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.
Sir - I 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.
