§ MR. FRANCIS STEVENSON (Suffolk, Eye)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the ex-Sultan of Perak has now been kept for more than twelve years in confinement at Port Victoria, in the Seychelles Islands, with the exception of a short period during which he was allowed to visit Mauritius, although, at his trial, no evidence was adduced to show that he was implicated, either directly or indirectly, in the murder of Mr. Birch; whether he has repeatedly declared his innocence of the charge brought against him, and has requested leave to visit England at his own expense for the purpose of placing the facts of the case before the Government; but his request has been refused; whether he was the only one of the suzerains of the Malay Peninsula who asked for a British protectorate over his country, helped to bring about the surrender of the turbulent petty States, and secured the Pangkor Treaty; and, whether, in view of the services rendered by him in the past, and in view of the grave injustice alleged to have been done, the Government will undertake to give to the subject their most careful consideration?
§ BARON H. DE WORMSThe Executive Council of the Straits Settlements were fully satisfied of the guilt of the ex-Sultan, who, under the instructions of Lord Carnarvon, the then Secretary of State, was accordingly, after very careful consideration of all the circumstances, removed to the Seychelles. Nothing has since occurred to throw any doubt on the justice of the decision then taken. The ex-Sultan owed his elevation to the Sultanship to the Colonial Government as one of the conditions of the Pangkore Treaty. Her Majesty's Government are now considering whether, after the long term of his residence in the Seychelles, and his uniform good conduct, any steps can be taken to ameliorate his position.