The Sun.
London, England, 1849-06-02 00:00:00

Mr. V. SMITH reminded his Hon. Friend that the I
Committee which had sat in 1847 had stated that the I
establishment kept up in this colony was one of endless
expense. He complained of the great discrepancies
that existed in the salaries paid to the governor, the
secretary, and other officers in Ilong-Kong, with those
paid to the same officers in Now Zealand and other colo-
nies, the amount paid to the former being about double
that paid to many others.
Mr. HAWES said that there had been a gradual re-
duction effected in some of these salaries for several
years past. The Governor of Hong-Kong was no doubt
paid a salary of 6,0001. a year, but it should be recol-
lected that his duties were not simply confined to the
island of Hong. Kong—he was also superintendent of
the trade, which was most important in that part of the
world, and had an extensive jurisdiction over the whole
general establishment in China. He was also pleniPo •
tertiary, representing tho Crown there. It was a most
expansive Government, and the climate was by no means
favourable to health. On the contrary, New Zealand
was singularly salubrious. . •

Sir W. JOLLIFFE thought that the Government
might have selected a much more healthy situation for
the settlement.. He sh9uld like to hear some explana-
tion given in respect to the slit vcyor-general'G duties. He
thought the ecclesiastical establishment highly necessary
there, as prevention was better than cure.
Mr. MITCHELL suggested that tho salaries of the
different officers referred to at Hong Kong ought to be
reduced one-half. He was certain the Government
would find uo difficulty in procuring competent persons
to discharge the duties II quircd from the respective
officers there, even if such reductions were effected.

Mr. M. G 18502,1 was surprised to find the traders so
slow in admitting the advantage of the trade of 'lona.-
Kong, if it were really so important as the Hon. Gentle-
man seemed to think. Now he had 12« and persons inter-
ested in the trade of that culony say that the possession
of Hong-Kong was no benefit whatever to the trade of
China. Suppose that the United States of America had
obtained possession of the Isle of Wight or the Isle of
Man, would the United States, he ailed, have a larger
trade in England? It was mast absurd to assume that
they would. He believed that the occupation of such
places as llong-Kong rather militated against their trade
than promoted it, and he was of opinion that they only
benefited these who gave away places, and these who
were appointed to them.
The vote was then agreed to.
LABUAN.

On the vote 0,8271. for the governor and establi3hment
of Labuan being propoaed,
Mr. COBDEN said that here they took possession of
barren rock, assuming that they would have a large
trade there, and that they forthwith make a large estab-
lishment. lie did not think that they could ever have a
trade there of the slightest importance. The governor
and commander-in-chief, it appeared, was paid 2,0001.;
the lieutenant-governor and magistrate, 1 3751.; the mas-
ter attendant and post-master, 500/ ; the surveyor, 500/.;
the station surgeon, 4461. 133. 41. ; the governor's office,
4871. 10s. ; the lieutenant-governor's office, 1751., and so
on, making, in the whole, 0,827/. a year. Now this vote
was the same as last year. What, he asked, was La-
buan good for ? . It was said it was a place for a large
trade. He should like to hear from the lion. Gentle-

man the Under -Secretary for the Colonies what the
prospects were which induced them to encourage such
expectations. What he complained of was this—that
before they had obtained that trade they furnatd a large
establishment, sufficient to govern a hrge community.
The settlement of Labuan, toe, was rather curious. it
was through a piece of sentimentalism that they were in-
debted for the possession of this place. There was an
adventurous gentleman who sailed in his yacht towards
this part of the world. This gentleman takes possession
of Sarawak, a district of a country upon the coast of
Borneo, and he gets the cession of this distlict, He
is, therefore, called Raja, the former Raja being a
pirate. This gentleman then comes to England,
and by a system of enormous and sentimental puffing
he persuades the Government that he is going to civilize
11)rneo. What does he do? Ile first appoints himself
!onsular agent—agent to himself. He is Raja Brooke
at Sarawak, and cmsular ag< nt to himself at Borneo.
We take the island of Labuan, about 300 miles from
Sarawak, and appoint this gentleman governor of La-
buan, although it is probably more difficult to communi-
cate between these places than between Labua❑ and
England, became there are no means of communication
established there. It was quite clear that this gentle-
man could not be in both places at the same time, and
to get over this difficulty he appoints a lieutenant-governor
to dohs duty during his absence from an island which
was without a population! Now, he asked, could any
country play such tricks with their ways and means as
this country has done? lie shouU be glad to hear from
;he Hon. Under-Secretary whether it was the intention
of the Government to continue this establishment, and
to pay the salaries that were now to be voted?

Mi. lIAWES thought that his Hon. Friend had ra-
ther undervalued this settlethent. He would remind the

Hen. Member ttat from no quarter of the world did
stronger representations come for thu settlement of La-
buan, than from Manchester, Liverpool, London, and
Glasgow. Memorials had, in fact, been presented to
the Government from the whole commercial community,
urging a settlement of Labuan. It was not, therefore,
from a mere feeling of sentimentalism that the Govern-
ment were induced to form an establishment at Labuan.
Sir James Brooke was then singularly well qualified to
undertake the duties of Governor, from -the influence
which he had obtained over the surrounding savage ter-
ritories, and over the Sultan of Borneo, a place which
did not belong to us, and of which we have no right to
the smallest possession. His Hon. Friend seemed to

forget that the coal found in Lahuan was most valuable
and advantageous to our whole steam navigation in those
parts. When they sent such a man to so miserable a
spot they were bound to make him some good compen-
ation for the duties they imposed upon him. If they
thought the salary too large they could discuss the mat-
ter. So far as he had seen he had found that when they
had, through a mistaken economy, reduced the salary of
a gcverner under such circumstances, it was increased
in another way by means of allowances that were not

accounted for, es'had formerly been the case in Ceylon,
for instance. Papers relating to this settlement had
been laid before the House last year, when there was a
vote of 2,5001. taken for public buildings. This place
being half way between Singapore and Hong-Kong,
would be the greatest possible benefit to our steam navy
and mercantile interest. He defended the vote for La-
buan, unon the same principle as ho defended that for
Hong-Kong, the former being peculiarly valuable to us,
by reason cif its coal mines.
Mr. V. smut' did not think that the Hon. Under•
Secretary had given a very good answer to the state-
ment of the Hon. Member for the West Riding of York-
shire, when he said that a petition had been presented
from Manchester in favour of the settlement of Labuan.
He was of opinion that the statement made by his Hon.
Friend was in most respects perfectly correct. It ap-
peared that there was a clever and entertaining book
written by Sir J. Brooke upon the subject of this colony

which caused much excitement among-it the people, arid
a desire to know something more about this country.
Cones quently the Colonial Office made an establishment
at Labuan. He, however, thought that the Government
had a duty of resistance as well as a duty of compliance.
His Hon. Friend the Under-Secretary had only men-
tioned the fact of coal being found at this place in show-
ing the great advantage Litman was to this country.
He (Mr. V. Smith) did not think that this fact was suffi-
cient to justify the large establishment which they kept
up there. He was afraid that in a short time they
would be compelled to do something in respect to Borneo
in the extension of our arms over that quarter. The
Hon. Gentleman seemed to forget that there were troops
at Labuan. He wishe I to know whether there was a
probability of any increased expenditure in consequence
of our taking possession of Labuan?
Sir H. VERNEY protested against any premature
opinion being expressed with respect to the value of
Labuan as a colony. Similar opinions to those which
had been stated tc-night were made use of in 1823 and
1824 with respect to the foundation of Singapore, which
opinions ultimately turned out to be unjustifiable.
Mr. F. SCOTT hoped that the Committee would not
come to a hasty conclusion upon a matter which, ho be
Hayed, was likely to turn out one of immediate import-
anc to our East Indian possessions. He hoped that

the Under-Secretary for the Colonies was.in aposition
to give the Committee some estimate of the value of the
coal which was to be found at Labuan, and what other
sources of wealth the colony possessed:
Mr. HAWES said that he did not wish to approach
the subject of coal mining at Labuan with any degree of
delicacy. He had reason to know that an agent had been
sent out by the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Naviga-
tion Company to Labuan, and that he had transmitted
information to this country, to the effect that the ships
of the company could bo supplied at the island with
coals, at from one-fourth to one-half less cost than at
present. Ultimately, therefore, the public must be
benefited in the shape of entering into contracts for the
conveyance of mails, as well as in other matters, by
this settlement.
Mr. COBDEN complained that a Government had
been established at Labuan, before a colony or settle-
ment was founded. Lie did not believe that there were
ten white people in the colony. He could not help observ-
ing that Gentlemen might have a motive for going through
the north of England, and exciting the manufacturing
classes there—(lronical cheering from the Protection-
ists)—for a particular purpose interesting to themselves
—(Renewed cheering of the same character and from the
same quarter)—exciting them into a mood for petitioning
the Legislature under certain promises of benefiting
themselves by it—(Repeated cheering from the let of
the chair)—of benefiting by a new sort of trade with
Japan or some unknown country. Gentlemen had
gone through the north and raised great expectations
with respect to trading with Labuan. He believed that
the memorials from the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce
and other places to the Government in favour of occupy-
ing Labuan were very cautiously worded, and not so
much in favour of the system of government of the de-
tached island as was stated. It should be recollected
that Sir J. Brooke was Consul at Sarawak and Governor
of Labuan, which was 300 miles distant from his place of
residence.—(Hear, hear.)
Lord PALMERSTON said that Sir J. Brooke was
not consul to himself, as the Hon. Gentleman had
asserted. He was accredited to the Sultan at Borneo by
the Government of this country.
Sir W. JOLLIFFE expressed as admiration of Sir
James Brooke's conduct, and the confidence he had in
his management of the colony, for the welfare of British
interests. His appointments as Raja of Sarawak and
Governor of Labuan were in his (Sir W. Jolliffe's)
opinion well deserved.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. LABOUCHERE defended the Chamber of Com-
merce of Manchester, with respect to the memorial pre-
sented by them to the First Minister of the Crown in
1846, in favour of colonising Labuan. Tho Right Hon.
Gentleman read the memorial in extenso, and: said that
nothing could he less vague than the opinion expressed
in it. The language was that of men who had no doubt
looked well and carefully into the whole subjcct—
(Hear)—and they prayed that immures for colonising