85 
merciiil Sup erin ten dents, and the Indmii Government wna content to lenve 
their Malayan factnries and possessions, in Penang at all evontB^ outeide the 
Indian political system. 
Tlie next stage exhibitfl an entire change. The Indian Government wnt jgQ^ 
from one extrera© to the othrr. The rnpid progress of the mrw i^ettlement's 
commerce at Penanf; was duly ap{ireciatt;ci by the Govcrriment of Lord AVel- 
LESi.cf, the early prosperity of the plact^ support! iij^ his views rei^ardirif^ 
" private trade f as the Penal Statiuii of India, it boL-auie of iuterest after I79i> ; 
the place wan s.ho brought to nutiwi in the expetlition^ to sci^e Makfca 
(1795) and the Moluccas (17JK)) ; and that projcettd in 1797 against Manila; 
and a few years later by the capture of Celebes and Ti^niate after a dege in 
1801 by the mme fleet. Tlie^e conq nests were resjtored at the Feaee of 
Amiens in 1802. Bnt they doubtlees caused enquiry, when quieter times 
followed, into Penan g's political pronpeetM, and the Malayan trade. Exaggera- 
ted notions then eauie to be eritertaiued of the hqv? J^ettlemeiit'sj importance 
for naval and politieal purposies; and in 1^01-5 the East India (.'ompanj 
decided to conft-r tjp<:'U it ati indt-pinident Government, and sentont a (lovernor 
and CouiK'il, .Secretary, ABsiatant StM retary and st-veral Writersi, nfter the 
fashion of tlie older l^rep^irJencieH, with which Pi:nang w:ia now to rank. A 
Recorder's Court followed (1SU7), and euquiry was ev-eii ma do as* to the de-, 
sirability of abandoning ilal;ieL'a (l^Os), the better to secure Pennn^'s position. 
Then came the Java txpeditioti (isllj. hfi Uir^e tleet and army, and its 900 
killed and wounded, seem to have attrncted much attention even in tbose 
fstirrin^ time:*. From llaw point the old commeiHinl Htrug*jle with the Dutch 
also entered into the political phase: not ho much throii^jh the tempornrT 
occupation ol: their poriseHsions. as in conse(iiieneo of the •^reat political stroke 
of aboli^hiiijir monopoly (l^^ia). vvbicli followed shortly niter our occupation. 
What Lord ^Ii>'TO took in 1811. waa restored: even llancu, with its* Fort 
Nvgrnf ^\lv^ }finio Town, winch had never been Dntch at all, but was aa much 
a British ^St'ltlement as f enaiig. Ifowever, Lord llASTjNCii wus ready to Mup- 
port Sir T. Stami-oko Kafflks, upon whom hiw juvdece^.-ior had relied, a ud w ho 
had governed Java for three years ; and lie allowed KafflL!* to foutui jsinf^auore 
(IbilB), for objt ctf* adverse to Dutcb mniiopoly. which are very clearly explain- 
ed in one of JiAi" FLKs's earlicut IcttcrK from iSingapore, dated June 10th, IHl'.i 
(preserved iu the Kailles Muiseum). 
Even the Penang (.loverua\eitl. was alive to the imporhuice of prev'eutini; 
an;^ re-establishment of- Dntcb monopoly at thirt crisis ; and for tbat purpoi^e 
entered into nf^otiatiotia, which will be found reeoaled in the earliest of our 
Treaties with Pciak and i>cluugor (1818). 
Jju^ni after Malaeca was finally ceded to us by the Dutch (1825) ; and wheu 
the ehit lings and ehanL^ea thun came to an tfiuJ, llm numorous osporimenls 
which h::d been nvide resnh.ed in the exiHting form of united Colony, a3 
finally set ; led in per*50ii by Lurd Vk\ Bestinck (1327;. 
The nest period is one oC yeitrs (Hi7 to Ha7), in which the Colony 
remained mx Indian dHpenduney, but wn^ left to dovyUjp (piielly upon ita own 
resource.- ; with somu pecuniary aid, thuuj^h on a more economical aealo tliau 
formerly, from the Indian Oovernmeut: nor has any jj^reiit break been raado by 
rhu transfer, ntidcr -Ai t of Parliaun^nt, to Colonial Ullii- ' rule hi April, IS{)7 : 
Avhlch, though a momentous change, woSl deserving oi' the trouMe that waa 
taken in bringing it about, has not disturbed the continuity of our recent 
bistory. 
