the golden chersonese and the way thither-第85章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


time　of　British　interference；　was　the　favorite　form　of　security；　and
she　is　now　the　largest　claimant　in　the　country　for　the　repayment　of　her
money。　Another；　Wan　Teh　Sapiah；　has　also　claims　of　a　like　nature　on
several　families；　and　both　these　ladies　willingly　undertook　to　accept
of　liquidation　by　such　an　arrangement。

3。　In　the　former　case　it　has；　I　am　sorry　to　say；　fallen　through；　from
the　impossibility　of　inducing　the　debtors　to　work　regularly；　and　from
very　many　of　them；　who　are　living　in　entire　freedom　in　different　parts
of　the　country；　declining　to　come　into　the　arrangement；　though
acknowledging　their　debts。

4。　In　many　other　cases　the　creditors　from　the　first　put　forward　the
certainty　of　the　failure　of　such　a　system　from　the　above…mentioned
cause；　others　have　objected　that　they　had　no　regular　employment　in
which　to　place　their　debtors；　others；　that　they　are　utterly　ruined　by
the　events　of　recent　years；　and　that　they　would　accede　to　the　proposal
if　fairly　carried　out　on　the　other　part；　provided　the　Government　would
advance　money　as　the　native　Rajahs　did　to　enable　them　to　open　mines　or
gardens　in　which　they　could　employ　their　debtors；　nearly　all　have
declared　themselves　willing；　and　even　anxious；　to　accept　a　just　amount
in　payment　of　their　debts；　several　suggesting　that　the　State　might
conveniently　undertake　to　do　this；　employing　the　labor　in　public　works
until　the　debtor　should　be　free。

5。　I　cannot　undertake　to　say　what　may　have　been　the　practice　in　former
times；　as　to　the　treatment；　in　Perak；　of　this　class　of　persons；　but　no
case　of　cruelty　or　any　great　hardship　has　been　brought　to　my　notice
since　I　came　into　the　country。　By　far　the　larger　number　of　the
slave…debtors　live　with　their　families　apart　and　often　at　great
distances　from　their　masters；　enjoying　all　the　fruits　of　their　labor；
rendering　occasional　assistance　to　them　when　called　upon　to　do　so；
which；　in　the　majority　of　cases；　is　of　rare　occurrence。

6。　The　circumstances　of　Perak　would　probably　be　found　to　differ　from
those　of　Selangor；　which　I　understand　has　a　much　smaller　population；
was　governed　by　an　enlightened　ruler　under　the　advice　of　British
Residents；　who　succeeded　in　introducing　the　present　regulation
immediately　after　the　conquest　of　the　district。

7。　To　introduce　such　a　measure　into　Perak　at　the　present　time　would；　in
my　opinion；　have　a　very　disturbing　effect；　and　although　I　do　not　think
that　it　would　lead　to　any　extensive　or　organized　armed　resistance；　I　am
sure　that　it　would　so　shake　the　confidence　which　has　arisen　between　the
European　officers　and　principal　people　that　years　would　be　required　to
restore　it。

8。　I　confess　that　I　am　not　able　to　devote　all　my　sympathy　to　the　weaker
class　in　this　question。　I　concur　with　the　principal　natives　that　the
introduction　of　a　measure　which　formed　no　part　of　the　original　contract
would　practically　amount　to　a　confiscation　of　their　property；　the　value
of　the　labor　of　this　class　of　persons　being　scarcely　more　than　nominal；
and　I　adhere　to　the　opinion　that　the　just　and　politic　course　is；　as　has
been　done；　to　prohibit　any　extension　or　renewal　of　the　practice　either
of　slave　indebtedness　or　slavery；　to　secure　good　treatment　for　the
servile　classes　under　penalty　of　enforced　manumission；　to　reduce　claims
when　they　come　before　the　magistrates　to　the　minimum　which　justice　to
the　creditor　will　permit；　to　await　the　increased　means　of　freeing
themselves　which　must　develop　for　the　poorer　classes　upon　the　extensive
introduction　of　European　capital　into　agricultural　industries；　and；
finally；　to　purchase　at　a　rate　which；　in　consequence　of　the　notorious
discouragement　with　which　every　case　is　treated　by　the　European
officers　and　the　courts；　and　the　pressure　of　other　influences；　will；　in
time；　be　much　diminished　from　what　would　probably　be　considered　a　fair
equivalent。　I　have；　etc。；

（Signed）　Hugh　Low；　Resident。
The　Hon。　the　Colonial　Secretary；　Straits　Settlements；
Singapore。


No。　II

From　H。B。M。's　Resident；　Perak；　to　the　Honorable　the　Colonial　Secretary

Teluk　Anson；　April　26；　1882。

SirI　have　the　honor　to　acknowledge　the　receipt　of　your　letter　of　the
14th　instant；　calling　upon　me　for　information　as　to　the　progress　made
toward　the　extinction　of　debt　slavery　in　this　State　since　1879；　for
transmission　to　Her　Majesty's　Secretary　of　State。

2。　In　reply　I　have　the　honor　to　report　that　the　policy　explained　in　my
letters　to　your　predecessor；　dated　28th　May　and　14th　December；　1878；
has　been　steadily　pursued　in　Perak；　all　slave　debtors　who　have　appealed
to　the　protection　of　the　courts　having　their　cases　adjudicated　upon　on
the　most　liberal　terms　consistent　with　justice　to　the　creditors；　and　a
considerable　number　have　availed　themselves　of　the　facilities　presented
to　them　and　bought　up　the　claims　upon　them。

3。　Further　and　more　intimate　knowledge　of　the　people　has　confirmed　the
impression　that　whatever　may　have　been　the　case　in　former　times；
cruelty　to　slaves　or　slave　debtors　has　been　very　rare　since　the
establishment　of　settled　government；　and　in　every　instance　in　which
such　has　come　to　my　knowledge　or　to　that　of　the　British　officers；
manumission　without　compensation　was　carried　out。

4。　Three　such　cases　have　occurred　in　the　families　of　two　very　high
officers　of　State；　and　these；　with　one　other　case；　are　all　the
instances　of　cruelty　which　have　been　reported　to　me。

5。　An　attempt　was　made　in　1879　to　procure　a　census　of　the　population
through　the　chiefs　of　the　village　communities。　　Each　of　these　chiefs
recorded　the　name　of　every　householder　in　his　district　with　the　number
of　persons；　distinguishing　their　sex　and　condition。

6。　A　total　of　47；359　is　thus　arrived　at　for　the　free　native　Malay
population。　Of　these　14；875　were　males　above；　and　9；313　below；　16　years
of　age。　The　females　numbered　14；761　and　8；410。

7。　The　number　of　slaves　was　returned　as　1；670；　of　whom　775　were　males
and　895　females。　The　slave　debtors　were　respectively　728　and　652；
giving　a　total　of　1；380；　the　two　servile　classes　numbering；　of　both
sexes；　3；050。　I　fear；　however；　that　these　numbers　do　not　include　all
the　bond　population；　as　His　Highness　the　Regent　and　one　or　two　others
with　extensive　claims　did　not　give　in　returns。

8。　I　regret　to　state　that　the　attempt　which；　as　reported　in　my　letter
of　the　14th　December；　was　liberally　made　by　the　Toh　Puan　Halimah；　chief
wife　of　the　ex…Mentri　of　Perak；　to　facilitate　the　manumission　of　her
slaves　and　debtors　by　working　off　the　just　claims　against　them　on　fair
terms；　was　successful　only　to　a　very　inconsiderable　extent。　The　Malays
of　Perak　are；　as　a　rule；　so　adverse　to　and　so　unaccustomed　to　steady
labor；　and　can　so　easily　provide　for　their　wants；　that　they　altogether
decline；　except　for　short　periods；　to　perform　services　of　any　nature
even　for　high　wages。

9。　The　opinion　of　those　having　claims　upon　the　servile　classes　is　now
pretty　general　in　favor　of　manumission　upon　equitable　terms；　and
although　a　few　old　Conservative　families　in　such　districts　as　Kinta
would　prefer　to　adhere　to　the　former　state　of　things；　I　have　considered
that　the　time　has　arrived　when　a　general　measure　having　this　end　in
view　may　be　taken　into　consideration　in　the　hope　of　carrying　it　out
completely　in　the　year　1883。

10。　His　Excellency　the　Governor　may　have　observed　in　the　minutes　of　the
March　Session　of　the　Council　of　State　that　the　subject　of　manumission
of　slaves　and　debtors　was　brought　to　the　notice　of　His　Highness；　the
Regent　by　the　Resident；　and　that　a　meeting　of　the　Council　was　appointed
for　the　15th　May；　for　the　purpose　of　considering　the　terms　on　which
such　a　measure　should　be　based；　and　the　manner　in　which　it　should　be
carried　out。

11。　My　own　idea　is　that　a　commission；　consisting　of　one　or　two　native
chiefs　and　the　principal　European　officer　of　each　district；　should　be
appointed　to　inquire；　under　written　instructions；　into　the
circumstances　of　each　case；　and　award；　subject　to　the　approval　of　the
Government；　such　compensation　as　may　seem　fair　to　both　parties；　that
the　money　necessary　to　pay　the　amounts　awarded　shall　be　advanced　by　the
Government；　that　the　sum　adjudged　to　be　paid　for　manumission　shall
remain　in　wh