The Sun.
London, England, 1858-04-23 00:00:00

THE SARAWAK COLONY IN BORNEO.

DINNER AT MANCHESTER TO SIR JAMES

BROOKE.
On Wednesday evening a public dinner was
given to Sir James Brooke, K. C. 8., at the Queen's
Hotel, Manchester, Ivie Mackie, Esq., Mayor,
presided ; and at the principal table were Sir James
Brooke, Colonel Servante, R. E., Alderman Sir J.
Watts, Mr. Thomas Bazlay, Admiral the Hon. Sir
H. Keppel, K.C.8., the Hon. Mr. Howard, Al-
derman Sir Elkanah Armitage, and Colonel Ken-
nedy. The vice-chair was occupied by Mr. Thos.
Fairbairn.

Sit JAMES BEOOIiE, in responding to the toast in
his honour, reviewed the chief points of his career
in cannection with Sarawak, and after enlarging on
the great commercial importance of the place, said ,
—Yeur kind reception of me to-day induces me to
seek your support in obtaining objects to which I
have devoted life and fortune for many years past,
objects politically and commercially important, and
deeply affecting the. character and the position of
this nation in the Eastern Archipelago ; objects
which by timely arrangement, might be gained
without risk and without expense—which may be
lost from continued neglect and indifference—aed
which must, I am convinned, be regretted when
too late. (Hear, hear.) For the natinn which to
this day deplores the cession, through ignorance,
of the fair Island of Java, cannot fail to regret,
when it is aware of its value, the loss of the north-
west coast of Borneo—vainly to regret the oppor-
(unities wasted and the advantages cast away.
(Applause.) Let it not be so, gentlemen. I im-
plore you to weigh this subject well—to regard the
claims of justice and the rights of humanity—to
decide, and induce °lbws to act, so that you may
establish a policy and a position in those seas
worthy of a great nation. (Hear, hear.) The
simple question before you is, " Shall Sarawak in
future be supported, as it-Once was, or be aban-
doned, as it now is ?" (Hear, hear.) The British
policy centres around this question ; it is the
touchstone of progress or of retrogression ; and
after 15 years' suspense—suspense more hard to
bear than misrortune—(hear, hear)--is it not rea-
sonable to seek an answer to it ? (Hear, hear.) Is
it not just and right to beg for the finaisettlenient
of affairs which will no longer brook delay ?—to
ask whether a petty state, ruled by an Englishman,
and fostered so long, is now to be abandoned, with
all the British interests in it 7 At any rate, let us
know our fate. Ask yourselves whether a policy
has been built up for years only to be cast down
again 7 Ask yourselves whether British subjects
were encouraged to embark their lives and fortunes
iu a new country with a view only to their ruin ?
(Hear, hear.) Actions are the proofs of intention,
and action and intention combined engender
obli-
gations not lightly to be violated. (Hear, hear,
and applause.) Judge, then, gentlemen. should
Sarawak be abandoned now ? (Hear, hear.) There
are, however, irrespective of this question, pruden-
tial calculations which must ever enter into the
consideration of political subjects ; and in the
present case the inquiries will naturally arise,
" Was this policy wisely commenced ? Should it be
renewed ? What are the advantages to be gained
from it ? And what may be the probable cost ?
To answer these inquiries we must glance at the
geography of those countries. Imagine stretched
out before you our vast possessions in India and
Australia on the one hand, and on the other the
vaster empire of China. Between, them lies the
Eastern Archipelago, with its thousand islands,
politically important, as being the key to China,
and the connecting link between the two oceens.
Now, gentlemen, if you share with me the c nvic-
tion that the progress of our commerce with China,
our trade with that vast and peopled region, is to
be developed by our,enerety and our enterprise, you
must require from the government of this country
that the means should be apportioned to the end ;
that 'they should establish British influence on tle:t
shot es of this pas' ern Mediterranean ; and that they
should provide in due time for the ever-increasing
demands of our steam communication. Sarawak
h'Ads a position cn the southern shoe of the China
Sea, itnp;rta,nt alike f,..ar navigation and electric
intercourse. Let any man of intelligence consult
his chart, and declare the value of that position,
present and future, to Engl and, and also the sore
hind, ante, it in'g6 become, if permit ed to pass
into the hands of a fur. ign power. (Hoar, hear.)
Already, I may say, the repre ta ti ves of the great
rations of Europe have congregated in China ;
already a European policy has been developed
there—already the fleets of England and of France,
of Russia and of America, guard the interests of
their respective nations. Already Russia possesses
settlem nts of some importance on the northern
shore of the China Sea ; let England retain her
hold upon the southern shot e ; and let her, in doing
so, secure the advantages, neither few nor unim-
portant, which Sarawak has to offer. Sarawak
possesses a pepula' ion which has evinced its respect
for good governmeet, and its fidel ty to this coun-
try, -and it is a proud thing to say, referring to the
recent occurrences in India, that there the reitive
and the European have laved for 20 years pat in
friendly intimacy and in mutual respect. She has
a fertile soil, calculated for the growth of mauy
valuable tropical- productions ; she is rich in
minerals, but richest in that most valuable of
minerals, coal, and her trade increases with the
development of her resources. A political positiol,
an increasing trade, the development of one of the
fairest countries, and an ample supply of coal,
are the advantages which Sarawak offers in ex-
change for permanency and a slight support.
(Hear.) I need not expatiate upon this suteecs,
for the possession of a coal field in those seas cin-
nal be -overvalued. Year by year it increases in
value, year by year will the want of it lower our
power in those regions—(hear, hear)—and I must
say th,t any Minister who would not secure it upon
reason able terms can be ito statesman. (Hear.)
Here, then, are the advantages offered. Tho cost
—if cost it can be caged—l will briefly mention.
To advance the interests of my own country, and
to obtain permanency for Sarawak, I would wil-
lingly have conceded the country, with the consent
of its inhabitants, to the Crown ; but there were
serious objections to this concession, the most
serious, probably, being the expense which a new"
col ny would have entailed. Tho proposition,
then, which I have made as the basis of a future
arr ngement is, that England should grant a pro-
tecorate, and that she should stand in the posi-
tion of a public creditor to Sarawak ; with a stipu-
lation that, on certain terms, she might take pos-
ses,ion of the country, whenever her interests re-
quired it. (Hear' hear, and applause.) This pro-
position appears to me to combine all the advan-
tages of possession, with none of its liabilities. The
native government, which is su ted to the people,
and in which they largely themselves administer,
might be advantageously continued ; while the
possession de facto would rest with the Crown.
(Hear.) There are not wanting precedents, if pre-
cedents be z eeded for a protectorate. And for the
loan which is proposed, it is too small almost to be
mentioned in this great city of Manchester, and it
would be secured, principal and interest, upon the
country itself. These are the terms on which I
should desire to make a final arrangement with this
country, and by which the greatest of all perma-
nent blessings would be secured for Sarawak.
(Hear.) But if it was required of me, I would sa-
crifice this sum of 40,0001. or 50,0001.—though it
was the fortune which 1 have inherited, and which
I have expended to bring Sarawak to its present
prosperous condition. (Applause.) No obstacle
shall be raised on my part. I would not allow any
selfish consideration to stand in the way of attain-
ing a great public object—(applauie)—for 1 can
stand before you to-night, and always before my
country, with a conscious pride that my hands are
unsullied by the love of lucre—(applause)—that I
hrve giVen all, and received nothing. (Hear, hear,
and applause.) My tale is told. I wilt only say
that, for myself I am as nothing ; for what is a
handful of dust compared to the destiny of a
people? (Hear, hear.) And the subject which
occupies us does involve the destiny of a noble
lace. (Hear.)
Mr. 0. HEYWOOD proposed "The Army and
Navy," which was responded to by CA. SERVANTE
and Admiral S r H. KEPPEL.

The subsequent speakers were Mr. Bazley, Mr.
Mr. M. Ross, Mr. T. A. B3rlo-v, aud Mr. Pender.

Major-General the Hon. Sir James Yorke Scarlett
K.C.8., commanding the South-West District, brigaded
the whole of the availiOle troops in Portsmouth gaAr-
rison yesterday afternoon on Soutbsea Common
t.
c. the
field battery of Artillery from nil
'ea
was
added 3 000 pier.lnfantry, numbering between 2,000 and
His Royal Highness Prince Alfred was present on the,
ground during the whole of the proceedings. a
E win Hart,
Tun ASSASSINATION AT PORTSDIOUIThIoI.
the solicitor's clerk, charged with rho
I a draper
forinmeurrydur of his
brother, Daniel Hart, yesterday
carrying on hulness
magistrates to Winchester
committed by the ailai3aPl,lnr:twuaiortitb, was
l'0“)jghl Lurder.
Gaol en the charge of wiltu
Me• J. S. Rarey, the
Lxvzrtr"l" '
MIL BARRY IN
uarvaeyar),ed for the first time in
Liverpool yesterday (
American horse tamer,
when he explained his
of.(Thursday), b6O 0
gentlemen in Lucas %rooms,
system to upwards
Charlotte-street. Mr. Rarey first experimented'
Great..tee-year old stallion colt, belonging to Mr.
Hup:pne ,lone®. This stallion, which bail never been bridltd
or Fiddled, and had frequently behaved very viciously
was quickly aed effectually tamed by Mr. Rarty, who
afterwards rode it up and.down Great Charlotte-street,
awiciet'a large crowd of spectators. Mr. Rarey next
completely subdued a vicious kicking omnibus horse;
which would previoudy never permit any person to get
on her back. Mr. „Rarey's success was most decided,
and he watl highly complimented open the result cf his
humane and satisfactory system of educaling and tAtning
bierbesi ,