8 AN OLD MINUTE BY SIR STAMFORD RAFFLES. 



Nuisances generally speaking may be safely left to the 

 complaint of individuals in each particular instance where the 

 cause of nuisance is not obvious to all, or directly injurious to 

 particular individuals, as crowding the river with vessels, 

 &c, when it may be made subject of special regulation. 



All house-holders should be registered and all houses 

 numbered ; auctioneers and pawnbrokers should be placed 

 under specific regulations, and none allowed to act as such 

 without giving security for complying with the same and 

 taking out a license for the purpose. 



With respect to the employment of informers, it may be 

 observed that Magistrates must have information, but no bad 

 passion should be elicited in the procuring of it. No tempta- 

 tion to lead others to vice for the sake of reward for inform- 

 ing, no inducement to betray confidence, and the act of giving 

 information should be treated as a public and honourable duty. 



Precautionary measures being taken on the above princi- 

 ples for preserving the peace and good order of society and 

 removing as far as practicable the immediate temptations to 

 crime and violence, it next becomes necessary to define what 

 shall be considered Crimes, what lawful punishments and how 

 injuries shall be redressed. 



By the constitution of England, the absolute rights of the 

 subject are defined as follows :— 



i st. " The right of personal security; which consists in a 

 person's legal uninterrupted enjoyment of his life, his limbs, 

 his body, his health and his reputation." 



2nd. "The right of personal liberty ; which consists in the 

 power of locomotion, of changing situation or removing one's 

 person to whatever place one's own inclination may direct, 

 without imprisonment or restraint, unless by due course of 

 Law." 



3rdly. "The right of property; which consists in the use, 

 enjoyment and disposal of all acquisitions without any con- 

 trol or diminution save only by the Laws of the Land." 



There seems no reason for denying corresponding rights to 

 all classes of people residing under the protection of the 

 British Flag at Singapore, the Laws of the Land being such 



