free port
in an unrestricted sense, inasmuch as no
duties are
chargeable on Imports and Exports, while Goods imported in foreign Ships into the Presidencies of Bengal,
Bombay, and Madras are subject to very
high and differential duties.
Independently of the general trade
which is carried on with all Countries at Sincapore, a very considerable trade is carried on in Native vessels, and Junks with China, Cochin China, Cambodia, Java, Borneo, Celebes, Sumatra and various other Islands and States, it would therefore appear to be necessary that it should in the
first