CO882-(3-4) — Page 322

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference:

C.O. 882

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

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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overbearing. It must also be admitted that, in some instances, he showed a want of respect for Malay custom. It was also injudicious to interfere with local taxes before the general scale of allowances had been fixed in lieu of them. These are circumstances which may tend to palliate the criminality of the acts, but they cannot, in the opinion of the Council, be held to justify them.

The Council do not consider it possible that Sultan Abdullah should be allowed to

return to Perak.

On the question whether he should be deported, the Auditor General, Treasurer, and Attorney General are of opinion that, after deposition, his influence for good and evil will be so slight that he may safely be allowed to live in Singapore, receiving a monthly allowance, and being warned that any misconduct on his part would at once result in his being sent to Labuan or elsewhere. The Auditor General further considers that the circumstances alluded to in the first paragraph afford an additional reason for making the treatment of Abdullah as little punitive as possible.

The Colonial Secretary, the acting Judge of Penang, the Officer commanding the Troops, and his Excellency the Governor, consider that it would not be expedient, having in view the maintenance of tranquillity in Perak,, to allow Abdullah to remain in Singapore, where he would be subject to intriguing influences, and from whence it would be easy to foment disturbances; and that it would be impolitic, having a regard to the future protection of our residents, and as an example to other native rulers, to allow Sultan Abdullah, under any circumstances, to remain at large in Singapore, and in the receipt of a monthly allowance.

The Council are further of opinion that it will be most difficult to restore permanent tranquillity in Perak, if either the Laxamana, the Mantri, or the Shahbandar are allowed to remain in the country, as these chiefs appear from the evidence to have been throughout the originators of the dissensions which have arisen in that country. The Council therefore recommend that they should be deported to some other part of Her Majesty's possessions. Should this recommendation be acted on, the Council are of opinion that it would not be safe to deport the Mantri to Labuan, but that he and the Laxamana should be sent to Seychelles or some other suitable locality. If it be decided that Sultan Abdullah is to be deported, there would be no risk in sending him and the Shahbandar to Labuan.

With regard to Orang Kaya Mat Arshad and the Rajah Mahkota, although no doubt they aided and abetted in the steps taken against Mr. Birch, the Council see no danger in their being allowed to remain in Perak under certain conditions, if the Laxamana, the Mantri, and the Shahbandar be removed therefrom. Rajah Driss appears to have taken a less active part than the others in the plot against Mr. Birch, although there is little doubt that he was present at meetings at which the plot was arranged.

With regard to Sultan Ismail, no doubt he knew that the murder of Mr. Birch was in contemplation, and expressed his concurrence in whatever was resolved on by the chiefs; but his case is so far different that he never signed the Pangkor Treaty, and was bound by no engagements towards us. The Council are of opinion, therefore, that he as well as those with him may be allowed to remain in Johore.

(Signed) A. KNIGHT,

Enclosure 11.

Acting Clerk of Councils.

MEMORANDUM regarding CHARGES against the MUNTRI. WITH respect to the case against the Muntri, there are circumstances which, although they cannot be considered in the light of actual charges against him, should be noticed. He openly expressed dissatisfaction with the Pangkor Treaty, and conspired with both Abdullah and Ismail to get that treaty broken; he caused Messrs. Birch and Swettenham to be treated very inhospitably at Blanja in April 1874, ordering the people there not to supply them with food, without which he said the white people would be obliged to leave the country. He plotted, on this occasion, with the Laxamana to induce Ismail not to give up the regalia to Abdullah. At a meeting with Abdullah and chiefs at Kota Banda in October 1874, he undertook to have the treaty broken, he incited Sultan Abdullah, when on his way to Blanja, to get the regalia, not to follow the advice of the Resident. He schemed at Blanja with the Laxamans to induce Ismail not to sign the treaty, owing to which the negotiations proved fruitless, thus keeping up the division of parties and preventing a settlement of affairs. He instigated the murder of Krani Yusuf for "revealing secrets," as it was said, to Mr. Birch he

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encouraged Sultan Abdullah, on the occasion of visiting him at Quallu Kinta on the 26th March 1875, to resist Mr. Birch's proposals for administrative reform.

All these circumstances-although not in the light of charges against him-show that the Muntri is an intriguing character, and, bearing this in mind, the following charges, which are founded on the evidence, appear in a graver light:-

1st. That in July 1875 he deputed Punghulu Mat Alli, Datu of Kurrow, to represent him at a full meeting of chiefs held by Sultan Abdullah on the 21st of the month at Durian Sebatang, at which it was determined to kill Mr. Birch.

2nd. That in the beginning of August 1875, having received from Punghulu Mat Alli full information of the determination come to at the meeting at Durian Sebatang, viz., to devise measures to kill Mr. Birch, he not only expressed his full approbation thereof, but gave Punghulu Mat Alli the sum of $1,000 to purchase arms and ammunition, and directed him to collect an armed fleet of boats to attack Kota Stia, as soon as he received intelligence that Mr. Birch had been killed.

3rd. That about the end of August 1875, he visited the ex-Sultan at Kinta by invitation, when he recommended Ismail to carry out quickly the plan which had been agreed upon at Durian Sabatang, and to send for the Maharajah Lela to give him his authority to kill Mr. Birch.

4th. That in September 1875, at a secret meeting in the Laxamana's boat, consisting of the Maharajah Lela, the Laxamana, the Toh Narra, Rajah Yabys, and himself, he openly expressed his approval of the design of the Maharajah Lela to kill Mr. Birch.

5th. That the same night the chiefs above mentioned had a private interview with the ex-Sultan, at which he recommended Ismail to reject the Governor's proposals, and to authorise the Maharajab Lela to kill Mr. Birch.

6th. That at the same meeting, he made arrangements with the Lazamana to send assistance to the Maharajah Lela and to attack Qualls Kanges, whilst the Laxamana was to attack from Bandar Bahru down the river.

7th. That upon hearing of the murder of Mr. Birch, he at once sent word to Punghulu Mat Alli to attack Kota Stia, which attack failed in consequence of the presence of men-of-war on the coast.

Irrespective of these charges, the Mantri is generally looked upon by the Perak people as a clever scheming man, and Abdullah himself has stated that the Muntri and his father-in-law, the Laxamana, were the two principal originators of the disturbances.

No. 47.

COLONIAL OFFICE to THE CROWN AGENTS.

Downing Street, January 19, 1877.

GENTLEMEN,

In reply to your letter of the 25th November, I am directed by the Earl of Carnarvon to authorise you to accept Messrs. Wilkinson's design and estimate for the swords to be presented to certain Malay chiefs, and also their offer to utilize certain parts of the three swords returned from the Gold Coast in making those for the Straits Settlements.

I am, &c. (Signed) R. H. MEADE.

The Crown Agents.

No. 48.

GOVERNOR SIR W. F. D. JERVOIS, K.C.M.G., C.B., to CHARLES COX, Esq. (Received January 20th, 1877.)

DEAR MR. Cox,

Government House, Singapore, December 14, 1876.

I AM much obliged to you for sending me privately copies of letters relating to

Captain Speedy.

see that the Colonial Office hinted at a reduction of pay from 1,5001. to 7501. When Captain Speedy returned here, I could not understand how it was that he

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