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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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The State of Quedah being one of those states that are tributary to Siam, any action to be taken in any way relating to its affairs would, as Lord Derby is aware, have to b. taken by the Foreign Office.

Lord Carnarvon would be anxious at once to meet Sir William Jervois' wishes, but with the imperfect information which be possesses as to the effect of any such change of title, his Lordship hesitates to make any direct recommendation on the subject, and he would therefore suggest for Lord Derby's consideration, unless his Lordship is prepared to act upon Sir William Jervois' recommendation at once, that Her Majesty's Consul at Bangkok should be instructed to furnish a full and confidential report as regards the question of change of title and its effect, and whether there would, in his opinion, be any objection to this suggestion being made to the King of Siam.

Lord Carnarvon entertains considerable doubt whether the great increase of nominal dignity involved in the title of Sultan may not hereafter lead to inconvenience.

I have, &c.

The Under Secretary of State,

Foreign Office.

(Signed) ROBERT G. W. HERBERT.

No. 16.

GOVERNOR SIR W. F. D. JERVOIS, K.C.M.G, C.B. to the EARL OF

(Telegraphic.)

CARNARVON.

(Received June 12, 1876.)

EVIDENCE taken by the Inquiry Commissioners strongly implicates Sultan Abdullah in Birch's murder.

Further enquiry may make it necessary to arrest Abdullah.

If evidence sufficient, have I your authority to arrest him?

SIR,

No. 17.

FOREIGN OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE.

Foreign Office, June 17, 1876.

I AM directed by the Earl of Derby to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 10th instant, containing an extract of a despatch from the Governor of the Straits Settlements, bringing to the notice of the Earl of Carnarvon the great assistance rendered to the British authorities during the recent disturbances at Perak by the Rajal: of Quedah, and suggesting that his services should receive some recognition on the part of Her Majesty's Government; and I am to state to you in reply, that a copy your letter will be transmitted to Her Majesty's agent and Consul General in Siam, for his observations, and that Lord Derby defers expressing any opinion upon the subject until the receipt of the report which Mr. Knox has been instructed to make.

of

The Under Secretary of State, Colonial Office.

No. 18.

I am, &c.

(Signed) ROBERT BOURKE.

GOVERNOR SIR W. F. D. JERVOIS, K.C.M.G., C.B. to the EARL OF CARNARVON. (Received June 19, 1876.)

(No. 195.)

MY LORD,

Government House, Singapore,

May 13, 1876.

In continuation of my Despatch, No. 186, of 27th April,† calling your Lordships attention to the arrangement which at present exists with respect to the command of Her Majesty's Troops in the Straits Settlements and in the Malay Peninsula, and enclosing copies of correspondence relative to the distribution of troops, in which the Major-General Commanding, writing from Hong Kong, infers that certain detachments, employed in the neighbourhood of Malacca, have been "unnecessarily harassed," I have

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• No. 15.

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the honour to forward copy of a letter which I received from Major Twemlow, 80th regiment, at present Commandant Straits Settlement, in which he also states (apparently at the instance of the Major-General) that troops had been " unnecessarily harassed," at the request of the "magistrate or civil authorities of the district."

2. I beg to transmit to your Lordship copy of my reply thereto, reviewing the circumstances under which the movements in question took place, and dissenting from the opinion that the troops had been unnecessarily harassed.

I considered it desirable to point out to Major Twemlow that the position which Captain Murray holds in Sungie Ujong is not that of a magistrate, but that he is the representative of the British Government in that state, and that any requisition which he may make upon the officer commanding at Rassa for the employment of troops is in effect a Government requisition.

Enclosure 1

1 May 1876.

Enclosure 2.

4 May 1876.

3. I subsequently received the enclosed letter from the Major-General, to which, in Enclosure 3. reply, I sent him a copy of the letter addressed to me by Major Twemlow, dated 21 April 1876. 1st instant, and of my reply thereto, dated 4th instant. (See enclosures 1 and 2.)

4. I much regret that correspondence of this nature has passed between the military authorities and myself, but, as I fully explained in my despatch, No. 186, the existing arrangement for the command of the troops is such as to render it difficult to avoid a controversy of this sort between the Major-General, resident in China, and the Governor of the Straits Settlements, whose position with respect to troops employed in the Malay States is quite peculiar, and not provided for by any regulation.

5. This I stated in the despatch just referred to, and I can but reiterate my conviction expressed therein,—that the functions of the Governor and officer in command of the troops in these settlements and dependencies should be united in one person, at all events for some little time to come.

I have, &c. (Signed)

W. F. DRUMMOND JERVOIS.

The Right Hon. the Earl of Carnarvon, &c.

&c. Colonial Office.

&c.

P.S.-I enclose copies of a letter which I received yesterday from the Major-General Commanding, and of my reply thereto.

Enclosure 4.

19 May 1876.

13 May 1876.

The Major-General arrived here yesterday on his half-yearly inspection from Hong Enclosure 5. Kong, and in a friendly conversation I had with him upon the subject of the corre spondence that has taken place between us, he voluntarily expressed a decided opinion, that the officer of Governor of the Straits Settlements and the command of the troops in those settlements should be united in one person,

W. F. D. J.

Enclosure 1.

From COMMANdant Straits SETTLEMENTS to HIS EXCELLENCY the Governor Straits

Settlements.

SIR,

I HAVE the honour to forward for your information a copy of a letter received from Lieutenant G. B. Paton, 1/10th Regiment, and would beg to call your Excellency's attention to what appears to me this unnecessary harassing of European troops, at the request of the magistrate or civil authorities of the district. The troops must suffer considerably, morally as well as physically, from this utter needlessness of marching and counter marching between the same points, with apparently no object, a distance of 17 miles or more, through a most difficult and tiring jungle path, and in a climate quite unfitted for Europeans.

I trust your Excellency will deem it advisable to issue such orders as will prevent in future the civil authorities from calling upon officers commanding detachments to move troops unless urgently required for prompt action.

Brigade Office, Singapore,

May 1, 1876.

(Signed)

I have, &c.

G. H. TWEMLOW, Major 80th,

Commandant Straits Settlements,

40338.

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