CO882-(3-4) — Page 17

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 882

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

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It is, however, very probable that, owing to the difficulty of communicating with your Malay states at this time of the year, your instructions may not have been received until after the arrival of the fugitives within those territories.

If this should prove

be the case your rajahs will probably detain them until they receive further orders

from you.

It is very essential that these fugitives should be prevented from being in a position to give further aid or encouragement to such of their partisans as may still remain within the province of Perak. I therefore have to request that you will be so good as to issue instructions that they be removed from Patani, or any other of your Malay states in which they may be found, into Singora, and kept there until it is decided what shall

ltimately be done with them.

If, however, your Excellency's Government prefer to hand them over to the troops that have been in pursuit of thein, some of whom will doubtless be found on the frontier of Perak, I have nothing to say against such a course. I, however, confine myself to asking your Government to follow the course that is usually pursued in similar cases.

I have, however, to point out to you that which ever course you determine to follow it is very necessary that your instructions should be delivered to your Malay rajahs with as little delay as possible. I therefore beg to suggest that they should be sent through the Governor of Singora, and as the strength of the N.E. monsoon is now on the decrease there ought to be no great difficulty in communicating with him by a steamer sent from this place.

I beg your Excellency will favour me with an early reply, and inform me what course you intend to follow.

His Excellency Chow Phya Sri Surawongse

Way Waddhu Phra Kakahome, Minister for the Provinces of the South.

MY LORD,

I have, &c. (Signed) T. G. KNOX.

British Agency, Bangkok, January 25, 1876. In continuation of my Despatch No. 5, of the 22nd inst., relative to the rendition of certain rajaha of Perak, supposed to have fled into the province of Patani, I have the honour to state that the Som-detch (ex-Regent), having yesterday returned to Bangkok, has arranged that the following measures shall be taken in regard to them.

A Siamese gun-boat will be sent, with as little delay as possible, to Singora with a Siamese commissioner, who will proceed to Patani, in order to ascertain if these people have come into the province. If they are found there they will be brought up here.

Such of them as there is fair reason to believe were implicated in the murder of the late Mr. Birch will be made over to me, in order that they may be handed over to the British Government.

Those not implicated in the murder will remain under surveillance, until it is decided what shall ultimately be done with them.

His Highness has further intimated to me that he is quite willing to leave the question as to there being sufficient evidence, or otherwise, for the rendition of those said to be implicated in the murder of Mr. Birch, in my hands.

I have therefore requested his Excellency, the Governor of Singapore, to furnish me with copies of depositions sufficient to make a fair prima facie case against any of those who have fed into Patani, and whose rendition he requires, in order that I may lay them before this Government.

As we have no extradition treaty with Siam, and the request for the rendition of these rajahe is, as far as I know, without precedent, for the offence with which they are charged was not committed in British territory, and therefore our right to demand their extra- dition might be questioned, I have endeavoured as far as possible to arrange this matter so as not in any way to wound the just susceptibilities of the Siamese Government.

Having been fortunate enough to have to deal with one so thoroughly friendly to British interests as the Som-detch has always proved himself, I believe I have succeeded u this respect.

I trust your Excellency will approve the steps I have taken in this matter.

The Earl of Derby,

&c.

&c

I bave, &c.

(Signed) T. G. KNOX.

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No. 12.

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

(Received March 13, 1876.)

(No. 55.)

MY LORD,

Government House, Singapore, February 9, 1876. I HAVE the honour to enclose for your Lordship's information copy of a resolution passed by the Penang Association on the 5th ultimo, and of an address from the same body dated 1st December 1875.

I have, &c. (Signed) WM. F. DRUMMOND JERVOIS.

The Right Hon. the Earl of Carnarvon,

SIR,

&c.

&c.

&c.

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To His Excellency Sir WM. F. JERVOIS, K.C.M.G., C.B., Singapore.

Penang, January 13, 1876. I HAVE the honour to hand you copy of a resolution passed at the last general meeting of the Penang Association, held on the 5th instant.

"That the Association, having fully expressed its sympathy with his Excellency the Governor, on account of the murder of Mr. Birch and the subsequent outbreak in the Malay States, is further of opinion that, as our withdrawal from Perak and the other disturbed districts can only result in the perpetuation of slavery and a state of anarchy and blodshed in those places, such withdrawal would act most detrimentally both as regards British honour and prestige in the peninsula, and the commercial and general interests of the colony."

I have, &c. (Signed) DAVID BROWN, Chairman of the Penang Association.

Unto His Excellency Sir WILLIAM FRANCIS DRUMMOND JERVOIs, K.C.M.G., C.B., Governor, Commander-in-Chief, and Vice-Admiral of the Colony of the Straits Settlements, &c., &c. &c.

May it please your Excellency :

WE, the chairman and members of the Penang Association, desire to express our sympathy with your Excellency under the difficulties in which the Government of these Settlements has been so unexpectedly involved in connection with the Native States, and more especially with Perak.

We beg to be permitted to express our unanimous and entire approval of the measures your Excellency has adopted with respect to these States both before and after the recent outbreak, and our full confidence that your Excellency's bold, energetic, and effective action in procuring troops and concentrating them in the disturbed districts will not only result in the early suppression of the present rebellion and prevent its extending to the whole of the Native States or causing an invasion of our own territory, as it otherwise would almost certainly have done, but will also produce an impression on the natives generally, which will greatly facilitate future dealing with them, whether politically or otherwise, and ultimately benefit them by opening up the way for the more rapid intro- duction among them of those civilizing influences, of which they stand so much in need. We further desire to express our admiration and appreciation of your Excellency's conduct in taking upon yourself the sole responsibility of adopting the measures for repressing the sudden and unexpected rebellion in Perak without the sanction or instructions of the Imperial Government, which, owing to the unfortunate stoppage of wire communication with home, could not be obtained, and to assure your Excellency of our hearty support in the action already taken by your Excellency.

Whilst deploring the news of the rising at Sungie Ujong and in Malacca, we are confident that your Excellency will display the same calm judgment and prompt action as that so characteristically displayed by your Excellency on the occasion before referred to.

(Signed) DAVID BROWN, Chairman, Penang, December 1, 1875.

For self and members.

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