PUBLIC
RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
ILTICO. 882
3
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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Enclosure 1. in No. 48.
GOVERNOR SIR A. CLARKE to SULTAN ABDULLAH.
(After compliments.)
We regret to hear from Mr. Birch, our Resident in Perak, that our friend could not come to meet us in Penang as we had requested.
We are leaving the Straits in a short time, and we had hoped to meet our friend in Penang and give him our advice, so that the engagement made by our friend at Pulo Pangkore might be carried out in its entirety, and our friend and our friend's country obtain that prosperity which can only be secured by a strict observance of that engage- ment.
Our friend came to meet us at Pulo Pangkor, though at very short notice, and our friend knows whether that meeting was to his advantage or not, and we are sorry that our friend could not meet us this time, as we may not again be able to meet our friend.
We, however, send this letter to our friend, and we trust our friend will weigh it well in his mind, and act upon it, as it is only by this means that our friend can hope to fulfil with honour the high position which we recognised at Pulo Pangkore in the name of the British Government.
First, then, our friend must never forget that our Resident in Perak is our repre- sentative acting with our authority, and our friend will best consult his own interests and those of his country by following the advice of the Resident, and our friend must also remember that by the 6th clause of the Pulo Pangkore Engagement it is provided that the Resident's advice must be asked and acted upon by our friend on all questions other than those touching Malay religion and custom; and again by the 10th clause it is provided that the collection and control of all revenues, and the general administration of the country, be regulated under the advice of the Resident.
Our friend, therefore, must not forget that, by this engagement, not only our friend but the other Chiefs of Perak bound themselves not to collect any taxes whatever, such taxes and all revenue being entirely in the hands of the British Resident.
We now send to our friend a copy of a Proclamation which we have issued with regard to the collection of the revenue of Perak, and this Proclamation must be a warning to everyone, whether Rajah or Ryot, never to attempt to collect any tax or any sort of revenue without distinct written instructions from the Resident of Perak, or the Assistant Resident at Larut; and it must also be a warning to persons not even to pay such taxes to anyone unless they are sure that such persons are duly authorised by the Resident to receive it.
By this engagement of Pangkore, our friend was bound to appoint & Commissioner, to assist a Commissioner to be named by us, to fix the boundaries of the territory ceded by our friend to the British Government, both at the Dindings and at Krian.
We are quite aware of the reasons which have hitherto prevented our friend appointing such an officer, but we must now request our friend to delay it no longer, and in the interests of both our subjects and our friend's subjects to appoint a Commissioner to act with Mr. Birch, whom we have nominated as our representative, so that the inhabitants now living in these parts, as well as all future applicants for land, may live quietly and peaceably, and know to whom their taxes are to be paid.
If at any time our friend desires to visit Larut or Penang or other places, our friend should consult the Resident, and we doubt not that if it is politic at the time for our friend to leave his country, or to visit auch places, the Resident will do everything in his power to meet our friend's views, but we would advise our friend in such a matter to be guided by the Resident.
We are glad to hear that our friend bas fixed on a site for a residence, and that the building of his new house, and a residence for the Resident, who will live close to our friend, has been commenced.
We are surprised to hear, after this Pangkore Engagement, and after all our former advice, that our friend has lately taken the taxes of Qualla Kinta, which the Resident proposed to establish, and has been imposing new taxes on the Batang Padang River. By doing this our friend is breaking the Pangkore Engagement. No taxes whatever can be collected by our friend or by any of his people, and we trust we shall not again have to complain of this to our friend.
In giving our friend our assistance and the help of our officers' advice, we expect that our friend will show his desire for good government and his appreciation for our friendship by administering justice in Perak, and justice which will punish all bad men, whether Rajabs or subjects.
We have been very sorry to hear that Rajah Muss has lately killed a man in Perak,
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and our friend has not yet caused any official and open inquiry to be made into the case ; but we look to our friend to do what is right and just in this case, as well as in the case of the Chinese who were killed and wounded at Campar by some of our friend's subjects, without favour to anyone.
Not only in such grave cases as murder, but in questions of property, appointment of officers, Acc., our friend will do well always to consult the Resident before taking action in the matter. Haji Musa's property is a case in which our friend would do well to adopt the Resident's advice, and appoint an officer to apportion the property.
We shall hope from time to time to hear good accounts of our friend and his country, and that our friend is following our advice as now given to him, for by doing so only can our friend become as prosperous as we wish to see him, or ever properly govern the fine country which he has been called upon to rule.
And we seriously caution our friend that in no case is he to exercise or'give an order for the death of any man of any country, inclu‹ling Malays, without the order for his death being made after full and impartial trial, and with the signature and approval of the Resident, and in cases for a sentence of death the law as given in the Koran is that which should be followed.
SIR,
Enclosure 2. in No. 48.
The Residency, Bandar Bebru, May 13, 1875.
I HAVE the honour to report that Her Majesty's ship “ Fly,” Captain Bruce, com- municated with me to-day, and Captain Bruce came up to me in his steam cutter, and reached this by the main river at 11 a.m.
I am happy to say that everything is perfectly quiet politically. I had a very satis- factory and friendly interview with Ex-Sultan Ismail, who, however, owing to the illness of his son, was unable to pay his promised visit to Sir A. Clarke.
I regret to report that Sultan Abdullah is becoming more unpopular, and more inclined to do foolish things, and to take no advice. After receiving his Excellency Sir A. Clarke's letter, which I brought from Penang, be came at once to see me, and then professed the greatest desire to do everything which I might advise, and to follow the Governor's advice in that letter entirely, and declared he would come and live with me here as soon as his temporary house was ready, and would at once appoint a Commissioner to settle the boundary. He, however, did all he could to prevent my going to Kiots and bringing lameel to see the Governor, but as I was returning I was astonished to learn that the day I left he had sent Raja Dris and Orang Kaya Marshad (Lascamana's son) and three or four persons of no influence, together with the most mischievous man he has about him, Haji Hussein, a British subject, to Singapore, to see the Governor, and endeavour to be allowed to govern this country by himself, without the aid of a Resident. He also desires, if be must have a Resident, to have it arranged that that officer shall be under the Sultan, and act on his Highness's advice, and not that his Highness should act upon the Resident's advice.
Haji Majassim, the son of Haji Musa, a son-in-law of the Lascamana, sent for my interpreter in Penang, who happened to be there, and said the Lascamana's name bad been put in the chop to Raja Dris, but he only went because he was obliged to do so, and not because he had any feeling in the matter or thought it could be any good. Haji Majassim desired the interpreter to tell me.
I sent to his Highness as soon as I arrived on Monday, and said I wished to see him, and would come to him if he liked, but I should prefer his coming here, to tell me if he wanted any alterations to his house.
He sent me word he would come to see me on Wednesday, but yesterday he went away to Baterabit, and one of the persons who generally brings me intelligence came to see me yesterday and said the Sultan was determined not to see me till Raja Dris returned.
Haji Hussein has repeatedly asked the question of my officers and servants, “What is "the use of a King if he can't govern P" and "When shall I be allowed to govern by "myself?" is the constant refrain of Sultan Abdullah to me.
I can only say that I believe it would hardly be possible to find anywhere in the Malay States a prince so unfit as Abdullah at the present moment to govern the country by himself.
I have no doubt were a plebiscite taken, the choice would be on Ismael, and were only
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Reference-
CO. 882
BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
3
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON