26 



ADDRESS BY MR. KRUYT ON 



From the beginning, the object and aim of the English in 

 these parts was the overthrow of the trade monopoly of 

 the Dutch, and this was joined to a hatred born of jealousy 

 or ignorance, and a contempt which shows itself in almost 

 all writings of this period. Thus one may read the follow- 

 ing, in a letter of Sir Francis Light, in 1787, from Pe- 

 nang: — "I suspected the Dutch would throw obstacles in 

 "my way. The contempt and derision however with which 

 "they treat this place and the mean dirij acts they use would 

 ""dishonour any but a Dutchman." 



As a consequence of the so-called free-trade commercial 

 policy, which however, as has been observed before, was 

 dictated by political considerations, the commercial treaties 

 with Perali and Selangor were concluded in 1818- England 

 obtained for herself, by these, the position of the most- 

 favoured nation, and thus prevented the granting of mono- 

 polies or favours to others. In 1819, Singapore was founded 

 by Raffles, after he had been obliged to give back to us 

 Java and the other Dutch possessions. This island, on 

 which the town of Singapore stood in the twelfth century, 

 he had purchased from Johor, which, at the same time, came 

 under English influence and has remained so since. In 

 1820, a sort of treaty was made with Acheen, by which 

 England stipulated or got the right to place a Resident 

 in Acheen, and to exclude other European nations from 

 establishing a Settlement there. The English, however, 

 have never carried this treaty out. In 1826, the independ- 

 ence of Perak, which had been to a^ certain extent tributary 

 to Siam, was recognised by treaty, and protection against 

 Siam and Selangor was guaranteed. The English obtained 

 by it the right to establish a Settlement on the island Pang- 

 kor, which we had previously repeatedly occu_pied. The 

 remains of this occupation — kept in repair by the English — 

 are to be seen at the present day. 



In all this, the chief aim of the English was the weaken- 

 ing of Dutch interests, and the breaking up of their mono- 

 poly system — an aim that was pursued by Raffles with 

 indefatigable zeal, and was finally crowned with wonderful 



