The Express.
London, England, 1850-07-23 00:00:00

the S4ltati of Borneo sad to.

Aad the pirates

came forward and said themselves they were pirates
(Hear, hear.) And he was happy to say that he had m-
ashed by toe last mail another confirmation. It was dited
the 2.51 of Aria last, and it was an engagement wade by
some of these very pirates, with unpronounceable namee,
" With regard to the former evil acts we will do them
in future. We will plunder or pirate satin hereafter."
Surely they would allow the men themselves to say whether
they were pirates or not. He had also a letter from one of
the oldest residents at Singapore, one who did not sign the for-
mer paper to Sir J. Brooke, and who said, " aeons of the oldest
and, I believe, the oldest British resident on the western emit
of Borneo, I feel myself called upon to offer my testimony
as to the state of this coast 16 years ago. I have a lively re•
eoliectioo, even at this distant date, of the terror in which
this coast was kept by the very tribes which you (Sir Jame.
Brooke) have been instrumental in checking. Scarcely •
year before my arrival the whole town of Isaka was cut off, and
I found all the smaller town so barricaded with piles, that I
found it difficult to obtain an entrance, even with
any small boat." The charge, and this was the
reason why he read those letters, was that Sir James
Brooke was a merchant, and that his trading way incom-
patible with kis duties as a goveraor. Ile c.nsequently
read a series of letters (ram Sir James Brooke, showing that
he was sindeavourieg to withdraw frets mercantile trans-
IlVions and that he would have nothing to do with
trade orgies g this man to get rid of all com-
mercial speculations, and he believed there was not a
simile person in the house who wai not convinced that
he made good that point. He showed them in these letters
that Mr. Wise chose to falsify Captain Keppel's journal.
I When Captain Keppel was writing that journal S.e James
Brooke sent him his PlUffilli in order to assist him in making
it as correct as posible. In the box that contained this jour-
nal there were the private letters from Sir James Brooke to
hie ialcl acheolfellow and friend Mr. Templar, u intended
kw the eye of anybody, but falling into the hands of Mr.
Win, he took copies of them—!hear, hear)—and he kept
them till the opportunity should occur of using trim to Sir
Jams Brooke's injury. Wey, the hon. gentleman (air.
Hume) really made himself the comm on cesspool into
which every slanderous report flowed. That was the way he
got those letters.
Mr. HOME—Hew did you get Mr. Wises letter ?
Mr. intellMOND—Tiist conduct was like that of a
picklock r.r a housebreaker, nothing better. What wnuld
say gentleman say if an individual was shown into a room
in bit holies and he found him copying private
letters? An extraordinary 'amnion hod been made
that Sir James Brooke would have offered Latium
'to [France. Why he appealed to her Majesty's go-
vernment if he did not offer to give up Sarawak, if
government thought it wu of any advantage to British,
interests. But the hon. gentlemen said he was • =memory
man. How did that tally with the papers which were in
prsemsion of the Colonisheffice, furnished by Mr. Wise ?
He said Sir James Brooke got Sarawak in a buccaneering
expedition. Why the hon. gentleman could not stumble on
truth even by accident. The fact was, Mr. Brooks
went out in his yacht in 1835. In 18;9 he
arrived off Barneo, and there was a quarrel going
on between the Sultan of B rneo and a neighb.uring
state, and the Sultan asked Mr. Brooke to assist him, and be
gave him Sarawak for doing so. The hon. gentleman might
as well state that he got his estate in Norfolk by a buzea•
steering expedition. And, with regard to the partarrehip
concern t When Mr. Wise west to ate Sir Jews Brooke at
Singapore, the night before be sailed, he (Mr. Wire) brought
him a letter in his own handwritine, and arkel Sir J ewes
Brooke for his signature to it. That was the letter which the
hon. gen lemma read. [Mr. Home No) But he said it was
Ou the 81 of May following, Sir James Brooke had reason to
suspect all was not right, and he wrote to Mr. Wise to
put an end to the agreement. Mr. Wise said the agree-
ment was not put an end to. Now, there was • crminercial
concern of the name of Cruikshank, ?derivate, and Street.
In 1544 Mr. Wise was a partner. In 1845 he quitted it, and
they became bankrupt. -The certificate was refused, because
they had male over the whole of their property to a
favoured creditor. Mr. Wise knew that perfectly
well, and yet it was to that very party that
he leased the antimony. And when the antimony
wee leased, Mr. Wise went and showed the letter
in which be was made • partner with Sir James Brooke,
but he never showed the letter putting an end to it. (The
hon. gentleman then read an extract from • document,
showing the number of days Sir James Brooke had been in
one year on board ship, and giving • statement of his being
ill at Lebow.) Sarawak, when Mr. Brooke went to it, had
800 inhabitants. It has now 15,000. It then exported little
and was worked by slaves. It now exported 2,000 tons, and
was worked by freemen. He believed there was no situation
in the world which required& man of so determined a character
as that of • man going into a savage country to civilise it. His
object had been to show that all the charges came from a
dishonest source and to warn the government not to be die
suad:d from supporting so excellent a public servant. Ever
since be had known that house there had always been in it a
sort of mock patriots who had calumniated public servants,
especial y those residing in distant countries where reply
was not expected.
Mr. LUSHINGTON said he should like to have some in-
formation about the lieutenant governor of Labuan who had
been suspended from his office.
Mr. lIAWES said the can to which the hon. gentleman
had alluded was still under consideration, and he was not
able to communicate to him any decision on the subject.
He was sorry there had been any delay, but delay had been
inevitable. It was a ease of considerable intent and difficulty.
Mr. HUME, in explanation, observed that in nuking use
of the word falsehood he must say it was a strong term. He
had proved the trading and the hon. gentleman had not die.
proved it. He knew Mr. Wise, or heard of him until
he had given his notice.
Mr. AOLIONBY said Ms vote was given entirely irm-
speetivs of these letters. He had seen nothing in them
which convinced him that Sir James Brooke was en.
gaged in any thing incompatible with his public office. Ile
believed him to be an energetic public, officer, and that
these persons were pirates to all intents and purpose..

Mr. COBDEN thought there ought to b, an assur
alum given to the committee by the Secretary for
the Colonies, that if they voted • salary to Bir
James Brooke as governor of Lsbusn, he should reside
at Labium. He objected to the 'site last year bofore
these events occurred which bad complicated this question
and made it a personal one. He objected to the vote of
2,0001. a year ff Sir James Brooks was not to reside at La-
bum. There would be no difference in the committee on
the subject if there was not such a confusion in members'
heads as to the geography of the country. At this moment
he did not think the hon. member for West Surrey knew
anything about it. [Mr. Drummond exhibited a map.]
Would the hon. member bane the goodness to lay that map
on the table in order that other hon. members might see
it? Sarawak wee 300 miles distant from Latium'
there were no means of cotomunication except by sessile,
and was about as difficult as between Loudon and St.
Peteraburgh.
Mr. HAWES said that:Sir J. Brooke hail reduced his
salary 6001. of hie own accord. His duties were of a much
more important and wider character than the governor of
Libman • and the inatimotions of lord Grey had never con•
teraplated his residence there. It was meant that ho should
have a kind of consular iiflloe in those s as, with the view
generally of extending, promoting. and protecting our trade
there. In the instractions referred to, Lied Grey said—
" Adverting to the fact that, in addition to the duties of go-
vernor and imenmander•in-chief, you will also be entrusted
with certain diplomatic powers with reference to that inter-
course of her M ijesty's subjects with Borneo and other
places adjacent, provision has Nell made in consequence, in
the foregoing estimate fur • regular salary to a h. utenant-
governor." Could anything be clearer than that when Sir
James Brooks was appointed, he was not I apecteil to viable
at Labium, but to take upon himself far hiiihsr„ wider, and
mire important duties than simply those of the governor of
that colony ? It would be injurious to the public luterests
for him to be confined to that island. (Hem, hear.)