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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

C.O.

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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I shall be glad to learn by telegraph how soon you will be prepared to dispense with the services of the battery of artillery which Mr. Secretary Hardy is anxious should be withdrawn as soon as it can possibly be spared.

9. Subject to the above general remarks, I am anxious that the organization of the force may be at once taken in hand, and the enrolment of men, and the temporary engagement of such and so many officers as may be immediately necessary for their discipline and instruction may be proceeded with without awaiting further instructions, though you will of course not commit yourself to any definite arrangements until I have had an opportunity of approving them.

10. It may be in these circumstances convenient that you should telegraph to me on the receipt and after consideration of this despatch, what your wants are as regards officers; in which case I will endeavour to find and send you out with the least delay, the persons whom you may require. I am, however, so much impressed with the importance of commencing the establishment of the force without any further unnecessary delay, that provided that it is understood that all appointments are provisional and entirely subject to my approval, I am prepared to leave the adoption of the next steps in your

I have, &c. (Signed)

hands.

To Governor Sir W. Jervois,

&c. &c.

SIR,

(Confidential.)

dc.

No. 55.

COLONIAL OFFICE to WAR OFFICE.

CARNARVON.

Downing Street, August 17, 1876. I AM directed by the Earl of Carnarvon to transmit to you for the information of Mr. Secretary Hardy, with reference to my letter of the 24th of June, a copy of a Despatch from the Governor of the Straits Settlements, inclosing a letter from Mr. W. E. Maxwell respecting the execution of a Malay named Panjang Meroo, who was hanged at Tumong, in Perak, in consequence of the orders issued by Brigadier-General Ross,

As already stated in previous letters, Lord Carnarvon does not consider himself at liberty to interfere in a matter which seems entirely within the province of the Secretary of State for War; but he would not be fulfilling his duty if he did not request that Mr. Hardy's most serious attention may be directed to this case, in which he fails to see that there was adequate justification for the orders given or the course adopted.

I have, &c.

The Under Secretary of State,

SIR,

War Office.

No. 56.

(Signed)

COLONIAL OFFICE to WAR OFFICE.

R. H. MEADE,

Downing Street, August 18, 1876. In reply to your letter of the 9th instant, I am directed by the Earl of Car- narvon to transmit to you a copy of a despatch which his Lordship has addressed to the Governor of the Straits Settlements, on the nature and amount of the forces to be maintained in the native States, from which Mr. Hardy will perceive that a copy of your letter now under acknowledgment is enclosed, with instructions to the Governor to report by telegraph how soon the battery of artillery can be spared. Lord Carnarvon, bowever, desires me to add, that he scarcely can hope that Sir William Jervois will consent to an early withdrawal of the battery, as his Lordship apprehends that this battery must be retained until the arrangements suggested in the enclosed Despatch are matured, and have become effective for all defensive purposes.

am, &c.

The Under Secretary of State,

&c. &c.

&c.

(Signed)

ROBERT G. W. HERBERT.

• Not printed.

† No. 47.

SIB,

73

No. 57.

The EARL OF CARNARVON to GOVERNOR SIR W. F. D. JERVOIS,

(No. 196.)

K.C.M.G., C.B.

Downing Street, August 19, 1876.

I HAVE to acknowledge the receipt of your Despatches, of the numbers and dates noted in the margin.*

20 Apr., No. 176

190

Telegram

8 May

Telegrams

12 Jane.

2. Those numbered 176 and 196 have reference to the late disturbances in those Malayo, 21 States which are adjacent to Sungie Ujong, and to the policy which you recommend should be adopted for their future government under British protection, the first, No. 196, having been written before you had received my telegram of the 29th April, in which I informed you that I was not prepared to sanction any line of policy which would involve the British Government in the government or protection of these States; the second, No. 196, written after the receipt of that telegram, being merely in further elucidation of the plan which you had already submitted to me.

3. This plan, as I collect from your Despatches, may shortly be stated follows:-

as

4. That finding it impossible to retain Datu Sultan as Yam Thai Bear, your proposal is that Rajah Ahmat should be placed as Malay Captain, apparently a new designation, over Sri Menanti, Ulu Moar, and Jumpole, and that these States should be placed under British protection, with a British Resident Agent, leaving Johole, Rambow, and Jellabu under their present Datus, who you say are friendly to British interests, and with whom we might conclude treaties framed in order to secure their proper government, and to prevent them from becoming a refuge for criminals and bad characters. Sungie Ujong you propose should remain as at present under British protection, and supported by the presence of a Resident, leaving the remaining States, as you anticipate would be the case, to place themselves under Rajah Ahmat.

5. I may here observe, that although you state that Rajah Ahmat would be acceptable to the people over whom you propose to place him, it is not clear in what way you anticipate he would be able to clear the country of freebooters who infest it, or maintain order or protect the person of the Resident, unless indeed troops were to be permanently stationed at certain points or a powerful police force organized such as is proposed for

Perak.

6. I may also remark, that the proposed proclamation, of which you enclose a draft, appears to be open to the same objections as those which I felt it my duty to take respecting the conduct of affairs in Perak subsequent to the Pangkore engagement.

7. As Malacca is bounded by Sungie Ujong, which is quiet, and by Rambow, Johole, and Moar, States said to be adequately governed by their existing Datus, who are not, therefore to be displaced, I do not clearly understand how there can be dangers on the frontier of Malacca from freebooters coming down through these well governed States from the highlands of Sri Menanti, Jumpole, and Ulu Moar, or why it should be necessary in order to secure our frontier from the harassing incursions to which they may be liable, to adopt your proposal to extend the responsibility of the Colonial Government by taking under British protection these three States, governed by Rajah Ahmat, by the appointment of a Resident to advise and assist him.

8. You will, subsequently to the date of your Despatches, have received mine, No. 135, of the 1st of June, in which, after mature consideration, I made known to you the decision at which Her Majesty's Government had arrived as to the policy to be pur- sucd towards the native States generally; and as Her Majesty's Government are

unwilling to depart from that policy or to allow any further extension of the system of Residents until they have had further experience of the working of those already esta- blished, I shall wish you to reconsider the general question of the policy to be pursued towards the nine States, in accordance with the views contained in my despatch above referred to.

9. I have received, with much satisfaction, your Despatch reporting the surrender of that turbulent chief Rajah Antar, and I see no reason to doubt that you were right in accepting his offer to use his endeavours to induce the various other disaffected chiefs to come in; and I trust that you will now be able to make such satisfactory arrangements as will enable the Government to disentangle itself from further complications with these States beyond what we are involved in in the case of Sungie Ujong, where I am of opinion it will be necessary to maintain a British Resident,

No. 82 of Eastern 17a, and Nos. 19. 31-7, and 16 of this paper.

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No. 84 of Eastern 178.

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10. In conclusion, would impress upon you the necessity of adhering to a line of policy which will, as far as possible, avoid a further and especially an undefined and uncertain extension of our political responsibilities in the Malay Peninsula, as it cannot le doubted that for a long time to come the task of bringing those States with which we ire connected by the presence of Residents into a state of peace and order, will tax the utmost resources of the Colonial Government.

To Sir Wm. F. D. Jervois,

&c.

SIR,

ke.

&c.

No. 58.

I have, &c. (Signed)

CARNARVON.

COLONIAL OFFICE to M. G. S. KNAPP, ESQUIRE.

Downing Street, August 24, 1876.

I AM directed by the Earl of Carnarvon to inform you that the officer referred to in your letter of the 20th of August* appears to be in the service of the Rajah of Salangore, and does not therefore belong to the Civil Service of the Straits Settlements. Conse- quently the Secretary of State cannot interfere in the matter you bring to his notice.

M. G. S. Knapp, Esquire.

No. 59.

I am, &c.

(Signed)

R. H. MEADE.

75

from giving himself up. I understand that one of the reasons,-perhaps the main one,- which induced Lela to surrender, was a fear that he would be krissed or poisoned at the instigation of the chiefs interested in getting rid of him, on the principle that "dead men tell no tales.'

As yet I have not considered the evidence against Abdullah sufficiently clear to have him arrested, but I believe that it will be found that he and the chiefs about him are mainly responsible for the murder of Birch.

The surrender of Lela has been mainly brought about by a party of Johore Malays sent by the Maharajah of Johore for the purpose, and at my request. When staying for a few days with the Maharajah of Johore at the end of April last, I was informed that Lela would perhaps give himself up, if he were disabused of an idea that he would be at once hauged if he did so, and provided he were guaranteed a fair trial. This was of course given. The Johore people first met Lela in Perak about the middle of last guarantee month, and he at length said he would go to Johore if he could go there in the Maharajah of Johore's steamer, and if his brother (Nga Jabbor by name) were allowed to proceed there first and returned safe.

was then at Penang (where I was in easy communication with Mr. Davidson by the telegraph line which had established through Larut to the Perak River), and I telegraphed to the Maharajah of Johore for his steamer to take Nga Jabbor to Johore and buck. In the end, however, Lela gave himself up without waiting for the preliminary trip of his brother.

The prisoners are now at Johore, where they arrived on the 20th instant, on which day I returned from Penang.

The Maharajah of Johore is coming to see me to-day to make arrangements for delivering them up to the Straits Government; and, pending investigation, place them in the Civil Prison here.

propose to

(Signed)

Yours sincerely, W. F. DRUMMOND JERVOIS.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

The EARL OF CARNARVON to GOVERNOR SIR W. F. D. JERVOIS,

(No. 197.) SIR,

K.C.M.G., C.B.

Downing Street, August 25, 1876.

In drawing your attention to the subject of the enclosed correspondence,+ I think it right to state that while I have no desire to interfere in any way with the appointment of subordinate officers when made by the Rajahs of those States where Her Majesty's Government employ Residents, I am of opinion that it is most important that whenever the Rajah or Sultan leaves the selection of officers for these posts to the British Resident, the Governor of the Straits Settlements should be able to exercise some control over the appointment.

The question may probably have already engaged your attention, and I shall be glad to be informed of any arrangements you may have made in this respect.

Governor Sir W. Jervois.

No. 60.

I have, &c. (Signed) CARNARVON.

GOVERNOR SIR W. F. D. JERVOIS, K.C.M.G., C.B, to HoN. R. H. MEADE. (Received August 28.)

MY DEAR MEADE,

Government House, Singapore, July 22, 1876.

I REPORTED ON 14th instant that the Maharajah Lela and Pandak Indut had surrendered, No doubt you are aware that the former is the chief at whose place poor Birch was murdered, and that the latter is said to be one of the actual murderers.

I should by this mail have sent a Despatch relating the circumstances connected with the surrender of these people, but I am given to understand that Lela has important disclosures to make, and I wish to ascertain if this be the case before I report officially.

I am told that he has in his possession a paper signed by Sultan Abdullah ordering him to have the Resident murdered; and after what has transpired of late, I think it not unlikely that this may turn out to be true. I am told that Abdullah is in a great fright about the investigation that is being proceeded with; he has left the neighbourhood of Bandar Bharu and has gone up the Perak River; and, if the information I have received be correct, he has been offering bribes with a view of preventing Lela

• Not printed.

Nos. 48 and 58.

The Hon R. H. Meade.

No. 61.

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

CARNARVON.

(Received August 28, 1876.)

Government House, Singapore, July 20, 1876.

(No. 258.) MY LORD,

WITH reference to my Despatch, No. 151 of the 4th April, I have the honour to forward, at the request of Dr. Randel, copy of the Report of the Military Medical Board held to examine the wound received by him in Perak.

2.

think it well to transmit further for your Lordship's information a copy of the Report of a second Board, which I directed to assemble and report upon the fitness of Dr. Randell to perform his duties as Principal Civil Medical Officer, a point upon which I shared the opinion expressed in my predecessor's Despatch, No. 35 of 8th February 1875. The question put to the Board was whether Dr. Randell's health "is such as "to enable him to carry on the duties of Principal Civil Medical Officer, including his "share of executive work? This work consists of the medical charge of the Lunatic Asylum, of the Lock Hospital, of the Criminal Prison, coupled with the duties of Health Officer.'

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3. The Board, it will be seen, reported that Dr. Randell is not at present incapacited from the performance of these duties.

I have, &c. WM. F. DRUMMOND JERVOIS.

(Signed)

The Right Hon. the Earl of Carnarvon,

&c.

&c, Colonial Office.

&c.

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