CO882-(4-5) — Page 458

PUBLIC RECORD

OFFICE

Reference :-

TILLIC.O. 882

سائل

5 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

5

Commander of our Most Honourable Order of the Crown of Johore, Honorary Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Minister of State, and Vice-President of our Council of State.

And to all others to whom these presents shall come greeting.

Whereas there has existed for some years a difference of opinion between the Government of Johore and the Government of the British Colony of the Straits Settlements regarding the question as to what is or are the proper boundary line or lines between the Settlement of Malacca and the Johore Province of Muar Kiri, which are contiguous, and also as to the proper boundary line or lines between the said Province of Muar Kiri and the British Protected State or Province of Johol, known as one of the Negri Sembilan.

And whereas, although no actual question has been seriously raised by either Government as to a certain portion of the boundary between the State of Johore and the adjoining British Protected State of Pahang, there are reasons to believe that, sooner or later, a question will arise as to what is or are the proper line or lines which divide these two States in or about the localities to the north of the Kratong River and the Country of Ulu Bera, Bukit Serampang, and the River Serting, that is to say, those parts which form the northern and north-western frontiers of Johore and the southern frontier of Pahang.

And whereas we and our Government are most desirous and anxious to have these different questions of boundaries settled at an early date, and in a manner satisfactory to all parties concerned.

And whereas we and our Government are of opinion that such an early and satisfactory settlement of all these questions of boundaries can only be arrived at by the Government of Her Majesty the Queen and Empress taking the matter into their hands and giving it their careful and impartial consideration, for which purpose they have already, so we understand, all the necessary information, evidence, and other data at their disposal. And whereas we and our Government, being of the opinion as above stated, consider it to be our duty to approach the Government of Her Majesty, and to lay the same before them through such representatives as we deem to be capable of courteously and correctly making known to them our wish and desire for a speedy settlement of the questions as aforesaid.

Now know ye that we do by these presents nominate and appoint the said Sir Robert George Wyndham Herbert and the said Dato Sri Amar d'Raja Abdul Rahman to be the joint agents and representatives in England of ourselves and of our Government, and of our successors, and we do hereby declare that we give and grant to the said agents full and sufficient power and authority in the name and on behalf of ourselves and our Government for the following purposes :--

1. To approach the Government of Her Majesty the Queen and Empress through Her Majesty's Secretary of State of the Colonies, and to make known to him our anxious desire for a speedy settlement of the questions of boundaries as aforesaid in a manner satisfactory to all parties concerned.

2. To give Her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies the assurance that we and our Government will be prepared faithfully and loyally to accept and abide by any decision for a settlement that he may arrive at, or any arrangement he may propose for such settlement, provided our said joint representatives shall have duly been consulted and shall have voluntarily agreed to such decision or proposed arrangement, and also provided all the three questions of boundaries as aforesaid shall have been decided for settlement simultaneously.

3. To approve and agree to the terms and provisions of any such decision or proposed arrangement for a settlement made by the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and to execute in the name and on behalf of ourselves and our Governinent all such agreements and other documents as may be necessary to give effect to any such settlement or proposed arrangement for a settlement.

And whatsoever our said joint representatives shall lawfully do by virtue of these presents we hereby undertake and agree that we and our Government will ratify and confirm, and the power and authority which we hereby confer on our said representatives shall, unless extended, hold good for a period of one year only, namely, from the 1st day. of February, 1897, to the 31st day of January, 1898.

For the faithful and successful discharge of these our Royal commands our said representatives have our good wishes.