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clearly understand that Her Majesty's Government cannot be responsible for the protectionTM of their property or persons, and that in settling there, they will act entirely at their own risk. Lord Kimberley desires me further to state that Her Majesty's Government cannot in any way sanction the employment of an armed force by an English company within the Salangore territory, and that the company referred to in your letter must be aware that they would incur a very serious responsibility in case any collision should take place between such a force employed by them and the native inhabitants.

I am, &c.

(Signed)

No. 21.

ROBERT G. W. HERBERT.

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It struck me that the remarks of the Viceroy of Salangore are so much à propos to the subject that I have ventured to trouble you with this letter, and to ask you the course that the Viceroy should pursue to place his views before you; whether through the Governor of the Straits Settlements, or direct to the Colonial Office; and with what probable result?

No. 23.

I have, &c. (Signed) SEYMOUR CLARKE.

Sir,

Colonial Office to Admiralty.

Downing Street, July 11, 1873. I AM directed by the Earl of Kimberley to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 27th of June,* transmitting a despatch, and its inclosures, from the Naval Commander- in-Chief in China, reporting an alleged piratical attack on an English steamer the "Fair Malacca" by some junks at the River Laroot. In accordance with the suggestion of their Lordships, the papers shall be submitted to the Law Officers with a view to ascertain whether the acts complained of were piratical, whether they could be tried in the Colonial Court, and whether, in the circumstances stated, the proceedings taken by Her Majesty's Officers in seizing and carrying off the two junks were justified.

As Sir H. Ord has not, however, reported upon this subject, Lord Kimberley proposes with the concurrence of their Lordships to defer consulting the Law Officers until further information has been received from the Colony. The Governor has been directed by telegraph to transmit immediately a full report.

I am, &c.

No. 22.

(Signed)

R. H. MEADE.

Sir,

Colonial Office to Seymour Clarke, Esq.

I AM directed by the Earl of Kimberley to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of

Downing Street, August 5, 1873. the 18th July,* in which you state that you have been informed that the independent sovereigns of the smaller States in the Malay Peninsula are desirous of European protection. You also inclose an extract from a letter recently received by the Tin Mining Company from the Viceroy of Salangore, and inquire what course the Viceroy should pursue in order to place his views before Her Majesty's Government.

In reply, I am to acquaint you that any communication which Tunku-dia-Oodin may desire to make to Her Majesty's Government must be addressed to, or through, the Governor of the Straits Settlements; and that Lord Kimberley cannot express an opinion as to the answer which would be returned to any particular communication until it is actually received.

His Lordship can only say that, whilst Her Majesty's Government have always maintained intimate relations with the native States who are bound by Treaty obligations to this country, and are most anxious that peace should be maintained throughout the Peninsula, and that trade and commerce should be promoted, they have bitherto made it their practice to abstain, as far as possible, from interference in the internal affairs of those States.

I am, &c.

(Signed)

No. 24.

ROBERT G. W. HERBERT.

Sir,

Seymour Clarke, Esq., to Colonial Office.

Northcotts, Walthamstow, July 18, 1873. WHEN I recently had the honour of an interview with you on the subject of working tin mines in Salangore, I called your attention to a despatch relative to that kingdom, in the year 1872, and especially to a letter from Mr. J. C. Irving, the Auditor- General for the Straits Settlements. I understood you to say that, though Her Majesty's Government did not extend their protection to the Kingdom of Salangore, they took much interest in its welfare, and would be glad to see its prosperity established.

In a letter I lately had from one of the old residents in Singapore, and who is intimately acquainted with the native Chieftains (but before our tin mining project was at all matured), he gave it as his opinion that the independent sovereigns of the smaller States in the Malayan Peninsula would put themselves under the Protectorate of some European Power, and Germany was mentioned as most likely to be approached, failing England.

Within the last few days a letter has been received by the promoters of the Tin Mining Company from the Viceroy of Salangore, dated 3rd June, 1873, from which I extract as follows:-

"I would ask you to ascertain if the English, or any other Government, would interfere in any disturbance that might arise in the territory of Salangare from wicked persons, so that merchants, &c., desirous of opening up trade here, may have a security for their capital and property invested, and see that there was some safety for life and property,

(Signed) "TUNKU DIA OODIN, Viceroy of Salangore."

I doubt not, Sir, that your attention has been called to a letter which has appeared in the "Times" this week from Captain Sherrard Osborne on the unprotected position in which British commerce would be placed in passing the Straits of Malacca, consequent on the ceding our position in Sumatra, &c.

• No. 19.

Governor Sir H. St. George Ord to the Earl of Kimberley.—(Received August 21 ) (No. 188.) My Lord,

Government House, Singapore, July 10, 1873. SHORTLY after my return from Penang in the spring of the present year, waited on by several of the Chinese traders in Singapore who made an earnest appeal to I was me respecting the lamentable condition of most of the native States in the neighbourhood of our Settlements, whose quarrels and internal dissensions long unchecked, have resulted in great destruction of property, loss of life, and serious injury to a large and lucrative trade in which they had been for many years engaged. They admitted that I was as well aware as they were, both of the present state of affairs, and of the causes which had produced it, and, whilst recognizing the anxiety I had always shown to preserve amicable relations between the States in question, and to encourage their trade and develop their. resources, they were, nevertheless, driven to the conclusion that no hope of any change in the state of these countries could be looked for unless an entirely different policy were adopted towards them by Government.

2. As I was on the eve of my departure for England, they asked me if I would personally lay before your Lordship their representations on the subject, and give your Lordship the benefit of such information respecting them as my acquaintance with the various States, and knowledge of their circumstances and condition, enabled me to offer.

3. In reply, I told them that if they would put their views in writing I should be happy on my return to England to give your Lordship personally all the information I' possessed respecting them, and to support them as far as I was able. As, however, my departure has been sincs postponed, I consider that the Memorial they have drawn up, which contains the signature of every leading Chinese merchant and trader in the Settle- ment, is one of such importance to the interests of the Colony that there should be no further delay in transmitting it for your Lordship's consideration.

• No. 22.

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