The Sun.
London, England, 1851-07-11 00:00:00

'THE " SUN,

Sarawak was of an enlightened, paternal, and civilising
character. The letter was as follows

" I have spent four days at Sarawak. I have conse-
crated the church according to the request of the dioce-
lan, the Lord Bishop of London. I have inspected the
!tate of the Infant mission, and conferred fully with the
indefatigable and zealous chaplain and missionary, the
Jut,- T. M'Dougal. I have conversed also with the gen-
- ti'Ys end have read the several works published on the
events which have occurred in the lest few years. It is
toY full persuasion that there is no mission on the face
of the earth to be compared with that of Borneo. It
has been thrown open to Christian enterprise almost by
Miracle. One of the darkest recesses of heathen igno.
'lnes, cruelty, and desolation, where piracy, and mur
der, and conflagration, and head-hunting stalked abroad
in open day, and the aboriginal inhabitants were in the
80e Way of being exterminated utterly, is now, so to
b6Pealt, like the paradise of God. Deliverance has been
rrnclaimed—security of person and propasty, equal
!iglu% an enlightened and paternal distributive
tnsticet the arts of life, an extending commerce, are
already established at Sarawak, and spreading along
the whole western coast of Borneo. The Chi-
Mlle sea is free from marauders, and all Europe and
America may pursue their peace'ul occepaions from
singapore . to Labuan, 7CO miles. The Christian
Inission is. begun, to sanctify and adorn all
these secular blessings. Two things, quite unexampled
‘liirour the design :-Ist. Englishmen have become first
tinow to the oppressed Dyaks by a single English gen-
emtan of benevolence, talent, and singular wisdom and
tact of.government, who has received as a token of gra-
titude from the native princes, a tract of land about
ieventy miles by fifty, as his own native territory. To
the benefit of the inhabitants of it, this gentleman, who
la °iv recognised as the Raja of Sarawak, is devoting
time, his fortune, his zeal, his health, his body and
,41 The noble Government of our honoured and be-
loved Queen, Victoria at home has come forward with
leadmirals and brave captains to assist in reducing
Pirates which infested the coasts to silence and tran-
LiniPity by deeds
.4 of almost unexampled heroism. The
rtt engagement with the pirates, about a year and a
• f Since, when 120 war-boats, with 2,000 bandits, were
rereepted in the very act of plundering and setting
heir
to villages, sinking native vessels, and murdering
e„!'„eir crews, :has humbled and alarmed the whole tribe,
.."11:_a the chiefs are sending messages to Sarawak, pro-
X.ing to turn themselves to honest occupations. In
Zie meantime the population of the town has increased,
D nineyears, from 1 500 to 12,000 souls, and including
e ° Whole territory, to 30,000. In truth, when I stood
tillthe hill on which the church is erected, and viewed
et' subJacent town, stretched on the riser's bank, and
which the
mission-house and school on the college hill,
i;esie,.h commands the' opposite shore, I could not but
bvete out into thanksgiving to the God of all grace for
wolederful works; and during the very solemn service
of _ consecration, I looked with amazement at the neat
oswc"pdelt edifice, with its early English arches; its nave,
o feet by 22, and 35 high; its side aisles, and its hand-
nne communion-plate placed on the holy table, and its
arstian congregation-43, of whom 11 were Dyak and
inese--school children seated in the aisle; and when
Jnielated in administering the blessed Supper to 19 com-
ireints, besides the clergy, my heart was almost too
th i to proceed. . Will England, then, fail to support
bo :!°lk thus prosperously begun? Impossible ; it is
111 the nature of our Christian Britain to forget that
eaer Was herself, 1,400 years ago, in as low a state of
4,bharism as the Dyaks, infested with European pirates,
thel eY are with Asiatic now. No, she is well aware
to', what the gospel has done for England it can do
br Borneo "
trw_trasted, if-the name of Raja Brooke were handed
eee,_ll in the history of this country as that of a bene-
d7.2°_rt It would not also be said of him that he had
ee'm service to his country, but that it had not been
eePreeiated
jar ur) •
aJr "QUHART said that the friends of Sir James
hisooke should have been the first to court inquiry. For
frie:„ivo part, he should never stand in that House the
-" °any man who, when his conduct was impugned,
year
rank from • •
investigation. He was not present last
hewhen the subject was before the House, and he had,
ednret studied the papers on the subject which had
Oche ,aid before the House, and be could not find one
the'e_.of evidence to the fact of piracy and justify
attack upon the Dyaks. He, had failed to discover
tki_eNdence to establish the piratical character attri-
-0301 to the inhabitants of Sakarran and Sarebas. The
eenfe,' and Learned Gentleman who had spoken last had
tiens'unded the Dyaks and the Malays; but the descrip-
basagiyen in those papers of the pirates of the Indian
pieti, snowed that the Dyaks were not pirates. The
etteP had all well-built vessels, armed with artillery,
%aped for open sea service and long voyages. They
%Nil sailed out of the eastern or western ports, ac-
tenaig as the eastern or western monsoon suited, and
est4round the coast pillaging as they proceeded, and
ternene4 bY the opposite monsoon to enjoy during the
ereartTnOus season the produce of their piracy. That
Of the Indian
Character given in those papers of the pirates
flu Dyaks,
Archipelago; and it certainly did not ap-
the fitt who were described as having vessels
er._ to continue longer than five days at sea. The
that fact, were not irates, fr the best of reasons,
the they had not the means of being so. But supposing
b.
ete,,, al Ya lta were pirates, what proof had they that the
kite., .7 had attacked were guilty of piracy? The
Iteee-n"oris of the Admiralty to officers of the navy
ba tt4not to attack any vessel which they had not viewed
%eh of piracy, or respecting which they had not
kaaevidence as would satisfy a court of justice in Eng-
ine,. If by their vote that night they decided that no
thri!Y should take place into those transactions, then
afP. had better entrust the whole administration of the
Tye of this great empire to the officers of the Crown
ti appear to share their responsibility while they only
'caked their crimes.
ukr. M. MILNES said it was net denied that the
;Itelays were addicted to piratical pursuits, and he be-
,ved it was equally certain that the Malays had in
',910 instances been enabled to induce the cognacs, but
Zuder and weaker, race of Dyaks to j An them in those
trauits. If he were to admit the justice of the charge
the against Raja Brooke, he should believe teat
iaval officers on the station, and that Captain Kep-
t n his attack of 1845, had been implicated in the
Rpj.'es Olot. Nor!, it appeared to him that that
eit!,arnoit ross improhability. Sir James Brooke had
ti:rolished his fame as a great civiliser in that remote
tat,rter of the globe, and against such a man those
lieu Tits of atrocious cruelty ought not to be lightly be-
e It appeared that 500 persona were all that had
ltethl"lled in the course of those transactions, and it
elittiner appeared that the English forces might, by
ho„ g off the communication with a small neck of land,
401; slaughtered a much larger number. At the same
thtn, t'e Should express his sincere gratification that
AO load totally abolished that very obnoxious, and he
mosey e:en say' barbarous practice, of granting head-
those' Tr pirates. He could not help thinking that
bad so vehemently discussed that case bad
',eerie" a most unwise and pernicious course. When he
'es men like his Hon. Friend the Member for the
those "'ding of Yorkshire (Mr. Cobden) assimilating
IltoeeZloaeedings of Englishmen to some of the worst
tetsegs of other nations he; became strongly im-
eg
the with the belief that bis Hon. Friend was inflict-
tle4h e ii latest injury
on two causes in which he no
t,bota?_,lt the liveliest interest—the one, the character of '
cher '4"; and the other the welfare ce mankind at large.
t„, t vv
"'tad c 4. nothing which tended more to harden the
%fin"' the public than cases like that of false and
kite humanity. It was much to be regretted that a
the 04e Sir J. Brooke who had established for himself
East sigt.6et reputation' for justice and humanity in the
trettahuould be liable to have his character ruined by the
per,°ha publication of private correspondence.—
`4R t4l; "ear.) He could not admit the polfcy of appoint-
Proposed Commission. Was that Commission to
ealt;ettd to Borneo; to establish itself at Labuan or Sara-
by,h.;'d was it to enter into communication with those
Roes? He believed that such a mode of proceeding
hefie be perfectly absurd. They had already had laid
ihrtoutretutahem, with great accuracy. and. attention, all the
of th_ non they could possibly require upon both sides
e 0,21 question, and he thought that they ought then to
tc_t_s determine:ikon to reject the motion.
teeser' bit• DRUM MOND—The Hon. Member for Mon-
f ,had ftrecarqd the imputation that in bringing
this esotion he was g the tool of any one.
et was hot his wish to invalidate any testimony the Hon.
ei7oeibratbel might please to give in his own favour upon that
Mme ,but he might be permitted to observe that some-
] persons were the dupes of others without knowing
Rho
(A laugh.) There vsere
resr s
ando for
o this, world
talc, knew how to traduce other' part, he
pfd not not believe that, trom beginning to end, this *no-
-41,1 ad any other foundation than a personal deterrni-
lin4 to ruin the 'elsa:rac'er of Sir J. Brooke He be-
cehtettato.Lbe fraudulent way in which the Eastern
411144 t'a *;°l33PanY Was at present proceeding neces-
st that ruin of SirlJ. Brooke, because he would not
14480,.,.1 PIY4Y go on cheating. The deprecation of
tee Mu. Silumons came with a very bad grace from a
44 Wh •
titßea N. being in the employment of another, and en-
beta," mi-epplauding him to the skies, went to a private
he °F that man, and slid; " It is wing to my mercy
tn sot-convicted.—' (Cries of " Hear, hear.") But
At. me to. th; 'Case brought forward by the_Honoure
ta`Mber for' Montrdse, the real difficulty of answer-
iste'dt thie; that there was nothing
ldet _ epl y o which had not been replied to
itst/l°°r•--(Elear, hear.). To the Hon. Member for
w"-last year was wandering heaven knew
Voh, 43, the matter appeared altogether new • but to those
e" were, present at the formerbdiscussion' it was evi-
-Ite,ltylY.estrhe, old story over again.—(Hear.) It was proved
who ha,
w°Yrthe evidence of every historian and traveller
tpettion'4, ttten.oo or visited the part of the world in.
"ore eirinat the_ people whom Sir J. Brooke attacked
_ger, dia7llB•
Liverpool,
commercial associations of Manches-
rerewerivt leteerpool, and London petitioned the Go-
chant "'foe' protection against them. Were our mar-
if 8 "elf idiots
teeia
Ivo_h4 to ask for protection against pirates,
salt toof the
none in existence?—(Hear, hear.) The
for thi;
su___ecountry had actually entered into a treaty
;here ~,err.BStol.l of' piracy. Did not he kuow whether
ilawlicsebe
epnirates or not ? Was the evidence of Judge
144 the fact that point to be thrown overboard, as well
knowi,ss, s five pirates were taken in the act and ac-
the /I;7%li:heir offence? To avoid these difficulties
thohly,
sarcli
there
Montrose started a new dodge.
e PeoPle era are pirates there, it is true, but
all t
'e deposed, yaks are not so." But unfortunately
ing weet„ dangerous n 3 Proved the contrary. A little learn-
even as regarded a blue-book.
etutw:s not his intntithonintg‘o read much from that volume;
Dyak tell: lion. Member for Stafford had argued that the
fegnld not be pirates because they had only small
eeiCist he meet quote a passage from page 88, as
the ws:-e[The Hon. Member read a passage in which
ri Pirates were described
tgged with 0118 roast and aassinhgalveingsmall vessels
square sail, &c.]
foic•eause the Dyaks used the sort of vessels best adapted
„_ their pirati I
raeluded „e ca practices the Hon. Member wisely
•Stlgieutte y were not pirates at all.—(Hear and
ttn addition to the letter of the )31,4h0p
which

had been read by the Hon. and Learned Member for
Newcastle, he would teke the liberty of quoting a pas-
sage from a letter written by a clergyman:—
" We have now with us several influential chiefs front
the neighbouring rivers, and among them the headmen
of the Sakarran Dyaks, who have come to ask the
Raja to take them under his care, and to send a Euro-
pean to govern them. Their principal, Oreille Kayo, is
an especially interesting old man; be has always bees
against piracy, and wished to put it down, and, now
that his people have agreed to give it up, he is quite
happy."
When this chief expressed his pleasure because his
people had agreed to give up piracy, it might fairly be
assumed that up to that moment they had been pirates,
—(Hear, hear.) This alone ought to be sufficient to
establish the fact in the mind ef any rational man. It
might not, however, produce that effect on the Hon.
Member for Montrose The Hon. Member would not
easily admit that he was satisfied, and, if the House were
not to escape an annual motion on the subject until he
made The acknowledgment, it would have :o kuhmit to
the ir.fliction for many years to come.—(Laughter,)
Hear what Captain Hastings said:—
"If I cau beef the smallest service to you in giving
any assistance to resist the cruel and unjust persecution
which some evil disposed persona are waging against
you. I beg you will command the services of, my dear
Sir James Brooke, yours faithfully,
" G. F. HASTINGS."
This letter was dated February, 1851.—(Hear, hear.)
Again, hear Captain Wallage:—
" I offered a reward for all prisoners who should be
brought to me, and, in consequence, one Dysk was cap-
tured, and this man freely allowed the predatory and
piratical habits of the Sarebas people and his own share
in them for many years past."
That letter was dated the 17th of October, 1850. The
following passage was from the deposition of a native:—
"I, Mahomed Kassim, of Singapore, trader, do sin-
cerely and solemnly declare, that many years ago, at the
time when Mr. Crawford was resident at Singapore, I
went from Singapore to Sadog, on the north-west coast
of Borneo, on a trading voyage in a prahu of about fif-
teen koyans. I remained at Sadong about eight months,
and during that period went to various places on the
coast. In these) expeditions the boat in which I went
was always well armed, as I was afraid of the Dyaks.
During the time I remained at Sadong seven Malay
prahus, belonging to Bruni, Sambas, and the neighbouring
islands, were cut off by the Dyaks. The Dyaks cut off
the heads of the people found in the prahus, no matter
what nation they belonged to, and took the goods." .
But it was useless to read these passages, for they were
but a repetition of what had been stated before. Mr.
Crawford was a great authority with the Hon. Member
for Montrose—he was a perfect Godsend to him.
Mr. HUME said, he had not named Mr. Crawford.
Mr. HENRY DRUMMOND would not let the Hon.
Member off on that plea.—(A laugh.) Mr. Crawford
came as a witness before a Committee appointed to in-
quire into some other matter—an Ordnance survey, .or
something of that sort—and, having got him there, " Oh,
oh !" thought the Hon. Member for Montrose, "I will get
something out of you about Borneo." Mr. Crawford was
not very well acquainted with the habits of nations in
those parts, as was evident from an anecdote related of
him. It was stated that he went once to visit the So-
vereign of Siam; and some person, by way of a joke, told
him that it was the custom for strangers to take off their
shoes before appearing in the presence of the King. Mr.
Crawford accordingly left his shoes at the door; but
when he quitted the audience they were gone, and he
had to walk home barefooted through the mud.—
(Laughter.) The Honourable Member for Montrose
exptcted that Mr. Crawford would prove a great card
for him; but when he came to be examined he stated
that he knew nothing of the matter, except what he
had got out of Sir James Brooke's diary.—(Hear.)
The Hon. Member was not very nice respecting the
quraters to which he applied for information. As long
as he could get up a charge against a colonial governor,
he did not stick at trifles.—(Laughter.) Some time ago
there appeared in the Daily News a letter written by a
Mr. Miles, the same gentleman, he believed, whom the
Hon. Member had that evening referred to as the author
of a letter, without naming him. Mr. W. H. Miles, was
a gentleman who followed the occupation of a butcher,
with which he united the more honourable profession of
a boxer, and it happened that owing to a little misfor-
tune he went abroad at the Queen's expense.—(A laugh.)
Lord Bacon said that there were two ways of making a
man wise, by books and by travel. It was Mr. Miles's
fortune to profit by the latter:—
" Mores hominum multorum visit et urbes."

—(Laughter.) This gentleman went out to Borneo,
and on his return to this country he took it into his
bead to write a letter to the Sultan; and, remembering
that great sovereigns, when they visited other countries,
were usually treated to a review of the troops of those
countries, in order to inspire them with an high idea of
their military prowess, and wishing to convey a fine
impression of England to the Sultan, he (Mr. Miles) re-
solved—for great men were never at a loss for resources
—he resolved to send him a picture of the Horse-guards
—(Laughter)—and here it is (said the Hon. Member,
holding up the letter with a vignette view of the Horse-
guards at the top of it).—(Continued laughter.) The
letter was as follows:

"My Dear Sultan,—Alth in London 1,600 miles
awhay from you I do not forget you and Borneo and
when I come back to Singapore I shall come and see
you I have told all my friends in London what nice old
Gentleman you are—(Laughter)—and are mush pleased
with the account of Borneo and the plosent life the
Malays lead the Queen had A little boy the other day
I should not be surprized if it is not called The Sultan—
(Laughter)—l must buy some little present in London
for the Sultan Before I leeve Mrs. Miles and all Her
friends sends there Kind Complements to the Sultan
tender my respects to Pengaren Molmean and Pengaren
Maccootar and all the other Pengarens and nobles of
Brunie.

:Opiug this will find you all well believe me Dear Sultan
"Yours Respectfully
" 'WILLIAM HENRY MILES,
" late Pengaren Miles Labuan.
" London, 24th May, 1840.
" P.S. This is the Queens Birthday I drank your and
Her very good Helth in A bumper and wished you might
live A hundred years."
Now, upon the strength of this letter, he denied that the
letter which the Hon. Member for Montrose had received
and published as his was written by this man.—(Hear,
hear.) He (Mr. Drummond) would like very much, if
the Honourable Member would hand over the manuscript
of the letter to him or to some of his friends, and allow
the handwriting to be compared with that of the
letter he had just read.—(Hear, hear.) He (Mr. Drum-
mond) believed that the letter read by the Honourable
Member was cooked; for the fact was that. Mr. Miles
could not spell, and therefore he could not have spelled
this letter, which was published in his name; and he did
not believe the handwriting was like this.—(Here the
Hon. Member tossed the letter across the House to Mr.
Hume.) But he bad no doubt he could easily get ano-
ther handwriting to resemble the one the Hon. Gentle-
man had got.—(Hear, hear.) The whole of this trans-
action from first to last was a very di,croditable one.—
(Hear, hear.) There was, he knew, a mock patriotism
which thought that it was always doing the public a
service by finding fault with people in office, and parti-
cularly with those in distant settlements; whereas it was
to official men in distant settlements that they ought to
be more than ordinarily ready to extend their protec-
tion.—(Hear. hear.) The House should remember the
many worthless adventurers who went out from this
country to those settlements for the purpose of repairing
their broken fortunes and character, and with whom
official men were necessarily thrown into contact; and
how any mark of just severity which might be mea-
sured out to those characters was sure to furnish abun-
dant opportunity for slander.—(Hear, hear.) He did
hope that the House would, with a high hand, reject this
motion, although he could not hope that that would put
an end to the matter. At the bottom and root of it all
was the author to whom he had before pointed, and so
long as he was alive (so we understood the Hon. Mem-
ber) he believed that the slanders would live also.
Mr. MACGREGOR, on the part of the Archipelago
Company, of which he was chairman, denied there was
any foundation for the charges of fraud which the Hon.
Member for West Surrey bad brought against the com-
pany ; and said he believed the Government would bear
him out in the denial.
Mr. DRUMMOND said he meant the manager of the
company. The truck system, disreputable in individuals,
was more so in a company, and still more so in an inci-
pient oolong, where the moat scrupulous faith ought to
be kept with the natives. It was managed thus—a shop
was kept by the company's superintendent, from which
the native workmen and native traders received half
their pay and half their money demands, in goods.Tbus
apiece of balacher, or grey shirting, costs in Singapore
2 dollars, or 1 dollar 90c., which the native must take
in payment for 3 dollars. If the native refuses, be could
twiiethcotuhret, beeofinorpeanynor work for it. The fact
Sir J. Brooke and two other
enaomtedecaul
judges, in this way,—to establish a date on a trial in
which company's superintendent
handed ine was
aciaaanwtiittyneosfs,"tp the company's
(rice in husk), which
receipt was signed by the native plaintiff in the case.
The receipt was fairly written in English for above 200
dollars, and the native incidentally stated that half the
money-price had been paid in grey shirtings; so that
either the superintendent bad cheated the company or
the company bad cheated the people; but, in either case,
the people were robbed.--(Hear, hear.)
Mr. B. COCHRANE said that, after the speeches
which had been made, it was unnecessary for any one to
rise in defence of Sir James Brooke. (He hear.) He
hoped, however, the House would allow him, es he had
been requested to do so, to refer to the testimony
of his relative, Sir T. Cochrane, with regard to Sir J.
Brooke, in a letter addressed to the First Lord of the
Admiralty. The language of the Hon. Member for
Montrose led to an impression that Sir T. Cechrane was
opposed to the conduct of Sir J. Brooke. Now, Sir T.
Cochrane stated that on two different occasions Sir J.
Brooke had placed himself under his command, and that
his first acquaintance with him was in 1845, when piracy
became daring on the west coast of Borneo, to an extent
to endanger not only Britich commerce, but the peace of
the inhabitants. Sir T. Cochrane further stated that in
the following year Sir J. Brooke rendered him important
service, and resided six weeks on board the flag-ship ;
and that he found him to be " one of the most mild,
considerate. single-minded men he ever met with."—
(Cheers.) With regard to the attack on the Sarebas and
Sakarran tribes, Sir T. Cochrane was of opinion that
it would not have been resorted to' if there had not
existed an absolute necessity, and that having heard
that these tribes were disturbing the Sarawak settle-
ment, he effered to place a force at the disposal of Sir
J. Brooke to bring them to reason; but that so far from
availing himself of it, he informed him that he wished
to try gentle and peaceful means.—(Hear, hear.) With
regard to the loss of life attending the attack, Sir T.
Cochrane accounted for it partly by the utter careless-
ness which Malays, when irritated, displayed concerning
their lives, often looking upon self-immolation as a

A .. _ .t'

LONDOI44T,

virtue, and a thing to be desired.—(Hear, hear). Such
was the testimony of one every way competent to form
an opinion. His (Mr. B. Cochrane's) anxiety on the
present occasion was to have his name associated with
a debate and with a vote which he hoped would satisfy
the public generally that a public man had done his
duty nobly and in an honourable manner.—(Hear.)
Mr. GLADSTONE said that in his judgment the
Hon. Member did honour to himself by availing himself
of the very testimony which he had quoted as to the
character of the distinguished man accused on this oc-
casion, against whom, as appeared to him, no inconsi-
derable amount of personal* animosity existed.—(Hear,
hear.) In this hostile feeling with respect to Sir J.
Brooke, he did not share. There was nothing which
had been said by his Hon. Friend who had just sat
down, so far as his limited knowledge extended, in which
he shonld not be disposed cordially to concur. He re-
garded Sir J. Brooke with great respect as a man of
energy, truly British, and as being in his heart and in-
tentions—whatever errors of judgment he may, like
others, have fallen into—guided by a philanthropy truly
Christian.—(Cheers.) He could not vote for the motion
ef the Hon. Member for Montrose on specific grounds,
which he would afterwards state. At the same time, he
must say, be could not concur in the unqualified lan-
guage which had been used in opposition to that
motion.—(fleir ) He could not vote for the mo-
tion, because it appeared to him to combine together
a great number of subjects that had no proper con-
nexion, and to assume, in too marked a manner—if not
exclusively—the character of a personal charge against
Sir James Brooke. Be thought the Hon. Member for
Montrose would be the first to admit, if his motion was
of such a character, that by voting in favour of it he'
would imply a presumptive acquiescence in that charge.
In respect to the general position of Sir James Brooke,
and to the combination of,-offices in his person, however
critical 'that position might be, or however expedient it
might be as a rule of administration to combine 'such
offices, be did not think that the House, addressing the
Crown for a commission efinquiry on the subject, which
belonged more properly to the Executive, would be alto-
gether just. With respect to the 'charge as to the de-
struction of a certain number of human beings, if cor-
rect in his view, there was no reason why Sir James
Brooke should be selected as either singly or mainly re-
sponsible for these proceedings. .That was a point upon
which they were competent to form an opinion, and he
wished to know who those persons were, as it would be
the duty of the House to call on them to render an ac-
count of their proceedings. He understood Sir J. Brooke
to be invested with a threefold official character:-1. As
Raja of Sarawak; (2) as consul in the dominions of the
Sultan of Borneo; and (3.) as Governor of Labuan. But
in no one of these capacities bad he any authority over
the forces of her Majesty. What he might have done,
had the action alluded to taken place in the waters
of Labuan, was a different matter; but, as it
happened, it took place 100 miles distant. With re-
spect to that action, he understood Sir J. Brooke to
be an -advising and consenting party, if not the party
primarily responsible. If the House should think that
there was a misuse of the naval power in the waters of
Borneo on the 31st July, 1849, it appeared to him that
they were not entitled to call on Sir J. Brooke—who was
not the person in command—to bear the responsibility,
but must deal with it in the ordinary form, and hold the
party in command responsible for the use or misuse of
the torte entrusted to him. On that ground he could
not accede to a motion which served to indicate that Sir
James Brooke was the person on whom the responsi-
bility of that action ought to rest. But he must also
confess that with regard to the other and main point, he
could not come to the same conclusion as the Hon.
Member for Montrose—he meant the point whether the
tribes attacked were piratical or not. He was not in-
clined to say that it was a point placed beyond the pos-
sibility of doubt, but after having taken the greatest
pains in examining the evidence, it appeared to him
that the balance of testimony was in favour of the
opinion that those particular tribes were to be dis-
tinguished from the rest of the Dyaks, and that they
were what might be termed piratical, though their
piracy was not of that formidable kind which led to the
attack of European vessels.—(Hear, hear.) If that, then,
were the point at issue, he was bound to say that a
piratical character attached to these tribes.—(Hear.)
Upon this point, be must say, he attached importance
to the evidence of Sir James Brooke. He had such en-
tire confidence in his humanity, honour, and integrity,
that he received his evidence, even where he had an ap-
parent interest, with the most unqualified confidence.—
(hear, hear.) This matter, too, he had reason to be-
lieve had been judicially argued before Sir C. Rawlinson
in 1849. That part of the question he believed was
before him; and the evidence then was sufficiently mi-
nute to convince. him that the judge had decided that
these tribes were piratical. This matter; too, had been
argued before Dr. Lushington. The objection to the
payment of head-money had been made by the Queen's
Advocate, on the ground"that the parties were not, pi-
rates; and Dr. Lushington, he believed, had come to The
decision that the tribes were of a piratical character. But
even if there were some doubt remaining on his mind on
this subject, he must at the same time say that no suffi-
cient ground had been made for an inquiry such as the
Hon. Member proposed.—(Hear, hear.) But then he
came to what constituted the real difficulty in this case;
and after listening to the sarcasm and satire of the Hon.
Member for Surrey, he said that this question was not
one that was to be disposed of by taunts directed against
the Honourable Member for Mentrose.—(Hear, hear.)
As to that Honourable Member it was not often his for.
tune to vote on the same side with him; but still he was
bound to express his conviction that no man brought
greater honesty of purpose, or greater determina-
tion to do justice, in every case like the present that he
undertook, than the same Hon. Member.—(Cheers.)
They had . now to consider what was the real question
that was submitted to their judgment. In his opinion the
terms of the motion of the-Hon. Member were liable to
objection—that it fixed upon Sir J. Brooke a responsi-
bility that did not pre-eminently belong to him; but then
it was for the House to determine, not bow the blame
that attached to these transactions was to be distributed,
but of the fact that was placed before them—namely,
that there bad been a great destruction of human life,
and whether that destruction had been warranted?—
(Hear, hear.) He brought no charge of cruelty against
those who had been engaged in this enterprise. He be-
lieved ne such motive influenced them; and if he
doubted that there was legality in their proceedings, he
did so admitting that they believed that they were acting
with a view to what were ultimately the interests of hu-
manity. But admitting this did not dispose of the ques-
tion.—(Hear.) When in that House they heard the
name of " pirates" mentioned, it was supposed that was
the whole question. It was not so. Their relations with
pirates were regulated by law; and if they were, then
they were found to observe the law when dealing with
pirates as when dealing with other criminals who were
not pirates, or with persons who were not criminal.
What was the law in thus dealing with pirates? It was
chiefly needful to refer to two Acts of Parlianient. The
first Act referred to head-money, and it was most vague
in its language as to the manner of treating pirates. It
gave rewards for the capture and destruction of pirates;
and there was, in point of fact, nothing in it to impeach
the legality of these proceedings. By the Act of 1837
circumstances, however, were changed. It declared that
in all cases an act of piracy was not a capital offence.
It enabled them to kill pirates, to capture the rest; but
by the second section of that Act it was enacted that if
a person acting as a pirate resisted his being captured,
be was liable to be- put to death ; that all persons en-
gaged in active resistance were liable to capital punish-
ment. But then when they came to the third section
of the same Act they would find it declared that any
man convicted of an act of piracy, not connected with
resistance, should be liable, not to theepunishment of
death, to which he would be subjected before the pass-
ing of the Act, but to be sentenced by the court to
transportation for life. Instead, then, of piracy being
a capital offence, it was one only liable to transporta-
tion. Here, then, they had to observe that they had in-
flicted the punishment of death upon 500 persons. There
were only two cases in which they could do so—in case
of active resistance, or their not submitting to capture,
and in the attempt,to capture slaying them. He put this
case to the House, to her Majesty's Government, and espe-
cially to the law officers of the Government. Did these 500
persons thus put to death fall under one or other of these
cases? He did not quote the evidence of any men whose
handwriting was questioned. He quoted the account of
those engaged in the transaction, and who stated the parti-
culars of it as one that did them high honour. Were these
500 persons deprived of life without a legal warrant,
such as there would be in either of the cases he bad sup-
posed ?—(Hear.) When the action began there was
partial resistance from some of the prahus ; but that
resistance was partial, and it very soon ceased. The
resistance was followed by flight, and the flight by pur-
suit; but then it was only a nominal pursuit, for the
means of flight were ridiculous as compared with the
means of pursuit. Now, what said Captain Wallis?
That he saw 16 or 17 prahus escaping, and on their com-
ing abreast of him he fired a broadside loaded with ca-
nister shot along their whole line—he raked them along
his whole line as they were escaping, and not resisting.
—(Hear.) Now, what he asked for was a vindication of
this proceeding.—(Hear, hear.) ,According to this rsi-
dence, a great number of lives were sacrificed when the
men were not resisting. These litres were sacrificed de-
liberately—(Hear)—but whether from humane motives
or not he did not inquire; but they were sacrificed with-
out that legal 'sanction which was required, when they
were dealing with pirates, as if they were dealing with
any other class of criminals. This, then, was the diffi-
culty that presented itself to his mind. This it was
which justified them in addressing the Crown for an
inquiry, not as against Sir J. Brooke, but into the
whole of the proceedings. It was to the Government he
looked for a vindication of these proceedings, and he
hoped it would have been made through some Member
on the part of the Government in the early part of the,
evening; for it was their duty to inquire into every such
nase--to ascertain the legality of the proceedings of their
officers abroad as well as at home—it was their duty to
thetorrigdhptsAlf every do so, as the only permanent security and guarantee for
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a debate in which the arguments and the facts have been
more completely all on one side than in the present—
(Hear, hear)—and I must pay the Hon. Member for
Montrose the compliment of saying, that though he often
brings strong opinions to 'sustain any question he sub-
mits to this House, yet the natural candour of his mind
was shown in the manner in which he proposed his mo-
tion this evening. I could not but see that his convie-
lions, which were so strong when, the subject was last,
debated, have been somewhat, shaken this year—(Hear,
hear)—and although he has not altogether departed from
his sentiments previously expressed, still those who heard
him—and I am sorry to say that not many of those who
are now present did so—(Laughter)—still they must
have remarked that be did not show the same confidence
in the soundness of his conclusions which he exhibited
on a former occasion.--(Hear, hear.) The question Lies,
as it has been saiu by the, Hon. Member .for
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