PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference
TITTTC.O.882
2 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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of the Country, says he cannot do it, and asks us to help him to drive out our own people who have gone over from this Settlement, and who are settled there and committing piracies. I expect a letter from him to this effect shortly.
Penang, January 12, 1874.
Mr. Pickering arrived here last Saturday week, and came up to my house about 10 or 11 o'oclock in the morning, just as I had finished breakfast and was going in to town. He handed me a confidential letter from the Colonial Secretary, informing me that you had sent Mr. Pickering to inquire into what concerted organization there is between the Chinese factions now fighting at Larut and the Chinese in Penang," and requesting that "I would afford Mr. Pickering free access to the gaol and to the con- demned prisoners and any assistance he may ask for.” I took Mr. Pickering in my gharry to the gaol on my way to office. I advised him as to communicating with the prisoners and left him at the gaol, having given instructions to the gaoler to give him every assistance. Mr. Pickering came to my office about two hours after, and informed me what had transpired between him and the condemned prisoners, and asked for some privilege to be accorded them, which I granted. I then showed him a statement made a short time before by one of the Sin-Neng Headmen, asking for the assistance of Government in settling Larut affairs, and giving the names of the principal Headmen who were willing to assist. I told him that I had not been successful in the matter, but told him to take the document, see the Headman, and try what he could make of it. I heard nothing more of, or from him, until the Monday morning. When I arrived at my office that morning, I found Captain Patterson waiting to see me. I said to him, "Have you heard of the challenge from the Chinese, for the white men to come out and fight them?" He said, "Have you heard anything from Singapore? Have you not received a telegram?" I said, "No." He then told me that Captain Woollcombe having ordered him, in his absence, to open any telegram that might come for him, as he expected one from the Admiral; he had opened a telegram addressed to Captain Woollcombe, and received that morning, and found that it was from Mr. Birch, the Colonial Secretary, and was marked "Confidential." He not knowing how to act in the matter, had come to me with the telegram for advice. I remarked, that as I had not been communicated with, and as the telegram was marked "Confidential," I presumed it was not intended that I should see it; and that as it was addressed to Captain Woollcombe, I should take no notice of it until Captain Woollcombe's arrival, when it would be for him to decide whether he would com- municate with me on the subject. But as it appeared that the telegram was based on one from Mr. Pickering, I would send for that gentlemen, talk to him about the information I had given him about the Sin-Nengs on Saturday, and give him an opportunity of informing me about any telegram he might have received, if it were intended that I should be a party to the communication. I accordingly sent for Mr. Pickering, and talked about the Sin-Neng Headmen, &c., but he never mentioned a word about having received a telegram. I therefore presumed that he had been sent up to be employed on a secret service, with which I was not to be acquainted. However, as I did not feel satisfied that the views entertained by Mr. Pickering were correct, and that the promises of the Sing- Nengs were to be relied on, I made some inquiries of my own to test the accuracy of Mr. Pickering's views. The next day Mr. Pickering produced the telegram he had received, when I at once questioned him as to the grounds on which he had acted. This questioning he appeared to object to, on which I spoke rather strongly, and pointed out to him that I must be satisfied that you would not go to Pulo Pangkor, and then find that the Sin-Nengs either could not, or would not, keep their engagements. On this he left ine, somewhat abruptly, and later I received your telegram:-"Pickering, to keep you acquainted with what he is doing; but pray do not interfere or overrule him in any way, as he is acting in direct communication with me, &c." Whether he received a telegram also, I do not know; but he afterwards became more amenable, and we concerted together pleasantly enough. I remembered what Mr. Cooper, the Officer of the China Consular Service, who was on board with us when we went to Singapore, told me about Mr. Pickering. "If he is kept in his place, he will be very useful, as he is a good Chinese scholar, and clever; but if he is made much of, he will soon be spoilt, and be trouble- some."
He then brought the Headien to my office, and I sounded them as to their intention, and satisfied myself that they might, so far as they were able, be relied on for the same day. I received your other telegram, to send Swettenham to Larut. I inclose a memorandum of the arrangements I made immediately I received it; and I hope you will be satisfied that I did all that was needful without loss of time. Major McNair and Captain Dunlop arrived just before dinner, on Saturday last. I immediately read your
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instructions to them, and sent off the letter, with the exception of those to Raja Muda, and Laxamana, to my Chief Clerk, with orders that they should be given to the Mantri's Agent here, to be sent off by the most expeditious means, the first thing in the morning, and this was done. The other two letters were to be taken by McNair and Dunlop to the Perak River, as soon as the steamer could be ready, after some repairs were made to her machinery. In the instructions it was stated, that I had received orders to send provisions to the Sin-Nengs at Larut. As no such order had been conveyed to me direct, I thought it possible that such order might have been indirectly transmitted in a telegram to Mr. Pickering. I therefore, the first thing on Sunday morning, wrote a Memo- randum to Mr. Pickering, requesting him to send me copies of the telegrams he had sent and received from Singapore. To this he replied, that he felt he ought not to do so before obtaining your authority. You will be able to decide whether there was any necessity for this caution on his part. He had left with Major McNair and Captain Dunlop, before I received his reply. I fear the Bandahara cannot be present; he is at present far up the country, and it takes four days for a letter to reach him.
Sir,
I HAVE the honour to inform you that, in pursuance of your orders, I left your flag
"Midge," Penang, January 28, 1874. on the evening of the 27th, and proceeded for the Dindings, where I arrived at 7 a.. on the 28th, and communicated with the Inspector of Police, who informed me that he had nothing to report since the departure of his Excellency Sir Andrew Clarke, everything being quiet.
2. I met there a Mr. Tolson, of Penang, an Agent of Messrs. Lorraine and Co., who has just arrived from Larut, and was bound to Perak; he gave me the information that the disarming of the Chinese at Larut by the Commissioners was expected to be completed to-day, the steamer "Jehore" being at present in that river.
3. I left the Dindings at 9 A.M., after having cleaned the fires, and proceeded for this anchorage, where I arrived at 9 P.M. this day.
*
I have, &c. (Signed) JOHN W. G. GRANT, Commander. Vice Admiral Sir Chas. F. A. Shadwell, K.C.B.,
&c.
&c.
&c.
Inclosure 7 in No. 83.
(G.)
Report by Mr. Braddell, the Attorney-General, of the Proceedings at Perak and Larut on the occasion of the Visit of Bir A. Clarke, in January 1874.
Introductory Remarks.
1. BEFORE the downfall of the Malayan Empire at Malacca, the trade of the Penin- aula was collected in certain depots; and there was then a recognised Government which, although low in the scale of civilization, afforded protection to producers, and encouraged traders to visit the ports. The trade remained at Malacca, under the Portuguese, from the beginning of the 16th century, but gradually declined with the authority of the Portuguese in these seas; and, when the Dutch took Malacca, in 1641, the evil effects of the system of European nations establishing themselves in the native States, and monopo- lizing the trade of those States, had become visible in the decrease of population, the loss of trade, and the growth of piracy.
2. The effect of the establishment of Europeans in the 17th and 18th centuries was to destroy the power and prestige of the native Governments; and, as the Europeans did not afford any protection beyond the walls of their factories, anarchy and confusion, arose. The people were left without protection for life and property, they were discouraged from agriculture and trade, not only by oppression and enforced monopolies on the part of the Europeans in their neighbourhood, but also from the want of the protection before afforded by their own Governments. Each petty Raja assumed independence of his former Suzerain; and, in his own district, exercised, as far as he could, power, at the expense of the people living within bis jurisdiction.
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3. It was to have been hoped that the establishment of British Colonies in the
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