The Sun.
London, England, 1851-07-12 00:00:00

SIR JAMES BROOKE.

Mr. flume succeeded last night in bringing forward
his motion for an inquiry into the career of Sir James
Brooke in the East Indian Archipelago. It was high
time that this point should, one way or the other, be
brought to a determinate issue. On the one band, it
would ill become the dignity of the British Government
to lend the sanction of its name to projects of individual
ambition ; and on the other, if Sir James Brooke be
really a meritorious servant of the Crown, it is in the
last degree impolitic in a public, and unjust in a private
sense, to hamper his proceedings and dog his steps with
constant accusation, not to say with perpetual slander
and falsehood. Mr. Hume's moti in of last
night was but a mess of warmed-up pottage
after all. So far from bringing any fresh matter be-
fore the notice of the House, it appears to have been
his studious endeavour, in his introductory speech,
to disconaect Sir James Brooke, as far as pos-
sible, from anything like exclusive responsibility for the
coercive meaeures pursued towards the pirates of the
Indian Archipelago. This is in itself a fact of sufficient
significance. It would be absurd to give those persons
who have set Mr. Hume on to make this attack credit
for any abatement of rancour against the object of their
hostility. The fact is simply teat the charges against
Sir James Brooke have absolutely and at all points
broken down in their hands. It should be remembered
that this ii not the first time tne case has been dis-
cussed. There has been ample opportunity for amending
any errors in tactics—for raking up Singapore smell-
talk, and hitching together something like a plausible
tale. Well, then, how stand the facts? But a short
while back the endeavour was made to fasten upon Sir
James Brooke personally the guilt of a wholesale mas-
sacre, undertaken for the advancement of his own per-
sonal interests. Last night nothing more was heard of
this accusation.
We are, however, well content to accept the issue
as tendered by Mr. Hume. Hero are his own
words:—" It was supposed by many that he wished to
attack the character of Sir James Brooke. Undoubtedly,
so far as Sir J. Brooke was an actor in those scenes, his
character might be affected; but this was a question of
such a nature that he implicated her Majesty's Minis-
ters and all parties who permitted those enormities with-
out taking; the proper and constitutional course to pre-
vent them." The gist of the whole charge must of
course depend upon the truth or falsehood in the two
words we have italicised. Are these sea rovers of the
Indian Archipelago—we will not call them merciless
and bloodthirsty pirates just yet—addicted to the sei-
zure of ships and slaughter of their crews? More espe-
cially, are the Sarebas and Sakarran—yacht clubs shall
we style them?—affected with this taint? Was the " ex-
perimental squadron"—shall it be ?—destroyed byCaptain
Farquhar in the Nemesis on the night of the 31st July
'49, really engaged in a scientific cruise, or on less cre-
ditable business? Now, let us exemine this question as
a mere question of evidence. With regard to the
squadron destroyed by Captain Farquhar, the certificate
of Sir Christopher Rawlinson, and the minutes of evidence
taken before him, which have been so often quoted in
the course of argument, would be sufficient to bring con-
viction to any disinterested person. But, as though this
were not enough, there has been brought to light
within a few weeks a dispatch from Colonel Butter-
worth, the Governor of Singapore, to the Indian Govern-
ment, in which that officer, present on the scene of ac-
tion, and bound by his position to ascertain the truth
officially, informs the Indian authorities of the enormi-
ties committed by these Sakarran and Sarebas tribes,
and eulogises the efforts for their extirpation made by her
Majesty's forces under Capt. Keppell. Even this evidence
—decisive as it is—is thrown into the shade by a paper
which was laid yesterday morning before both Houses
by her Majesty's command. This document gives an
ample account of the piracies committed in the Indian
Archipelago and of the measures adopted by the Ne-
therlands
Government from the year 1816 to 1845 for
their
repression. We recommend this paper to the de-
liberate attention of our readers as the most complete
justification of Sir J.
appeared print. Brooke's measures that has yet
They will find it an account of such
terrible and systematic atrocities as must make every
friend of humanity desirous that the might of the Bri-
tish name may be directed against ruffians who perpe-
trate them upon the open seas and in the broad eye of
day. Nor must it be supposed that the north-west
gwi %nos free
live from
up
coast of Bornetoh,atthethoenlyps
Dyak
ttrbiebsseere
piraey, or
the course of the Sakarran and Sarebua rivers
constitute a kind of Moravian settlement;
whilst all around them violence and bloodshed reign su-
preme. We must ask pardon for the length of the ex-
tract we are about to give, but it is of the last importance
actuall
to bring the charge of habitual piracy home to the tribes
s
the Nemesis upon the unimpeach-
able testimony the Indian officers of the Netherlands
Government. Thu they
write—" The schooner Haai,
stationed at Sambas (Borneo), succeeded in inflicting
severe loss upon a
dared to lay in wait for her. In the same manner the
flotilla of 30 Dyak prahus which had
coasts of Pontianaek were disturbed
At Manpawa theywith them. Sherif
that nine of then© Mohamet, the commanderby Dyak pirates.
came to blows . learnt
ghat of the district, having
mouth of the river,
each manned by from 30 to 40
prahus e rvei
ere t
.a the ,
them with only three . bandits, resolved to attack
prangs. Theq fought so closely

that scarcely any other weapon than the kiresang
(sabre) was used. The commandant had 37 men killed,
the loss of the enemy amounted to 80. It appeared
that the Dyaks came from Seribas, a locality situated in
the interior of the countries to the north of Sambas. which
is only accessible to the small light vessels of the Dyaks,
of slender form, and of which alt the parts are united
by means of canes. In their voyages they burn and
massacre along the shore all that is within their reach.
As trophies they carry off the skulls of the victims of
their ferocity. They have no firearms, but generally
use the klegang, and javelins or spears of wood har-
dened by fire." The document in question goes on to
complain of the difficulties thrown by the English in
the way of the Netherlands Government in their endea-
vours to put a stop to piracy in this particular region of
the Archipelago.
It would be idle to follow the speakers in the debate.
The;e was little room for oratorical display or ability in
argument. Arguments that have been used a dozen
times before fall flat upon the ear, and a proposition for
a commission for inquiry .where there is nothing to in-
quire about appears sufficiently absurd. What was to
be done with the pirates when they were fairly brought
to bay? " Catch them and try them in regular form,"
says Mr. Hume. Lord Palmerston's answer was un-
answerable—" But they won't be caught." The alterna-
tives were, either to inflict upon them a severe and ex-
emplary chastisement, or to let them sail away in
triumph. The British officers upon the spot decidtd
upon the first course, and the sound policy of the measure
has been evinced by the comparative tranquillity which
until recently has reigned on the coast. The overwhelm-
ing division of last night-230 against 19—is, however,
the best proof of the opinion entertained by the English
people of the whole Borneo controversy, and a tri-
umphant exculpation of one of the most remarkable men
of his country and his time.— Times.

THE SUSPECTED MURDER NEAR NORWICH.
No further remains have been discovered, nor has any-
thing transpired during the week calculated to throw
light upon the circumstances, beyond what was reported
in the Mercury of Saturday last. Some pieces of flesh,
which had been found in Chapel-field, were brought to
the station-house in the beginning of the week, but the
medical gentlemen have pronounced them not to be
human. It is the opinion of many criminal lawyers in
London, that these remains have been brought from a
long distance by railway, and afterwards distributed by
the party bringing them.—Norwich Mercury.

THE BISHOPS AND THEIR INCOMES
A morning paper, "in order that the case may be
thoroughly understood," gives the following scheme of
the English bishoprics, as settled in 1837, with the re-
spective incomes then assigned to them, and adds the
annexed list of revenues actually received by them in
1850, as given under the signatures of the bishops
themselves in the return just laid before Parliament:-
Assigned in 1837. £ Received in 1850. X
Canterbury ... 15,000 Canterbury ... ... 15,000
York ... 10,000 York, 1849 ... 19,217
„ 1:50 .. 9,457
(Paid Commissioners, 3,7501)
London ... 19,89
Durham ••• .. 38,619
( Paid Commissioners, 11,200/4
Winchester ... ... 28,388
St. Asaph ... 6,355
kFaid Commissioners, 1,3001.)
Bangor •.. ... 6,163
Bath and Wells ..„ 6,971
Carlisle ... 4,324
'Chester ... 2,725
IChichester ••• 5,319
(Paid Commissioners, 65 1.)
St.
11a88v45id04's ... 5,029
Ely, 9,223
4,232
(Paid Commissioners, 3,0001)
Exeter ... 1,919
Gloucester and Bristol 4,170
, Hereford •• • ... 4,468
Lichfield ... 6,034
Lincoln •• • ... 4,961
ILlandaff ... 4,398
Manchester ... .. 4,200
4,500 Norwich ... 7,571
▪.. 5,000 Oxford „„ ... 6,402
• 4,500 Peterborough ... 4,456
... 4,500 Ripon •• • ... 4,770
▪ 5,000 Rochester ... 4,607
... 5,500 Salisbury ... ... 6,128
... 5,000 i Worcester, 1849 ... 12,813
~ 1850 ... 5,430
'(Paid Commissioners, 1,1011.)

London 10,000
Durham ... 8,00111

Winchester ... ... 7.000
Bt. Asaph and Bangor 5,200

Bath and Wells ... 5,000
Carlisle ... ... 4,500
Chester ... ... 4,500,
Chichester ... ... 4,2001

St. David's .. 4,500 i
Ely 5,5001

Exeter ... 5,000'
Gloucester and Bristol 5,000,
Hereford 4,-200
Lichfield ... ... 4,500
Lincoln ... ... 5,000
Llandaff 4,200;

Norwich ...
Oxford ...
Peterborough ...
Ripon ...
Rochester ...
Sali.bury
Worcester ...

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
HOUSE OF LORDS, July 11.

WRITS OF ERROR—TILE BARON DE BODE V. THE QUEEN.
In this case judgment was delivered this morning.
The LORD CHIEF EARON said he appeared for the purpose
of delivering the opinions of his brother judges and himself.
The question put by their Lordships' House was this :—" An
individual claims compensation under the treaties mentioned
in the statute 59th George 111., cap. 31, or under
one of those treaties, or under the treaties and the statute, or
under the statute; has he any and what remedy to recover
such compensation, other than by an application to the Com-
missioners appointed and acting under the statute, and by
appeal from their decision to the judgment of the Privy
Colwell?" He had to report the unanimous opinion of the
Judges, that, according to the construction of the:statute, all
the money received from the French Government was re-
ceived by the English Government under the provisions of
the statute, and ought to be applied according to its di-
rections, and that the suppliant, therefore, had no claim ex-
cept under the provisions of the statute. There was conse-
quently no foundation for this claim under the petition of right.
The statute did dispose of the whole fund. The argument
was, that the judgment of the Commissioners appointed
under the statute had disposed of such part of the fund only
as was sufficient to satisfy the claims of all those whose
names had been registered before the passing of the Act,
leaving the claims of those who had been afterwards ad-
mitted as claimants undecided; and it was said that the sup-
plicant's name was not entered on the register, and therefore
was not decided by the Commissioners, but must now be
referred to the facts found in the inquisition returned by
the Commissioners on the petition of right to be true. If so,
it would become a matter entitled to great consideration
what would have been the liability of the Sovereign if that
Act had not been passed ; but such was not the construction
of the Act, but it might have been had the Act provided for
the application of the whole fund. The Judges were, there-
fore, of opinion that no case was made out for the claimant;
for any claimant on the fund must proceed according to the
provisions of the Act of Parliament, and he had no other
remedy. In answer to the question put by the House, the
Judges had not thought it necessary to go into the reaso, a in
detail, as they entirely concurred with the opinion of the
Judges, as expressed in the Court of Fachequer Chamber.
The LORD CHANCELLOR expressed his entire concurrence
with the opinion of the Judges, and moved that the judgment
of the Court below should be affirmed.—Agreed to.