CO129-180 - Public Offices & Others - 1877 — Page 271

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Printed for the use of the Foreign Office. December 11, 1877.

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CONFIDENTIAL.

(3388.)

Report on the Administration and Commerce of the Philippines.

264.

Consul Palgrave to the Earl of Derby.-(Received November 19.)

(No. 11. Political.) My Lord,

Manila, September 29, 1877.

I HAVE the honour to forward herewith a political, and, of its nature, confidential Report on the actual position and future prospects of British interests and British residents in the Philippines in regard of the Spanish Administration there established."

The latter part of the Report contains suggestions touching the British Consular organization in the Philippines.

In speaking truly and plainly of the character of the Hispano-Philippine Administra tion, I have been of necessity compelled to say some hard things. Your Lordship will, I cannot doubt, understand that no personal or social allusion of any kind is, however remotely, inade or intended in this Report. But as to the system in general, and its working, I think that I should be wanting to my duty did I not inform your Lordship of the truth. I regret facts, but am not at liberty to report them otherwise than they are.

As to the part of the Report which concerns the Consular organization in this Archi- pelago, it contains mere theoretical suggestions, made without any personal feeling or interest whatever in the result, should your Lordship think them worthy of attention in any way.

a single Lastly, I have the honour to add that there is not in the present Report statement which could not be, on demand, supported fully by facts and proofs. My stay in the Philippines has, thus far, not been long; but it has been so used as to put me in possession of, I believe, completer knowledge of men and things out here than has been obtained by many who have remained, even for many years, resident within Manila without visiting, as I have done, the provinces and the outlying islands.

Respectfully submitting the result of my investigations to your Lordship's considera- tion, I have, &c.

(Signed)

Inclosure.

W. GIFFORD PALGRAVE.

Report on what concerns the actual position and future prospects of British Interests and British Residents in the Philippine Islands.

TO obtain a correct and comprehensive view of the actual position and future prospects of British interests, commercial or other, and of British subjects resident in the Philippines, we must be acquainted with two things: firstly, the character of the Spanish Administration there established; secondly, its disposition towards foreigners in general, and ourselves in particular. A little consideration will show that on the former of these two conditions must in great measure depend the prosperity and progress of these very Islands with which our trade connects us, and consequently of this particular branch of our trade and enterprise themselves; while from the latter we obtain a forecast of the amount of encouragement and support, or of their contraries, that we may expect. These two considerations, both of which ought for future guidance to be thoroughly understood at head-quarters, while neither of them can be, for self-evident reasons, satisfactorily investigated in writings intended for general publication, will accordingly supply the basis, and in great measure determine the details, of the present confidential Report.

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