From the Straits Echo of 25 August 1903, here is the third instalment of the newspaper's History of Penang. Click here for Part One and Part Two of this story.
HISTORY OF PENANG.
(Specially written for the Straits Echo.)CONTINUED FROM 18TH AUGUST)
Capt. Light was so pleased with the success of his little expedition that he commemorated his victory by naming his second son, “Lanoon" Light,who afterwards became Resident of Muntok in Banka, when the British held that island, with Java and Sumatra.
On the 24th August, 1792, the Superintendent announced, in a despatch to the Government of Bengal, the discovery of tin at Bukit Timah. The island settlement continued to prosper very rapidly and its population increased by, leaps and bounds, the Chinese at this time numbering about 3,000.
On the 25th January, 1794, Capt. Light, always having the Settlement's interest at heart, penned an ever-memorable despatch to Sir John Shore, Governor-General of India, pointing out, interalia, that “a regular form of administering justice is necessary both for the peace and welfare of the society and for the honour of the nation who had granted them protection. It is likewise improper that the Superintendent should have it in his power to exercise an arbitrary judgment upon persons and things; whether this judgment is iniquitous or not, the mode is still arbitrary and disagreeable to society." This remarkable despatch, filling almost a ream of foolscap, showed at once the high character of the man, and the whole tone of it bore testimony to the singleness of purpose and administrative ability of a high order that characterized this great pioneer of Greater Britain.
Two circumstances appear to have been prominently brought forward in 1793 in support of the representations made to the Supreme Government, and thence to the Home authorities, for the establishment of a Court of Judicature of some kind in Prince of Wales Island. The first of these is of a civil nature, threatening to involve Captain Light in law proceedings before the Supreme Court in Calcutta. It is then described in a despatch from Bengal to the Court of Directors in May 1793, in which it is also stated that the Company's Advocate-General had been instructed to defend Captain Light. The Court,in reply, approved of the Advocate-General being so employed and stated that "the subject of a Court of Judicature of Prince of Wales' Island will be taken into early consideration." It does not appear whether the suit against Captain Light was prosecuted, nor is there any further notice of the matter to be found in available records.
Mr.Wright, father-in-law of the late Mrs. Wright, who died in 1883, aged 100 years, and who resided on the Island as a merchant, having died intestate, his effects were sold in the usual manner by Messrs. Gardyne and Lindsay, who were employed by Captain Light on that occasion, and the proceeds were divided proportionately among Mr. Wright's creditors on the island. After all the payments had been made Messrs Perreau and Palling, of Calcutta, stated to Captain Light in a letter dated 29th April, 1791, that they had taken out letters of administration from the Supreme Court for the estate of Wright, and they transmitted) to the Superintendent a Power of Attorney to act for them in recovering the property of the estate with the copy of a Bond for 20,000 rupees granted by Mr. Wright to them, observing that by virtue of their having become administrators they were entitled to payment before any of the other creditors. On receipt of the letter Capt. Light called upon Messrs Gardyne and Lindsay to send in their accounts, and he remitted the balance of cash to Messrs. Perreau and Palling. The subject then lay dormant for sometime, until, upon Mr. Gardyne going to Bengal, Messrs. Perreau and Palling claimed from him the property he had applied for according to Capt. Light's directions, and compelled him to give bail in an action to be brought against him during the next term--18th May,1793.
The other occurrence Is of a criminal nature, and relates to the murder of one European by another.It appears that a Mr. Smithers was owner of a small vessel called the Little Davy and that lie himself resided(whether permanently or temporarily is not stated) on one of the Nicobar Islands. The vessel appears to have been in charge of a man named Sudds and at anchor off Smitlfer’s place of residence. For some reason or other Smithers determined to take command of the vessel for himself,and after a few days he appears to have commenced a series of brutal severities on the man Sudds. He was about to have him tied up and flogged when Sudds seized a hammer and struck him with it on the head, causing instant death. Sudds then took command, but how the vessel was brought to Penang, or how Sudds was taken into custody, does not appear. The matter was duly enquired into on the 2nd July, 1793, at Fort Cornwallis by two military officers. Lieutenants Norman Macalister and Robert Duff, appointed for that purpose by Captain Light, and the man was found guilty of the offence. The prisoner was detained in custody until the 30th September 1793,whenhe was sent to Calcutta for trial, but was there discharged soon after, there being primarily no power in the Court to deal with him.The Advocate-General of Calcutta, who had been referred to for his opinion of the case, in a letter dated 26th September, 1793, informed the Secretary to Government of India that, apart from their regularity of the proceedings, there Was no evidence to support the charge and no law by which the well-meant directions of the Superintendent of Prince of Wales' Island could be supported, as far as they related to the trial or punishment of murder or any other crimes at that Island.
The full text of Captain Light's despatch, above referred to, is as follows.—
“To the Governor-General in Council, Bengal.
“Honorable Sir—-From the present populousness of the Settlement and the daily increase of its inhabitants, circumstances repeatedly occur tending to show the necessity of establishing a more regular form of Government than that which exists at present under the sole administration of one person. From the great number of strangers, constantly coming and going, a strict police is essentially requisite. From the great diversity of inhabitants differing in religion, laws, language and customs, and constant and patient attention to their various complaints must be afforded and from the increasing acquisition of new settlers, to portion them out lands, to fix boundaries, and encourage their industry, by administering to their more urgent necessities, which of itself is a. sufficient employment for one person, a part of the Superintendent's time must be occupied.
"In the letter from your Honorable Board bearing the date 24th January 1787, in case of the removal of the Superintendent by death or otherwise it is directed that he be succeeded by the Commanding Officer of the Troops. This for a temporary relief may suffice, but as the power by this event both civil, military, or judicial, will be vested in the hands of one person, without any intermediate authority on the spot, either to control or to advise, it appears to me that if continued, especially in a commercial settlement like this, many cases would occur novel to a military officer, and disagreeable circumstances might soon arise which would; evince the absolute necessity of separating these powers. In consequence whereof if a Civil Servant be sent from the Residency he will for a considerable time be incapable of transacting the duties of this station except by means of an Interpreter, and as he must be unacquainted with the customs and manners of the people he is to govern, he will be liable to the imposition of designing people to the prejudice of the public. From these several reasons it appears to me necessary for Government to appoint a successor to the present Superintendent that he may acquire in due time a competent knowledge of the people, their language and their customs.
“Very few people residing here, excepting the Choolias were ever acquainted with European Governments. Brought up under the Feudal Laws and customs they cannot at once change opinions that they have imbibed from their infancy. To endeavour to subject these people to our strict military law and discipline would soon depopulate the island of all the most wealthy and useful inhabitants. A mild, and at the same time, an active Government, is necessary. The inhabitants must at all times have recourse to the Chief, and as they are composed of many different nations, they are jealous of each other, and will not submit their cause to the decision of one whom they think is a partial administrator. The administration of Justice will therefore, for some years, continue to be a troublesome and fatiguing office, which makes it necessary that the person who is to execute the duties of it should be acquainted with persons and circumstances before he enters upon it. Mr. Pegou has been here a long time, is well qualified as a successor in the Civil Department, but in order to have a regular train of succession and to have persons capable of executing the several trusts necessary to lie reposed in them by Government. I recommend the following mode for your consideration.
“That the Superintendent may have three assistants, one as Assistant and Cash- keeper, one as Paymaster and Accountant, and one as Collector and Registrar of Lands and People.
“That each of these assistants should alternately act as Justice of the Peace monthly, and once a month a General Court should assemble, consisting of the Superintendent as President, two assistants, two military officers and two of the most responsible inhabitants, to try all criminal cases.
“The office of Collector may appear unnecessary where there is no landed revenue, but the plantations, particularly pepper, are increasing so fast that it will afford employment for one person to examine and register them, previous to a tax being laid. A Board of Plantations might be established, to meet occasionally, at which this officer should preside to determine upon the making of roads, division of the lands, the adjustment of boundaries, and the encouragement of agriculture; their determinations, when sanctioned by the Superintendent, to be carried into execution, unless it should be so far creative of expense as to render it an object worthy to be previously reported to your Honourable Board. To execute the duties of all these departments with success and precision without more assistants I find impracticable.
“That you may be better enabled to judge of our society I shall endeavour to give you an idea of the people who compose it.
“The Chinese constitute the most valuable part of our inhabitants. They are men, women, and children, about 3000, they possess the different trades of carpenters, masons, and smiths, are traders, shopkeepers and planters. They employ small vessels and prows and send adventurers to the surrounding countries. They are the only people of the East from whom a revenue may be raised without expense and extraordinary efforts of government.
“They are a valuable acquisition, but, speaking a language which no other people understand, they are able to form parties and combinations in the most secret manner against any regulations of Government which they disapprove, and were they as brave as intelligent, they would be dangerous subjects; but their want of courage will make them bear many impositions before they rebel. They are indefatigable in the pursuit of money, and like the Europeans they spend it in purchasing those articles which gratify their appetites. They don't wait until they have acquired a large fortune to return to their native country, but send annually a part of their profits to their families. This is so general that a poor labourer will work with double labour to acquire two or three dollars to remit to China. As soon as they acquire a little money, they obtain a wife and go on in a regular domestic mode to the end of their existence. They have every where people to teach their children, and sometimes they send males to China to complete their education. The females are always kept at home with the greatest strictness until they are married; they then enjoy greater liberty. They are excessively fond of gaming—there is no restraining them from it. This leads them into many distresses, and frequently ends in their ruin.
“The second class of our. inhabitants consists of the Choolias, or people from the several ports on the Coast of Coromandel. The greater part of these have long been inhabitants of Queda and some of them were born there. They are all shopkeepers or coolies. About one thousand are settled here, some with families. The vessels from the Coast bring over annually 1,500 or 2,000 men, who, by traffic and various kinds of labour, obtain a few dollars with which they return to their homes and are succeeded by others.
“This is rather a drain upon the stock of the islands, but as they are subjects of the company it ultimately tends to the general good. The general, character of these people is too well-known to need any further comments excepting that those who have lived longer with the Malays are more vicious than those who come immediately, from the coast. Neither of them are worthy of much confidence or fear as subjects.
“The Siamese and Burmans, the same in religion and customs but differing in language, form another part of our inhabitants. They are about one hundred in number. Many of them are converts to the Roman Church. They are moderately industrious and chiefly employed in cultivation.
(To be continued).
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