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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　whole　or　in　part；　as　may　be　determined　in　Council；　a　debt
from　the　freedman　to　the　State；　which　he　shall　be　bound　to　repay　by　a
deduction　of　a　portion　of　his　wages　for　labor　on　the　public　works　of
the　country；　which　he　must　continue　until　his　debt　is　cleared　off；
should　he　be　unable　or　unwilling　to　raise　the　money　by　other　means；
that　male　relatives　shall　take　upon　them　the　obligations　incurred　for
the　freedom　of　female　relations　who　may　themselves　be　unable　to　pay；
and　that；　from　the　date　of　the　completion　of　the　measure；　every　person
in　the　State　shall　be　absolutely　free；　and　slavery　and　bond
indebtedness　declared　to　be　illegal　institutions　and　forever　abolished。

12。　I　have　formerly　stated　it　as　the　opinion　of　the　best　informed
natives　that　a　sum　varying　from　60；000　to　80；000　would　be　sufficient
to　meet　the　necessary　expenditure；　but　I　fear　that　the　larger　amount
would　be　insufficient；　as　it　would　be　advisable　to　deal　with　an
institution　involving　so　great　a　change　in　the　habits　of；　and　loss　to
the　people；　with　a　certain　measure　of　liberality。　I　have；　etc。

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







End