254 CRIME. 



to the population has been nearly one in three. It 

 may be perhaps conceded, however, that the police 

 have now their foil complement of work. Had the 

 protecting strength gone on increasing nith the po- 

 pulation, it would now have been upwards of three 

 bundled men. It is manifest also llial a further al- 

 lowance in this estimate is admissible in consideration 

 of the troops having been removed. The settling* of 

 this Province, may, I think, be considered as the fell 

 attempt which has been made by the British on any 

 wide scale, to bring a Malayan provincial population 

 at once uiihin the scope of British legislation, em- 

 bracing the discipline of one of His Majesty's Courts 

 of Judicature. Neither Singapore, Peuang Island or 

 Malacca, can be deemed exceptions, the population 

 at these places having very gradually accumulated, 

 and being chiefly concentrated in the towns. Nau- 

 ning is the only province which might seem an ex- 

 ception, yet the population there did not very lately 

 exceed 5,329 souls, and is probably much leys now. 



CRIME. p 



The amount of crime is believed to have been de- 

 creasing, reference being had to the increased popu- 

 lation. But occasionally a sudden run of crime will 

 occur, as in the year 1833-34. 



My data are not so sufficiently ample and consecutive 

 as to permit me to frame a comprehensive statement 

 of crime during the last 20 years. The Police re- 

 cords are incomplete, run! an adequate estimate can- 

 not be formed from the number of committals or 

 trials, merely. The chances of detecting, or at least 

 of ascertaining, the crimes which have been commit- 

 ted, are now so much greater than they were before, 

 that a comparison, could it be made, of the actually 

 reported amount of crime at a period ten or twelve 

 years back, with that uow reported to the Police, 



