Straits Settlements

“ Crown Colonies.There is another group of British possessions which are peculiarly under the government of the Colonial Office, and which have often reason to be dissatisfied with that Government—I mean the Crown Colonies, the most important of which are the Straits Settlements, Ceylon, the West Indian Islands, and Mauritius. In nearly every Crown Colony, the white population bears a very small proportion to the natives, and is composed mainly of merchants, bankers, a few officials, and, in the West Indies, of planters. ”

“ In the Straits Settlements, the secret Societies are in fact, but large Friendly Societies, without political objects; dangerous no doubt, to a certain extent, but only for the reason that, owing to the nature of our Chinese population, each Hoey contains a large proportion of lawless and unprincipled characters.
Theoretically, all Meetings of the "League," are held in the jungle or mountains, and every new member is instructed to reply, when asked where he was initiated, "In the mountains, for fear of the 'Chheng' Officials." ”

“ The population of the peninsula includes about 850,000 Chinese, mostly immigrants or descendants of immigrants from the southern provinces of China, of whom about 300,000 reside in the colony of the Straits Settlements, 365,000 in the Federated Malay States, 150,000 in Johor, and the remainder in smaller communities or as isolated traders scattered throughout the villages and small towns of the peninsula. ”

“ C. G. Lush states that thirty men and one plant will be able to produce as much and even more tin than is now being obtained with three hundred men. “If we put only one plant on the property,” he says, “it will take us, perhaps, a hundred years to work it out, but there is no reason why we should not have four or five plants, and work it out in a lifetime!” In Australia, Tasmania, and the Straits Settlements [80] 11⁄2 lbs. of tin per cubic yard is considered very good, but Mr. Lush is of opinion that in Naraguta the ground will give fully 5 lbs. of tin per cubic yard ”

“ Settlement is going on wonderful fast, and, like enough, in another forty years there won't be any more pirates on the great rivers here than thar are on the seas. Steam and settlements is bound to wipe 'em out at last. ”

“ Admitted a solicitor in England Nov., 1877; practised at Portsmouth and London; admitted advocate and Solicitor, Supreme Court, Straits Settlements, April, 1887; joined the Government Service of Straits Settlements, Dec., 1888 and has since held various appointments in service; acted as Attorney-General in 1904; passed examination in Malay in 1890; draughtsman of a number of Legislative Enactments and of a Code of Civil Procedure for Straits Settlements, not yet brought into force. Address: Penang, Straits Settlements, and Hatter's Croft, Sawbridgeworth, Herts, England. ”

“ Colonial Surgeon, Malacca; Colonial Surgeon, Residency, Penang; Principal, Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School. Address: Medical School, Singapore, Straits Settlements. ”

“ Junior Counsel for Government of Straits Settlements in Tanjong Pagar Dock Co. Arbitration, 1905; Judicial Commissioner, Federated Malay States, since 1906. Club: Constitutional, London. Address: Ipoh, Perak, Federated Malay States. ”

“ BEATTY, David (PENANG) , Straits Settlements Civil Service; b. Jan. 20, 1876. Educ.: Trinity Coll., Dublin; Jun. and Sen. Exhibitioner; 1st Honoursman in Classics, Logic and Natural Science; Prizeman in History. ”

“ Commissioner, Court of Requests, Singapore, Sept., 1903, but continued to act as 1st Magistrate. Club: Sports, London. Address: "Stanmore," Singapore, Straits Settlements; Carnagh, Near Athlone, Ireland. ”

“ Private Secretary to the Governor of Straits Settlements, 1894; acting Magistrate: Kuala Lumpur, 1903; assistant Secretary to Resident General, acting Magistrate, and Registrar of Courts, Kuala Lumpur, Aug., 1903. Address: Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Federated Malay States. ”

“ The comity of nations, however, has recognised in the case of settlements made in a vacant territory for the purpose of colonisation, a title in the settlers to such an extent of territory as it may fairly be presumed that they intend to cultivate (Vattel, b. i., § 81,) and the possession of which is essential either to the convenience or security of the settlement, without being inconvenient to other nations. ”

“ Whenever three respectable negroes, heads of families, shall desire to settle on land, and shall have selected for that purpose an island or a locality clearly defined within the limits above designated, the Inspector of Settlements and Plantations will himself, or, by such subordinate officer as he may appoint, give them a license to settle such island or district, and afford them such assistance as he can to enable them to establish a peaceable agricultural settlement. ”

“ There is in many cases difficulty to settle what constitutes occupancy. On a small Island, any first settlement is acknowledged an occupancy of the whole; and sometimes, the occupancy of a single Island of a group is supposed to comprehend an exclusive title to the possession of the remainder of the group. In the West Indies, the Spaniards regarded their making settlements on a few Islands, to be an actual taking possession of the whole, as far as European pretensions were concerned. ”

“ And here, it may not be inexpedient to reconcile the existence of so much distress, with so large an income, and so small a population as the colony and its dependent settlements are known to possess. ”

“ Should it ever become an object of settling this Country, the best place for the first fixing of a Colony would be either in the River Thames or the Bay of Islands; for at either of these places they would have the advantage of a good Harbour, and by means of the former an Easy Communication would be had, and settlements might be extended into the inland parts of the Country. For a very little trouble and Expence small Vessels might be built in the River proper for the Navigation thereof. ”

“ This would give a tract of country of 80 miles by 35, over almost the whole of which our settlements are now scattered.
There are some other objects of importance which might be settled at the time the Indians meet upon the subject of the boundary line. I have before stated to you that none of the roads passing through one settlement to any other in this Territory were made free by treaty, admitting that free ingress and egress were contemplated at the time that the several tracts were ceded to the French. ”

“ They are addressed to those whose minds are in some measure fixed; and it is to those who have to choose the most advantageous situations in new Settlements for their future residence, that any practical knowledge is offered. ”

“ During these two centuries, the colony has been constantly extending itself towards the east and north, just as the British settlements in North America, which were founded about the same time, have been ever since extending their borders towards the west and south, or as the settlements of Eastern Australia have been spreading to the west, south, and north. ”

“ It is a work of time, expense, and difficulty to explore the windings of a coast; more an object for Government to accomplish, than for an individual to undertake. You conjecture that this is a desirable part of the continent to select for a settlement, but it may be long before this place shall be located, and a solitary settler would labour under many disadvantages in his isolation. ”

“ Under the operation of treaty stipulations for a joint occupation of the Territory, extensive settlements had grown up, and the people in governing themselves had adopted land laws which made occupancy the basis of ownership as between settlers. ”

“ Truly ’twere to have been wished that something more excellent had been the main end of the settlements in that brave country, which we have, even long since the arrival of that more pious colony at the Bay, now seen dreadfully unsettled, no less than twice, at least, by the sword of the heathen, after they had been replenished by many hundreds of people who had thriven to many thousands of pounds, and all the force of the Bay, too, to assist them in maintaining their settlements. ”

“ In the northern and eastern districts, as far as they are occupied, the settlements are likewise almost entirely confined to the river-banks; and thus the greater part of the enormous forest-lands, and of the interminable tundras, are either entirely uninhabited by man, or visited only by the huntsman, the gold-digger, or the migratory savage. ”

“ We have now acquired insular regions, situated in the tropics, and in another hemisphere, and hence unsuitable for American settlers, even if they were not, as they are, already populated, and their lands already largely taken up. ”

“ The probable course of this newly discovered river, being thus in every respect so decidedly favourable for the foundation of a rich and powerful community, there can be little doubt that the government of this country will immediately avail itself of the advantages which it presents, and establish a settlement at its mouth. ”

“ But in a sparsely settled country, where water is not abundant, the actual border line, if there be any clear line, between settlement from one side and settlement from the other will not for the convenience of treaty-makers run along a river, but rather for the convenience of the settlers along the water-parting between two rivers. ”

“ The manner in which the settlements were begun was more remarkable than the long delay in beginning them. In most instances, new territories have been opened up for settlement by a few hardy pioneers, whose numbers were added to, year after year; but here we have a whole colony, coming in as one body, taking up all the desirable lands in the front concessions of a score of townships. ”

“ Whereas divers of His Majesty’s subjects have by the licence and consent of His Majesty effected a settlement upon certain wild and unoccupied lands on the western coast of New Holland and the islands adjacent which settlements have received and are known by the name of Western Australia. And whereas it is necessary to make some temporary provision for the civil government of the said settlement until the said undertaking shall be further matured and the number of colonists in the said settlements increased. ”

“ And yet we find that all the countries through which the above-named rivers pass, either have been, or promise to be, the seats of much more wealthy and powerful nations than the countries through which those rivers pass whose course is east or west. ”

“ But above all this, the state and circumstances of our settlements render such a measure not only proper and eligible, but absolutely necessary. The English settlements, as they are at present circumstanced, are absolutely at a stand; they are settled up to the mountains: and in the mountains there is no where together land sufficient for a settlement large enough to subsist by itself, and to defend itself, and preserve a communication with the present settlements. ”

“ Our Territory is said to be sparsely settled, but our location renders it necessary that wherever a settlement exists it shall be of considerable size, in order to carry out the necessary arrangements for protection and cultivation. ”

“ The people in the settlements are satisfied with their location. I heard but very little complaint, and what complaints I did hear were, I thought, almost entirely due to the inconvenience incident to emigration, to breaking up their homes, to disposing of their property, to riding distances upon railroads, landing at their destination wearied, to not being so carefully housed and protected for a limited length of time after their arrival, and to their being unacquainted with the country. ”

“ In a report of the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations in 1772 are words which show that it was the intention of the government to confine 'the western extent of settlements to such a distance from the seaboard as that those settlements should lie within easy reach of the trade and commerce of this kingdom,... ”

“ If an unsettled province, such as Texas, for example, could, by some convulsion of nature, be wafted alongside of, and attached to, the island of Great Britain, the instantaneous effect would be, to draw off the redundant portion of the population, and to render more comfortable both the emigrants and those whom they would leave behind. ”

“ When an over-sea colony is founded, the new settlement is in effect most distant from the old country; that is to say, means of communication between the one point and the other are least frequent and least developed. The tendency to separation—as far as geography is concerned—is therefore strongest at the outset. ”

“ If this rule were to be followed, one nation might establish colonies on the coast of another nation — in America, Asia, Africa and Europe — by which means there would be no fixed boundaries — a circumstance evidently absurd. ”

“ It seems, in the making of the settlements in these valleys, that it has been a difficult matter for the farmers to provide themselves with sufficient barns and store-houses, they are wanting almost everywhere, but some of these northern settlements are becoming very well supplied with these out-door conveniences. ”

“ There is a clear channel all the way up the river for vessels of 500 tons, commencing about a mile and a half above Freemantle to Perth; then there are a succession of flats until you pass the islands, where the navigation continues clear for many miles up the river.
The prospects of the colony are every day improving, to the satisfaction of all classes; and the great number of respectable settlers, and their patience and perseverance in establishing themselves, are the surest grounds for the ultimate prosperity of the settlement. ”