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From Officer Commanding Reinforcements from Malacca to Officer Commanding Troops.

Rassa, April 14, 1876.

SIR,

I HAVE the honour to report for your information, that I left Malacca on the evening of the 6th April in command of 50 men, 1/10th Regiment, and 10 artillery, with a 7-pounder, by order of Captain Vaughton, 1, 10th Regiment, commanding troops, Malacca, that I arrived at Lukut the following morning, and came on here the same day, all well, and that by your order I returned to Lukut on the 9th.

In compliance with instructions received there from his Excellency the Governor I returned to Rassa on the 11th.

Having no medical officer or assistant I was obliged to send back to Malacca one sergeant, R.A., and one private, 1/10th Regiment, these men being totally unable to walk. With these exceptions no casualties occurred on the march, and all the men are well

I have, &c. (Signed) GEORGE B. PATON, Lieut.,

1st Battalion, 10th Regiment.

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I must take exception to the term "magistrate or civil authority" with which you designate Captain Murray; that officer is the representative of the British Government in the State of Sungie Újong, and in that capacity required to deal with political questions relating to the states immediately adjacent thereto.

Any requisition which he may make upon the officer commanding at Rassa for the employment of troops is therefore in effect a government requisition.

Captain Murray is, I know well, like myself, much averse to the employment of troops when it can be avoided, and I feel quite sure that he will not call upon the officer commanding on the spot to exercise military force except when absolutely necessary.

I enclose for your information a letter which I have received from the Major-General commading, dated 12th April, and my reply thereto, dated 22nd ultimo.

I have, &c.

Major Twemlow,

Commandant, Strait Settlements.

(Signed) WM. F. DRUMMOND JERVOIS.

Enclosure 3.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

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| ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE

BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

SIR,

Enclosure 2.

GOVERNOR STRAITS SETTLEMENTS to COMMANDANT STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.

Government House, Singapore,

May 4, 1876.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, No. 173/76, dated 1st May, forwarding for my information copy of a letter received from Lieutenant G. B. Paton, 1/10th Regiment, and calling my attention to what you consider an unnecessary barassing of European troops, at the request of the magistrate or civil authorities of the district."

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In reply, I beg to review the circumstances under which the movements of the troops referred to took place.

1 informed Lieutenant-Colonel Smith, lately Commandant, that reports had arrived at Malacca, stating that fresh disturbances had broken out in the States of Ulu Moar, Sri Menanti, and Jumpole; that a detachment of troops had marched from Sungie Ujong into the states referred to, for the purpose of quelling those disturbances, and that the Lieutenant-Governor of Malacca had requested Captain Vaughton, 1/10th Regiment, commanding troops at Malacca, to send 50 men of the 1/10th and 10 artillery with a 7-pounder mortar loading rifled gun, to Rassa, to reinforce the detachment which had been left at that station. The troops who had marched into the states above-mentioned having, however, returned to Rassa, the presence of the reinforcement from Malacca became unnecessary for the defence of Sungie Ujong, and, as stated in Lieutenant Paton's letter, the officer commanding at Rassa ordered Lieutenant Paton to return with his detachment to Malacca via Lukut. Captain Murray, Her Britannic Majesty's Repre- sentative in Sungie Ujong was not at this time cognizant of my views concerning the course to be pursued to prevent disturbances taking place in future in the states east- ward of Sungie Ujong. On the arrival of that officer at Lukut on the 10th ultimo, I informed him that I considered it necessary that the stations at Qualla Jumpole and Sri Menanti should be temporarily occupied by the military, and that the detachment under Lieutenant Paton, which was then at Lukut, should return to Rassa, in order to complete the numbers necessary for the proposed distribution.

Upon my return to Singapore, I convened a meeting of the Executive Council, when, as stated in my letter to your predecessor of the 19th ultimo, it was agreed that the temporary presence of troops in the states in question was essential to preserve peace and order; as I mentioned in that letter, the officer commanding the troops was absent from the meeting, and had not therefore the opportunity of hearing the discussion on the subject in question.

I cannot agree with you when you say that the movements which I have reviewed were unnecessarily harassing to the troops. Lieutenant Paton, whom I saw at Lukut, made no remark that would lead me to think that he considered them so, nor do I gather from his letter anything that would induce the opinion that, such a complaint came from that officer himself, or from the men under his command.

I beg to state that it appears to me that it is injudicious to suggest the idea that troops are unnecessarily harassed when employed in maintaining order in the native states with which the British Government is concerned.

SIR,

MAJOR-GENERAL COLBORNE to GOVERNOR STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.

Head Quarters, Hong Kong,

April 21, 1876. HAVING received a telegram from the Commandant Singapore, dated 18th instant, to the effect that movements of troops have lately been made at Malacca and the vicinity without consultation with himself as officer in immediate command in the straits, I have the honour to request that in the event of the aid of troops being required, the requisition, together with all explanation of circumstances, may be made to the com. mandant, by whom the necessary orders for movement of the troops will be given, or at his discretion, further instructions from military head quarters will be applied for in conformity with Her Majesty's Regulations.

I have also the honour to transmit for your Excellency's information a memorandum I bave directed to be forwarded to the Commandant.

His Excellency

Sir W. F. D. Jervois, K.C.M.G., Governor, &c., &c., &c.

I have, &c. (Signed) FRANCIS COLBORNE,

Major-General Commanding the Forces, China and Straits Settlements.

MEMORANDUM for Colonel SMITH, Commanding Troops, Singapore, to be communicated to Officers commanding Detachments, Malacca and Sungie Ujong.

The Major-General Commanding desires that full reports from the officers commanding the detachments at Sungie Ujong of the movements lately undertaken by them may be forwarded for his information, together with the written requisitions of the local magis- trates or others, for the aid of troops, upon which such movements took place.

The Major-General Commanding desires that, except in cases that the military officer in command of the detachment may consider to be of extreme urgency, no movement of troops may take place except by order direct from the Commandant at Singapore.

True Extract. Hong Kong, April 21, 1876.

SIB,

(Signed)

Enclosure 4.

T. S. ST. CLAIB, Capt.,

Brigade Major,

GENERAL COLBORNE to HIS EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR Straits SettlemENTS,

Singapore, May 12, 1876.

I SHALL be able to reply most briefly to your Excellency's letter of the 28th April, received at Hong Kong, by begging to be allowed to refer to your letters of the 17th and 19th April addressed to the officer in command at Singapore, in which you acquaint him that certain military movements have been ordered and military posts established, without his having been previously consulted on the subject, or communication made to myself.

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Your Excellency is aware that I have expressed my desire on all occasions to meet your wishes as far as possible, and that I have given similar instructions to senior officers in command during my absence, but I must protest that the independent action of the civil power in military matters (on this occasion instructions being communicated to the officer on detachment direct, through a subordinate civil officer, the senior officer in command at Singapore being only informed after a considerable time) is entirely opposed to the purport of Her Majesty's Regulations.

Should your Excellency disagree with me in this view, I can only refer the subject and request the instructions of His Royal Highness the Field Marshal Commanding-in-

Chief.

I have, &c.

(Signed) FRANCIS COLborne,

Major-General Commanding China and Straits.

His Excellency Sir Wm. F. Drummond Jervois,

C.B., K.C.MIS.

bce.

&c.

Enclosure 5.

GOVERNOR STRAITS SETTLEMENTS to MAJOR-GENERAL. COLBORNE, K.C.B.

Government House, Singapore, May 13, 1876.

SIR,

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of yesterday's date, and I beg to assure you that I entirely concur in the view that you express that the Queen's Regulations should be adhered to.

On the occasion however to which you refer the circumstances were such as appeared to me to warrant, indeed to necessitate on my part, a deviation from the strict course enjoined thereby, and being on the spot where action was required--a day's distance from the Commandant at Singapore I took upon myself the responsibility of giving such instructions as appeared to be essential to meet the emergency which had arisen.

I beg to assure you that I am most anxious to study the wishes of yourself and of the local military authorities in every way, but under the circumstances which exist in the Malay Peninsula, and the present arrangement as regards the military command of the troops,

is scarcely possible altogether to avoid such difficulties as those which have given rise to this correspondence.

Major-General

The Hon. Sir F. Colborne, K.C.B. &c. &c. &c.

I have, &c. (Signed)

No. 19.

WM. F. DRUMMOND Jervois.

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

(No. 196.) MY LORD,

•

Governinent House, Singapore, May 13, 1876. In my Despatch to your Lordship, No. 176, of the 20th April last, I reviewed the circumstances attending the recent attacks made by a band of Malays on the police stations which had been established in the States of Sri Menanti, Ulu Moar, and Jumpole, when the military force was withdrawn from those States in January last, and I stated (paragraph 15) that I had "come to the conclusion that the provisional government, which had been instituted by the appointment of Datu Sultan, should now come to an end, and that there" would "be no chance of maintaining order and peace until the form of government laid down in paragraph 5 of that Despatch" had "been established."

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2. The form of government therein proposed was "to establish Rajah Abmat (or Tunku Ahmat Tunggal, as he is more properly called) as the head authority in the "States of Sri Menanti, Ulu Moar, and Jumpole, under the appellation of "

Captain," to take these States under British protection, and to appoint a British Malay Agent to assist Tunku Ahmat in his government, leaving for the present the adjacent "States of Rambowe, Jóhole, and Jellabu, the Datus of which are on friendly relations

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with us, to be governed as heretofore by their respective Datus, but affording them any advice which, from time to time, might be desirable.”

3. In the Despatch referred to, I have entered at length into the considerations which led me to submit this course for your Lordship's approval, but there are one or two points connected with the subject upon which I have not touched in that Despatch, and which I shall now have the honor of laying before your Lordship.

4. It has been sometimes suggested that we should recognise à paramount Chief as the head of the so-called Nine States," and that we should carry on all our relations with these States through him. Were such a scheme feasible, it would doubtless be an advantageous arrangement, but, after giving the matter my best consideration, I arrived at the conclusion that it would not only be impracticable for us to initiate such a scheme, with any chance of success, but that, as stated in paragraph 9 of my Despatch No. 176, it would be extremely undesirable to attempt to do so.

I there informed your Lordship that the resuscitation of the office of " Yam Tuan Besar" would be a source of discord, and that the Datus of the principal States did not wish for the appointment of such an officer.

6. When at Malacca in January last, I had an interview with the Datu of Rambowe,— the principal of the "Nine States," and I found him much opposed to such an appoint- ment; the Datu of Johole is so also; whilst the Datu Klana of Sungie Ujong wishes to have nothing to do with the adjoining States. These three Datus would be the principal elective Chiefs, by whose voice a paramount Chief would be chosen as head. The most important part of the general elective body therefore would wish to be independent of any head Chief over the whole, and it appears to me that it would be very impolitic to force on them the appointment of such an officer. The Datus of Rambowe and Johole are very well disposed towards the British Government, and I hope, by making friendly treaties with them, (as I have proposed for your Lordship's consideration), to do much towards opening up their countries, and establishing good order therein. If however, we take any step distasteful to them, they would probably lose that friendly feeling which they now exhibit towards us, and much difficulty would arise in dealing with these States.

7. The impracticability of the scheme is more apparent when we approach the question who should be the individual upon whom the dignity of paramount Chief should be conferred.

Sultan Ali, now resident in the State of Moar, has been sometimes named in connexion with such an appointment. He is descended from the line of the former Sultans of Johore, and, as such, is said to have considerable influence with the Malays. He is the Sultan, however, who on account of his incapacity was some 21 years ago displaced from Johore by the Government of India to make way for the then "Tumonggong" of Johore, father of the present Maharajah of Johore. It would obviously be inconsistent now to resuscitate him in the position of a Sultan, charged with setting in order a troubled country. But irrespective of these considerations, Sultan Ali is a man altogether unqualified for holding the position. Imbecile and feeble to a degree, he possesses neither the strength of purpose, the capacity, nor the ability for governing in any way. The State of Moar, which was assigned to him, when he was displaced from Johore, is practically governed (I may add very badly governed) by one of his subordinate officers, the Tumonggong of Moar.

8. To exemplify to your Lordship the degree of appreciation in which Sultan Ali is held by the Malays of the "Nine States," I may mention that during the course of my conversation with the Datu of Rambowe, to which I have already referred (paragraph 6), when I suggested to him that Sultan Ali might perhaps be put in authority, if agreed to by the heads of the several States, the Datu replied (pointing to a cocoanut tree in the immediate vicinity,) "Sultan Ali would be of no more use than that cocoanut tree."

9. Neither could Tunku Ahmat nor Turku Antar (supposing, with reference to paragraph 6 of my Despatch No. 176, that we could recognize him,) be placed in the position of paramount Chief, for not only would the Datus refuse to recognize either of them as such, but the selection of either of them would resuscitate the rival claims which they would each bring forward for the right of holding this office. Great jealousy and distrust would be evinced if either of them were recognized by us as paramount Chiefs of the "Nine States" against the wishes of the Datus; party strife and intrigue would result, and hostilities would probably ensue.

10. There is no other Chief besides Sultan Ali, Tunku Ahmat, or Tunku Antar who could even be thought of as a paramount Chief; and considering, as I have explained to your Lordship, that it would be quite impracticable to carry out the plan of having one

* No. 82 of Eastern No. 17a.