The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-14 00:00:00

XALACCA STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.

PITLO PENANG, OR PRINCE OF WALES'
ISLAND. SINGAPORE AND MALACCA.

The British possessions in the Straits of Malacca, cor.
sist of Penang, or Prince of Wales' Island, Singapore,
and Malacca. Penang is a small island in 5 deg. north
latitude, lying off Reddah, on the west coast of the
Malagan Peninsula. Singapore is situated at the ex-
treme point of the Peninsula, and Malacca is a territory
situated on the west coast, between Penang and Singa-
pore, about 120 miles to the north-west of the latter
place. At the end of last century much inconvenience
was felt from the absence of any port in these seas for
the Honourable Company's China ships to obtain the
various productions of the Malagan Archipelago, so well
adapted for interchange in China, as well as for those
ships and the vessels of the royal navy to refit and
refresh. Ceylon at this time was in possession of the
Dutch. By treaty with the Malagan state of Keddah,
in 1783, the island of Penang, in the fair way for vessels
from India to China, was taken possession of by Captain
Light for the Honourable Company. At first the settle-
ment was used for commercial purposes, and as a station
of refreshment for men of war. In the commencement
of the present century it was proposed to establish ex-
tensive dockyards at the island, not only to repair, but
to build ships for the royal navy, for which purpose it
was supposed the place had peculiar advantages. As it
had become a valuable position, and had extensive pro-
spects, the
_Court of Directors in 1805, sent out an
establishment of officers for its government, including a
governor and three members of Council, with a large
staff of civilians appointed for the island itself, and quite
unconnected with the India services ; and in 1807 his
late Majesty George 111. granted a charter constituting
a Royal Court of Justice, which administered English
law exclusively to Europeans as well snatives. The
hopes which had been raised as to the
greatadvan ag _
a t es
of the island for shipbuilding weresoon
disappointed,
and the settlement remained thenceforward
to depend its own resources as a place of trade, and haon
Go-
vernment able;to protect the inhabitants, it sooT)a attracteda considerable trade from the Malagan countries.
Malacca is the oldest European settlement in India,
having been conquered from the Malays in 1511, and
held ever since by European powers. Situated in a cotn-
manding position, and having extensive fortifications and
a large garrison, it was the chief Portuguese settlement
to the eastward, and was held by that nation till 1641,
when, in alliance with native states, the Dutch, after
long-continued efforts, succeeded in dispossessing their,
rivals, and were enabled to keep possession till the end
of last century. During these two periods the station
was valuable only as a trading port. Agriculture, far
from being encouraged by the Portuguese, was absolutely
prohibited by the Dutch in favour of their chief posses-
sion, Java ; but under the tyrannical and monopolising
rule of both nations, the trade of the surrounding native
countries was forced to its port. The establishment of
Penang in 1786 was, however, at once a severe blow to
its prosperity, and was followed in a few years by its
almost total annihilation.

In 1795 a force was sent by the English against the
Dutch possesssions, in order to prevent them from falling
into the hands of the French republicans, whose armies
then occupied the low countries. Ceylon, Malacca, and
the Spice Islands were taken pssession of to be held in
the name of the stadtholder. By the treaty of Amiens,
Malacca and the Spice Islands were restored to the
Dutch —the latter were at once taken, but the former
remained unclaimed, and when the war broke out afresh
its restoration became impossible.
The establishment of Penang had materially affected
the trading prosperity of Malacca under the Dutch, and
when that settlement was occupied by the English, its
interests were entirely lost sight of, in favour of its
younger rival. So completely was this policy carried
out, that in 1807 the extensive fortification of Malacca
was demolished, to prevent the station from becoming
dangerous in the hands of an enemy, and its population
was invited to remove to Penang, as a preliminary step
to the total abandonment of the settlement. The inha-
bitants to a man refused to move, and in consequence of
the difficulties in the way, of the withdrawal of protection
and governinent, a small provisional establishment was
kept up under, a resident and a commandant, who ad-
ministered the affairs of the settlement under the old
Dutch court of justice. Agriculture remained little better
than under the Mitch', and trade, except with the Mala-
gan countries in the immediate neighbourhood, almost
entirely disappeared in favour of Penang, which con-
tinued to be an extensive shipping port, and in a few
years became also the seat of an extensive tropical agri-
culture.

The production of nutmegs and cloves was confined
to very narrow limits in these seas. The Dutch early
became possessed of the countries of growth, and en-
forced a most rigorous monopoly, which raised the prices
of these spices to rates far beyond what they had been
even before the discovery of the passage of the Cape of
Good Hope. All other nations, European and native,
were prevented from obtaining seeds for planting, and
indeed from dealing in those spices, When the English
occupied the Malaccas, from 1796 to 1803, advantage
was taken of the opportunity to procure seeds, to at-
tempt to introduce the cultivation elsewhere. Penang
wa3 fixed on as the most suitable locality for the experi-
ment, and after many ydars' trial the nutmeg and clove
tree were established. The cultivation now forms a very
valuable branch of local industry on that island.
The Island of Java was conquered by the English in
1811, and was held for a few years, with the Spice
Islands, which had been a second time seized. Under
the administration of Sir Stamford Raffles, English in-
fluence was extended throughout the Indian Archipelago,
and there was every:appearance of the formation of an
extensive empire throughout South-eastern Asia and the
neighbouring :islands, when these flattering prospects
were destroyed by the restoration of Java and the other
Dutch possessions. Malacca was soon after, in 1811,
reclaimed, and thus the English were virtually excluded
from entrance to the Archipelago. To obviate the in-
convenience, and to endeavour to continue the influence
lately established, it became necessary to advance be-
yond Penang. That island being at the extremity of
the Straits, is in a manner excluded and commanded by
Malacca, then again under the Dutch, and in accordance
with the monopolising spirit of their policy, likely to be
a serious impediment to English trade with the native
states. On the 6th of February, 1819, the Island of
Singapore was occupied by treaty with the Malagan
chiefs, and an English settlement formed under the
management of Sir Stamford Raffles. It is Situated at
the extremity of the Malagan peninsula, and, from its
commanding position, and the liberal and far-sighted
policy of its founder, it soon became a successful colony.
In four years its population increased from 150 to
13,579, by census of 1823, and the trade returns from,
January to December, 1822, amount to 8,568,172 dots.`
Dutch influence was this checked, and Malacca, which
had - been partially reviving, suffered a fresh relapse.
The port of Penang also was seriously affected by the
new settlement, which soon drew off all the trade from
the eastward, and had it not been for the very liberal
arrangement of landed tenures, which attached a pro-
portion of the large European population to that island,
and afforded inducements to agricultural enterprise, the
settlement must soon have shared the fate of Malacca.
After long obstinate resistance to English influence in
the Archipelago, more particularly to the establishment
of Singapore, the Dutch at last acquiesced in the treaty
of 1824. Singapore was recognised, and a new arrange-
ment was made, by which the English gave up
B-
coolen, their chief pepper factory, established in
16e8114- and the other stations in Sumatra, in exchange for
An ima-
ginary Ma-
lacca and the small Dutch factories in India.
line was drawn to the south of Singapore, on the
north of which the English were to be confined, while
the Dutch retained all to the south. s
hitherto been governed by a Resident directlyn
apodreer lade
Supreme Government, but after this treaty uwans joined
with Malacca to Penang, and the three settlements were
incorporated under the style of the " Government of
Prince of Wales' Island, Singapore, and Malacca."
The civilians of Bencoolin were transferred to the new
settlement, and the Government was conducted on the
principles of the Penang Presidency till 1829. The
great expense of these settlements, and the little advan-
tage derived from them by the Honourable Company,
early drew the attention of Lord William Bentinck.
In 1829 he visited the Straits, and at once reduced the
establishment from the rank of a fourth Presidency to
that of a dependency of Bengal. Under this arrange-
mentfe- the civil establishment was brokrefeup—taweewe
effin,
cers were retained for resent duties,
sioned, and no new appointments_ have-sinrecesbeenrmi;.de.
The nature and conditiontneftthhnessee SetfrailtnsdSiaettplermepenert.s
are diametrically opposite to
and Singapore are now
Originally desert islands,,oFwing
their states entirely and
purely English colonies,
ris.e
and capital of Europeans.
exclusively to the ente P
If these were suddenly withdrawn, in a few years ruin
and desolation wouldysoon
depend sopnreaE Europeans, oopveearn s, thesenot natives.islands,
This difference
which, unlike been recognised from the earliest
periods by
the ehstasablishment of Royal Courts of Justice,
and the
administration of pure English, in contradiction
to Indian law, not only to the inhabitants of the towns,
n India, but also to the country districts.
-- in settlements continued to be governed by the old
civil servants of Penang and Bencoolen, butin the
course of time these have nearly
disappeared. The
question now arises how these vacancies of the old ser-
vants are to be filled, and on what principles the future
governments are to be conducted.
The condition of these settlements is so distinct from
that of British India, that it does not appear to be ad-
visable to introduce the system of Government as found
expedient in India Proper. The prosperity and im-
portance of these islands depends entirely on Europeans,
and in consequence the system of government should be
applied more especially with regard to the administra-
tion of justice suited to their peculiar wants. The system
of India is entirely different, and quite inapplicable. It
is evident, therefore, that the civil servants of the Hon.
Company, with Indian experience, and with the tradi-
tional opinions of the Indian service, if sent here would
find their previous training unsuited for the work to be
performed, and after their time of residence would re-
turn to their duties without gaining that experience
suitable for either of the regular branches of the service.
The peculiar nature of these settlements has placed
them beyond the scope of the interests and care of the
Indian Government. Since the abolition of the Hon.
Company's exclusive right of trade to China, there can
be no further necessity or use in keeping up stations in
these seas, involving the Indian Government in much
expense for objects which are not only without advan-
tage, but on the contrary, positively involving them in
political combinations quite foreign to their true inte-
rests. Under the necessity, therefore, of providing
military protection the expense for troops must re-
main a charge on its resources. The internal
interests of these stations cannot be expected to
I meet with that attention their importance demands.