Star. — London, England, 1819-01-13 00:00:00

i f i I ~' SUMATRA. r' , . The following is the PacrrseT of Sir T 11 0 4.9 Sreetroeti RAFFLES, Lieutenant-Governor of Fort Marlborough, against the aggressions of the Dutch in the Indian Seas : PROTEST. The honour and interests of the British Govern ment rendering it indispensable that a public and formal Protest should be made against the proceed ings of the Dutch Authorities in the Malayan Archi pelago, I do hereby, as the nearest British Authority, solemnly and publicly Protest against the following proceedings of the Representatives of the Nether lands Government : When the Agentrof the British Government trans ferred the Government of Java to their Excellencies the Commissioners of his Netherlands lqajesty, they called upon the Commissioners-General to fulfil the engagements which the British Government had contracted with the Native Princes during its admi nistration of Java. The British Authonties consi dered themselves bound and entitled to insist on their doing so, that having accepted the benefit of those Acts which were favourable to them, they could not reject the burden of those which they deemed otherwise. No provision was made in the engagements with the Native Princes, for the con• ungency of the Colony returning to Holland.— Hollend, indeed, did not then exist as a nation, aed the Authorities who administered Java would have been fully warranted in resigning the whole country to the Native Princes. The language which was in consequence held out to the Natives, eves that of a Government competent to make agieemeats in per petuity.' Without such a language, the British could rever have done what was done for the Eastern Islands. Those leading measures, of which theNo therlanis Government are new deriving all the bene fit, could never have been effected had not the Natives relied on the British GovernMent being able to se cure them in a perpetuity of those rights which they had recognized. Tie Commissioners-General of his Netherlands Majesty. hoWever, refused to guarantee those Trea ties, and the eoasequence vas 4 formal Protest on the part of the British Authorities, who, on account of this and ' other measures a the Netherlands Govern trnt, were compelled to leave Batavia; under a de chiral ion, that there was an evident disinclination to concede any thing to the r.ame and character of the British Nation in the. Eastern Seas; and that, judging by the general policy evinced, there seemed reason to believe it to be the wish of the Netherlands Go, verinnent to erase the recollection of the British Ad • ' reinirtration, and studiously to prevent the Netive• • hitless and Chiefs perceiving any influence of the Bri tishTiovereneen in the arrangement of that transfer. Stith were the early impreseous of the British Audienelee, aid the subsequent proceedings of the Nethcrianda Gayer:uncut will show how far they are Correct. The British Governtnent considered the Native' Princes as independent sovereigns, sad treated with them accordinay. The Deitch refused to guarantee or respect our Treaties. and weeld appear to have einsiseered-those faithful Allies of the British Nation, as conditionally subjected to their disposal. If this be unjust with reg and to the settlements ac tually subjected to European conttoul what must be thought of it with regard to those States seltich have risen into importance, and maintained their con ueeion with Britain in opposition to the restrictive policy of the Dutch? The representatives of his Netherlands Majesty Would seem to aim at an abso. lute des potion over the whole Archipelago, with .1 view of excluding other European nations. The • British had encouraged sentiments of freedom, as far as was compatible with tnuiquiliity, and had led the natives to rely upon them for the continued enjoy ment of them. But whatever may be the arrangements or argu- Ineuts. of tele Netherlands Government with regard . to the Archipelago generally, it is not necessary to go beyond the confines of Sumatra for evidence of the system which they seemed determined to pursue, • and against which it is the main object of this Paper • to protest. The circumstances are as follow i— lly the 2d Article of the Convention of 13th Aug. 1814 e the British Government ceded the island of Bence to the King of the Netherlands. This island, valuable on account.* its tin mines, had, in the year 1812, been previously ceded to Great ' Britain by his Highness Sultan Najunurilin, of Pa lembang. on the express condition that all former cortracts and agreements should be annulled, and that the Sultan ihould be maintained and supported in his dignity by the British Government, without the further intelference of the European Government in the affairs of Palembang. So important was this stipulation considered by the Sultan, that on the Ist Aegust, 1813, it was an express Article of an explae setory Treaty, that the former clause which stipu lated that his Highness should do homage, or consi. der himself always dependant on the Government of Java, was " null and void," as being unnecessary under existing circumatar.ces. Whet the British were about to withdraw from Java, and arrangements were made for the transfer of Brace, it was necessary to withdraw the small Bri t: ,b &tee which had provisionally remained at Palem bang for the protection of the Sultan. • On that ot taloa the sultan appealed to the British Government it. the A-or.ge,st terms. The following extract from one of his Ibghness's Letters to the Hon. Mr. Findall, may be sufficient for the present purpose : " I hasten to send back my Ambassadors to Batavia to wait upon my friend the Lieutenant-Governor, Of whom I earnestly entreat that he will confirm and settle all the arrangements regarding me and the centery of Palembaug, as heretc Isre existing—and that those relations may remain uninterrupted, not withstanding the establishment of the Dutch Govern ment on theisland of Java. I cannot on any consi deration separate myself from the friendship existing between me and the British Government, and I place my reliance on the British Government, that their protection may not be withdrawn, &c. &e. I cannot understand any other Power upon which I can place my dependence than the English Government, &c." In the same manner as the Biitish Authorities had called upon the Commissioners-General to guarantee the Treaties with other Princes, they called upon them to respect that with the Sultan of Palembang ; but the Commissioners refused a compliance with. this request ; a solemn Retest was accordingly made on the part of the British Government, and the ques tion referred to the Authorities in Europe. • The grounds on which the British Authorities felt themselves warranted in requiring, in a particular manner, that the existing Treaty with the Sultan of Palembang should be respected, were obvious. That Treaty had been fully recognised, as well by his Bri tannic Majesty as by his Majesty of the Netherlands; it was no longer a connexion dependant on the local Government of Java. The Island of Banca was not considered to revert to the Dutch as a matter of course, under the general provisions of the Conven tion of 1814, it required that an express article should be inserted in the Convention, and his Majesty the King of the Netherlands having received the Island of Banca under that express article, must be bound to respect the Treaty by which it was originally ceded to the English. The very act by which the Netherlands Government took possession of Banca, confirmed the independence of Palembang, and ren dered it incumbent on the British Government to maintain the independence unimpaired. While the British Government availed itself of the benefit which they derived by the Treaty with_ Palembang, they were surely bound to fulfil that part of it which was beneficial to the Sultan. Having transferred Banca to a foreign Power, the British Government became bound in honour and good faith. to fulfil the express condition on which they first obtained it. Bound, therefore, as the British Government was, to maintain the rights and dignity of the Sultan, as the price for which Banca may be considered to have been purchased, and deeply interested as it was in protecting the independence of the port of Palerm bang, it was with surprise that I received, on the 17th of June. a letter from the Sultan, of which the for is an extract 44 At this present time there is much trouble and anxiety, owing to the confusion and alarm spread by the arrival of a great Dutchman, called Edelier Mau. tinghe, who wishes to enter the country of Palem bang. and says he was sent 'over by the Dutch Com missioners-General, for the purpose of communicating with me. At present he is at Minto, and it is uncer tain when he may come to Palembang . The object of his mission I do not know, but he has ordered a ship of war to precede him up the ricer, &c. &c. "I hope that my friend will afford me whatever assistance he possibly can, and also give me instruc tions in order to prevent the Dutch from at all, or in any way affecting my present state and situation, by introducing disturbance and confusion in the coun try, and by . co-operatir.g with those who wish to de stroy my respect and authority :tor •I most fully rely on being, through the kindness and assistanee of my • friend, becurOv and firmly established in the rile of the countiy, ts.C. &c. I tecuest my friend %s ill send me an early reply, and that my friend will, at the sante time, 'send me something to hold to, for I ani still in a state of very great anxiety and alarm." Oa receipt of this intimation, Captain S.tlmond was directed to pm:eel to Palembang, as agent of the British Government, under instructions, of which the follewiug is a copy, via.— " To CAPTAIN S:-LMONI). " Z.re hereby appinted to proceed on a special tuissi%)a to Palonnbang, the object of which is to afford the Sultan tha pr(,:ection of the British Goverment. 2. I . ans unacquair.ted with the mnsureq which may have been' pursued by the Dutch Gove:ll:nzas with respect to Palembang ; but whatever they may have been, they can in no way ihteifere wi.ii the duty of the British Governme.tt. to support the pre sent Sidtan, Itatoo Achmed Isliijumudin, on the Throne, tu.which he was raised by their authorit7. This, indced, was the express condition on which he ceded the island of Bauca. t‘ 3. The Dutch Government have no claim what ever to afmting at Palembang, by virtue of the re- ' cent Convection, .and therefore, it depends upon the Sult..n, as an independent P. ince, whether he chooses to admit them or not. Ir. hi; recent communications to me, he expr,:sses himse:f to be in the utmost dis tress all , l anxiety, in conse pence of the disorder and confusion into which the country hag been thrown by the eipected arrival of a Ditch Cc.mraissioner, and in tae full hope that I will give him proofs of my assistance and friendship, upon me to know what I can do for him, as his wia reliance is upon . the British Government , who raised him to the Throne. " 4. From this it would appear, that the Sultan has not yet entered into any formal arrangement with the Dutch Government ; but as they may have taken 'measures fot: forming an LAablislinteut ih defiance of the Protest of the British Governmeat, and of the rights of the Sultan, no time should be lost in call ing upon the Sultan to make his election • and if he is desirous of excluding the Dutch, and of rem tilling under the British protection, an explanatory Treaty should be negociated. " 5. At all events, it will be your duty to con vince the Sultan that he is not abandoned by the Bri tish Government; and should he place himself une quivocally under its protection, to afford him that protection to the extent of your means, and to require, that the Dutch withdraw all pretensions, and in no way further interfere with the affairs of Palembang. " 6. It - is, perhaps, unnecessary for me to suggest the propriety of all your communications with the Dutch Authorities at Banca or else w h ere , bein g 'as guarded as possible, but at the same time in the spirit of harmony and good understanding which exists between the two Governments. " 7. I enclose the translation of the accompanying' ' letter to the Sultan of Palembang, which you will be pleased t4o deliver to his Highness immediately on your arrival. " Relying on your judgment and discretion in the execution of the duty reposed in you, I am, &c. (Signed) " T. S. RAFFLE& " Fort Marlbro', 20th June, tale." The following is the Letter to the Sultan, alluded to in the above Instructions: " TO HIS HIGHNESS RATOO ACHWED HAJUMUDIN, SULTAN OF PALSMSANCN (After Compliments.) " I have received your Highness's letter, sent by your Uturans as well as the letters fssuri the mem bers of your Highness's family. Your Highness calls upon me for assistance, in order that you max be maintained on the throne of Palembang ; I therefore lose no time in sending to your Highness's Court Captain Salmond, a Gentleman in whom I place every confidence, and who will be my representative in inquiring into the grievances contplained of by your Highness and your family. This Gentleman has also full authority from me to adopt all arrange ments that muy tend to your Highness's security. - _ " I have to request to bespeak your Highness's kind offices to Captain Salmond, and the Gentlemen in his'suite. I have nothing to send my friend but the British flag. " Written at Maribro', the !Ist June, 1818." Subsequently to the departure of Captain Salmond, a further letter was received from the Sultan, of which the following are extracts I further acquaint my friend, that on the 29th of Rajab 1233, the great man, called Warren Her man Muntinghe,entercd Palembang with apparently hostile accompaniments, consisting of one ship and one brig of war, a gun-boat; and upwards of twenty small prows. There wvre also with him Rajah Ahib. a native of Siak, and Pangeran Shiriff Mahomed, together with'many other persons of different de;crip lions. He also brought me letters from the Com missioners-General and the Governor-General of Ra 'tavia. These letters, which I received, inform me 'that they send Mr. Muntinghc as a Commissioner to make inquiries respecting Banca and Palembang, and request me to pay him due honour and respect as their representative. On a subsequent day he waited upon me, and said he brought orders to me from the Commissioners-Geacial at Batavia, requir. ing me to make a division rf the villages, &c. in or- 1 der that one half might be given to the former Sul tan, Mahorned Budrulaii, and the ocher rema;n with. me. lie at the same time wished to oiv o me one thou -sand Spanish dollars a month, and told me I must conform to thee orders ; that if I did not, an act similar to that of Major Robinson's would certainly take place—namely, that of dethroning inc. His vessels of war were anchored directly opposite the gate cf my fort, as if he intended to have recourse to compulsive moo -Aires, without further discussion. Be it known to my friend, that whenever I men tioned the name of my friend the British Govtrn ment, his anger increased; and if I am, not now at once assisted by my friend, my destruction—perhaps my death—is inevitable. Ler the orders and a:sist ance of my friend, whatever they May be, come quickly to Palembang. • " Further I have been found fault with for receiv ing my friend's letter, and have been• told by him Muntinghe) not to send any more people to Bencoolen. ' I replied,.. , how can I not receive the letters of my friend, having been raised to the Throne by the British Government ; I certainly must.remem her its kindwss - and attachment, and never can for get the same, or separate myself from it,' &c. &c. He also desired me to dispatch persons without de lay, to overtake those I before sent with the letter to my friend, and get back the same from them: and it is owing to this circumstance, that I am now enabled to forward the - present letter to my friend ; and le: him not take offence at' the unsuitable manner in which it, is done.. But my friend knows too well, how unhappily I ant at. present situated to do this, &c. &c. I have nothing to send my friend but tears, which r.ever cease to-km." . The following alditional instructions were in con sequence forwarded to cApfain SWunand, on the 24th of Jute TO CAPTAIN SAL3IOIID. "'Sat—Since r;ar departure, alerter from the &him of Palembang, of which the enclosed is. a trar.slation,. has been rescived. " The Dutch having proceeded to actual measures of aggression, I have 'deemed it necessary to address the Chief Authority of stmt.:Cation at Palembang, and as. circumstances have considerably changed since your instructions were issued, I must leave the rest to your discretion and judgment. " I enclose a copy of the letter addressed to Mr. Muntinghe, together with the Proclamation tlwrein referred - to, for publication, if necessary.—l am, &c. (Stgaed) " T. 5. RAFFLZS. " Fort Marlbro% eith June, 1314." " TO W. O. tivsmour, FSQ. S:n—Tt is with the utmost astonishment and surprise that I have just received information of the i nieasures pursued by you at Palembang, as Itepte sentative of the Commissioners-General. " It is stated that you have taken up a warlike position off the Sultan's Palace, and demanded of, him to surrendcr one-half of his country to his bro ther, the deposed Sc.him Mahomed Budrudan, and in the event of not doing so, threatened him with dethronement. " It is impossible, Sir, for you to be ignorant of the circumstances under which the Sultan Najumudin was raised to the throne ; and that his Britannic Ma jesty, having by an express article of the Convention' ceded Banca to the King of the Netherlands, is bound to protect the Sultan in his rights and dignity. " The King of the Netherlands having further ac cepted and taken possession of 'that island under the Treaty, has, by. that act, fully acknowledged the in dependence of the Sultan ; whatever, therefore, shakes th e authority of t h at P r i nce , shales also the only title by which his Britannic Majesty could cede Banca to the Netherlands Government. " I can hardly bring myself to believe that this act, on your part, is authorised by the Commissistiers- C;eneral ; and much less that you, Sir, above all men, - should have taken upon yourself to act in the manner above stated, towards a Prince under the immediate protection of the British Government. " The Netherlands Government have no right whatever, under the recent Convention, to claim any , interference at Palembang; and all interference there,' after the Protest of the British Government on leaving Java, and in defiance of the authority of the reign ing Sultan, is an unwarrantable and unjustifiable ag gression on their part. " As such I view your conduct, and hereby pro test against all your measures, holding you liable to answer to the Authorities in Europe for every act in jurious to the rights and digr.ity of the Sultan. " I do hereby further declare null and void all ar: rangements that you make at Palembang of the na ture alluded to, and I require of you to lose no time in removing from Palembang all military force of every description now stationed. there. " With reference to the little respect paid by the Commissioners-General to the Protests of the British Government on their quitting Java, - 1 - shall deem it my duty, in the event of demur cn your part, f o w l. with to proclaim at Palembang, and thmigho utt h e Archipelago, that all interference of the Seth.. Ludt Government in the politics of Rilemb.ing is ti.,iu.h o , rized, and that your arrangements are decht.cd null and void. " I expect that the Government of littavit an early period, receive instructions to withjraw fret Palembang; at all events, an immediate will be made to his Majesty's Ministers on the s u b, ject, and it will be for the consideration• of the Au. thorities at home to decide in how far the rne.Nires pursued by you shake the title on which Banca wa s ceded to the King of the Netherlands. " Until the affairs of Palembang arc satisfi c . lr il y arranged, I shall retain the settlement of Pad.:. z , this coast.—l have the honour to be, k.c. 4, T. S. 11.irFLET, (Signed) " Fcrt 'Mehra', Nth June, IS:P, P. S. I iirrurt this letter to CaptairlSalmcl who is charged with a special mission fromme to;,, t Court of Palembang, afid I have to request you respect him and his suite accordingly." In consequence of the state of affairs thus tom. municated to Captain Salmond, and the inforraatim he obtained on his roote; he deemed it adviiiabl : to proceed without the escort which iuld accompanid him over the hills, and to direct thac the pasty ;„,.4;1 not follow until orders were received from hi m , a precaution taken by Captain Salmond, in order !,) prevent the possibility of disturbance, en the teapretation of his views, which, end:r the ccaa F e which had taken place, were IT : y deliver tuy letter, and to ascertain the sew:tire:lts of the Sultan. On the '2d inst. a ,iispatch, of which the foilowi, is an ear act s was received from Captaia :almond : 0 • " 1 have the honour to inform . yoa, that mry:!, and suite arrived at Palembang about eight A. u. ot the sth inst. and were received by his Sultus Achrried Najuraudin, who conducted us t., small Fort or Palace lately occupied by the Ex-Sul. tan, which was given us for our accommodatioa. His Highness inimediately entered into the e$ gagements which yon had suggrged, with nu::a pleasure (and on which r shall further con:mimic!: with yo.s on my aniviii at Fort Marlborough, as I am necessitated to dcse this letter in haste), and a proof of his alliance with the British Goverzmeii:, immediately hoisted the 1..7i0n Jack on the irath the Fort. " In the afternoon I received a visit from Capta:3 Bakker, of his Netherlands Majesty's frigate at anew r in this port, accompanied by Captain Van,ier AVyez, of the Engineers, who brought a letter from 31 7 Muntinghe, to which an immediate answer was quested ; but as the subject cf it required some do beration, the want cf rest which we had expvtienc( some days past, made me desirous to postpone a ply until next morning ; it however c,intamed propositions to which I immediately gave a vete, negative answer, that is— " lit. That after receiving a reply t> the lettcr to him, I anuld immediately Ex my depu:;:re the same day. " 2d. 'Tat en my return hone, I would accept •••:- a 317. t . saftptard from outside as far as the limits of Bvne , c:r!. ' l 3. That I would immediately wit!:d:.s::• th•: hoisted on the Sultan's Palate. Shortly after sunset in the evening, a nut& of the natives who were in the Pa!ace with us, formed me of the Lirzumstanee of an armed pl. laving surmunded ire sarne, and prevented ingress or egress ; and they were represent ed to i the partisans of the Ex Sultan and ri n ie h nt Abili, Siak. I immediately directed enquiry to be ma, at the outer gate by whose orders they were piaci there? to which they replied, Mr. 3lontinghes, that they would _oppose any one that attempted pass them.. I then wrote to Mr. Isfuntinghe or. t. subject, and was infurined in reply, that not hay . .t acceded to the above-mentioned requisitions, he w. called upon to take these measures to maintain to rights of his Majesty the King of the Netherland , and that, in addition to the former requisitions, I now added that of demanding our arms and antml nition, and putting myself and suite under the sal guard of the Netherlands Government, or it woul become unavoidable to repel, what he was pleased term, our hostile measures; to which, of course refused to comply., " I sonn afterw . ards received another letter fro Mr. Muntinghe, principally from political points, which it was unnecessary for me to reply, and con cluded upon insisting upon his last offer. In:Laiwe I referred him to my former letter. " At half-past three ,v. at. on the sth, I was nwokt and found that three Officers with an armed parr were come to the Palace, and, upon their entr vc they presented a letter from Mr. Muntinghe, to sup render myself and suite. I objected to deliver ov the arms, but told the Officers that" would parat the Bugguesses, and if they thought proper, tho might take them, which they did, when an arm. force of Europeans .were brought in front, and v.- were immediately escorted to the water side by armed party of Europeans and . Natives, and co; vexed over here. The side-arms of myself and 13t: guesse Officers were left us. w " • " My political functions being at an end, I ha• written a private letter to Lieutenant Haslam, commendin? him to return with the escort to 'Aka: Bulliti to wait your further orders, and beg to form that I consider it as impossible for them land here, or even to proceed down the river, if f' posed, which it is most probable they would be, the vessels of war of his Majesty the King of • Netherlands, now at anchor off the Fort." (To be continued.) UNDINE.—This is the most entertaining tale Germany has produced for many years, and in country it is popular in proportion to its merits. France also it has appeared, and with equal plause, in the translation of Madame la Barenze MONTOLIEU. The Chevalier MossAnu, in a .:et! to the Baroness, prefixed to the French trandstic speaks of the work in the following terms:—" 0 my arrival in Germany, every one without excel tion, to whom I spoke on the subject of Gerraan • terature, asked if I knew of Outline, (Undiee) ; testified their astonishment at my not Laving rev that delightful work, and entreated me to peruse . " Oudine is too beautiful not to be every w!:eir mired, and the success which it has met wiin • Germany is too general and too continued not been . deserved.". •• ach hp. uu let rin ace ta. ca zres 4p Jai ga s tet Pe la r:4 ” ti „. Pc ;:e2 it ye re !, a to $l4 • re •su tt • 01 31 d. case as I d 3 ICLy t3:3 r t: S 1 1 ' act iLI a • I Z. 7.3 a rty ) be 1.11) teed aad to v;I:g int the nos; In 3:0 le, 1 to= ;, tx co. we , okt art. ;cc say )7e. lad • • a' cOl . luE TI • an n t r e 0 • c ol a roa it r - •