CO882-(2-3) — Page 598

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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TTILICO. 882

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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sioners. I consider it very desirable that the change of policy from one of mere advice to one of control should be marked by a change in the titles of the British officers.

I propose to have at first two Queen's Commissioners, who, with the Assistant Com- missioner at Larut, will together form a body, subject to my orders, for arranging and directing the affairs of the State. It appears to me undesirable, at starting, that the officer who has been acting as "British Resident" with Abdullah, notwithstanding his undoubted ability and energy, and other good qualities, should alone be charged with the direction of the government,

I propose, therefore, at first, to place Mr. Davidson, the present Resident in Salangore, with Mr. Birch, as a co-equal Queen's Commissioner, and that Mr. Swetten- lam shall, for a few months, take up Mr. Davidson's duty in Salangore.

Hereafter, .., in the course of a few months, when the arrangements for conducting the Government have been matured, one Commissioner will suffice. I should then propose to appoint another Assistant Commissioner, and Mr. Davidson might return to Salangore; or, what will probably be a better arrangement, Mr. Davidson will become Commissioner in Perak, and Mr. Birch take Mr. Davidson's place in Salangere.”

There will thus, in the course of a few months, be one Commissioner and two Assistant Commissioners, one with the Commissioner at Bandar Bahru, the other in the upper country at Qualla Kangsa, besides the Assistant at Larut.

29. To assist the British officers in the work, and to give the Chiefs of the blood royal of Perak a hitherto unexperienced interest in the affairs of the country and its government, I have proposed a Malay Council, to consist of five members, to be chosen so as to represent every party in the State, and to sit at stated times with the Commis- sioner and Assistant Commissioners and consider plans for the improvement and develop- ment of the country.

The working members of this Council will be Raja Muda Yusuf and Raja Dris, from both of whom we are likely to obtain trustworthy information, valuable opinions, and a desire to benefit the community at large.

In order to carry out the principle of representation of parties, Abdullah, Ismail, and the Bandahara will be upon the Council, although, from their character and disposition, it is not probable that they will take much interest in its proceedings.

30. I have already told Sultan Abdullah that the question of debt-slavery must be taken up by this Council and some arrangement made to free the debtors from their position of slaves, and remove the reproach of such a crying evil from the State.

I shall not fail to bring this subject before them as early as possible, and to keep your Lordship informed of the steps taken with regard to debt-slavery, and of any scheme which may offer a satisfactory settlement of the question.

31. I have now to inform your Lordship of what occurred after my departure from Perak, and of the steps I took to carry out the achenie I have herein explained.

I left Perak on the 16th September, and instructed Mr. Birch, the resident in Perak, and Mr. Swettenham (who, as I have already observed, has a special knowledge of the Perak people, and, I should add, is a most perfect Malay scholar), to await Abdullah's reply, which he had promised to give in 12 days.

Abdullah did not go up to Blanja, and possibly never intended to do so, as he must bave known he had no chance of making an arrangement with the Ulu Chiefs.

32. Meanwhile Rajah Yusuf and Rajah Dris came down the river, and in the course of a few days they handed to my officers a letter for me (copy enclosed), setting forth shortly the state of Perak affairs, and expressing a desire that, as Her Majesty's Repre sentative here, I would undertake the government of the country.

On receipt of this letter, which was forwarded to me, I wrote a letter to Abdullah (copy enclosed) explaining to him his position with respect to his engagements with the British Government, stating that the condition of affairs in Perak was such that it could not be allowed to continue, and proposing to him that, whilst he retained the Sultanship, British officers should govern the country in his name.

Even before this letter reached Abdullah, he had handled to Mr. Birch and Mr. Swettenham a duplicate of the letter already addressed to me by Yusuf and Dris, only adding a request that he might continue to be Sultan.

As this request was in accordance with my proposal, my officers delivered to Abdullab my letter to him.

I enclose Abdullah's reply to that letter, and also two documents which he had at the same time handed to Mr. Bircb and Mr. Swettenham.

33. Your Lordship will perceive from these enclosures, which reached me on the 5th October, that Abdullah bas handed over the administration of the affairs of Perak to British officers acting in his name.

This arrangement will, moreover, be advantageons in removing the difficulty respecting the retention of Mr. Davidson in Selangore.-W. F. D. J.

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Accordingly, on the 15th October I issued the Proclamation, of which I enclose a copy. 34. It might possibly be suggested that the Malays might make some forcible reaist. ance to the Government of Perak being undertaken by British officers.

I beg to assure your Lordship that I have made most particular inquiry on this point, and I am convinced that there is not the least probability of such an event.

As I have already explained, the Chiefs are divided amongst themselves. Abdullah is against Ismail, and Yusuf, who was Ismail's great supporter, is now detached from him. Moreover, the new policy has been, to a very great extent, brought about owing to the representation and requests of Perak Rajahs themselves, and it is to be remarked that nearly all the Chiefs in any way renowned for their fighting propensities, such as Rajsh Yusuf, Rajah Ngah, Haji All, and the Bughis warriors, have declared themselves bound to the British Government without reserve. I should add that I believe the desire is general amongst the great body of the population that the British should take into their hands the government of the country, for they know that then they would then be protected, be paid for their labour, aud receive justice, which they neither get nor expect under the Sultan's rule.

We may perhaps occasionally have to deal with a refractory chief who may find it bard to surrender his privileges of squeezing the people, but the armed Seikh police we already have as a guard in Perak and Larut (consisting altogether of more than 200 men) will suffice for this object. In reference to such a contingency, I have thought it as well to send up a few small pieces of ordnance I found in store here, to be used in boats by the police, in order to ensure, under any circumstances, the keeping up of our communications throughout the country, which are almost wholly by water.

I considered well whether it might be desirable, as a matter of precaution, to place a small body of our troops in Perak, but feeling confident that there is no necessity for such a step, I determined not to do so, It appeared to me, moreover, that the presence of a British force in the country might give the Chiefs and people a wrong impression of the policy adopted.

35. I have in this despatch touched on the main points connected with the affairs of Perak, which rendered action necessary on the part of the British Government. I have also informed your Lordship of the action I have consequently taken. Your Lordship will see that it was impossible for me, under the circumstances which I have stated, to adopt a passive attitude, and allow engagements with the British Government to be violated and your Lordship's injunctions to be disregarded.

I am sensible that, in acting without instructions, I have incurred a grave responsibility, but I felt that it was impossible to carry on negotiations with Abdullah and the other Chiefs unless I spoke and acted as if charged with full authority. I accordingly took upon myself to do what, under the circumstances, I considered your Lordship would wish to have done, and in the course which I pursued I endeavoured to avoid any step which could in any way embarrass Her Majesty's Government. Should the policy which I have adopted not be approved, it will be possible, without difficulty, either to recede or to advance, according as your Lordship may desire.

I trust that, when your Lordship weighs the reasons which I have given for action, and for that action which I have taken, your Lordship will not fail to appreciate the advantages which may fairly be expected to result from establishing a more direct control over a semi-barbarous State, in which the interests of these Settlements are so intimately associated, and in which so much may be done, with the power that we shall now possesš, to further the cause of humanity and freedom.

I have, &c. (Signed)

WM. F. DRUMMOND JERVOIS.

P.S. Since writing the foregoing, I have received a private letter from Mr. Birch, dated 13th instant, from which I send the following extracts:—

"Several of the Rajahs have signed a paper similar to the one given you by Yusuf and Dris," &c.

"Nothing can exceed the general good feeling; and this Yusuf and Dria do all they can to foster."

"Everything is perfectly quiet."

"Yusuf is most confident that he can bring in Ismail."

"Your Excellency's visit has done an immense amount of good, and the people are only waiting for your Proclamation."

I enclose a copy of a letter which I have just received from Captain Stirling, R.N. (of Her Majesty's ship" Thistle "), at present Senior Naval Officer here, who returned to Singapore from the Dindings on the 16th instant.

W. F. D. J.

October 18, 1875.

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