CURIOUS INFORMATION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 134, 29 February 1908, Page 11

CURIOUS INFORMATION.

|: ■ THE STATE OF KEDAH. MALAY BLUE BOOK. Eor .the first timo on rccord, tbo Government of Kedah, a little Malayan Stato, sub-ject't-o Siam, has issued a Blue-book ; ami the volume, if not very imposing, is full of curipus.'iufo'rniation. Sinco September, IDOS, the State, by an agreement. between tbo Sultan and King Chulaloiigkorn, has profited by tho Services of an English financial adviser, Mr. Ilart, who is doing for Kedah in a modest way, what Lord Cromer has done for Egypt. sir Frank Swettenham, in Id's work 011 British Malaya,; rather, discouraged tho h.opo that Siamese intervention could be in aiiy degree advantageous to the pcop!<j or their Sultan; but it is clear from what Mr. Hart says that a considerable improvement has been brought about. : Tho finances aro being put in order, a State';. Council, has been established, the police forco is in process of reorganisation, and steps liavo been taken to provide Kedah with civil and' criminal codes. Much has been done to purify, the administration of justice, and tho State Council now hears appeals'which wero formerly settled by a jury of flajis, presided over by the most notorious gambler in the/country. Mr. Hart reports thai/ much; of tho success attained by tho now', administration is due to the''Sultan's brother, Abdul Aziz, known as tbo ltaja Muda, who was appointed President of tho> Cpuricil'; but he, unfortunately, died last May from an: overdose of opium. Ho. was ono of.'the most brilliant Malay princes," Mr. Hart says, "of the ago." ["'-.'

' SECRET SOCIETIES. \ ■ Among the difficulties the Government has to deal with is, the activity of Chinese secret •societies; A Chinese detectivo. was engaged to-report on theiv proceedings;'bilt finding himself suspected of supplying tho Government with forged documents'ho left, without giving; an address. ' Tho Department ' of 1 Public Health is in charge of Dr. Hoops, whose services liavo been lent'to the Stato ■.by/the. Administration of the Straits .Settlements. He has introduced the practice of vaccination, employing Bornos or Malay medicine-men as operators, with most, promising'results. Dr. Hoops seems also acting. as inspector of prisons, and submits a report oil his official visits. 1 Ho found at the central gaol'that .tho bulk of the prisbrierS were in the habit of strolling about, tho town till tho time caroo for their midday meal. ,< . STRANGE PRISON CUSTOMS. < •<No, warders were to bo seen when ho-first' ;vcnt'thero; : but.a prisoner, who was-smoking ii) the street out-side, very civilly; offered to fetch one. Two of tho prisoners had, been sentenced to-imprisonment till tho -ciiilclrcn' of.' thd.'inan they murdered came of ago and could 1 ' decide ■ whether thoy - were to ■bo .put to death or not. " This .'style of sentence," the report says," is to bo dono away with," No; one could .remember, for what crimo another,. prisoney.had: been sent to gaol;tbut, though:tho term of.,his sentence was known to have expired,.ho found, the place so' com:fort!iole thatVhb refused to leave. Mr. Hart inti'o'cl,uces his-report with a brief reference to .the;, dealings of tho'East India Company, in the'.'days of Warren' Hastings and later, with [the'Mahomedari. Sultan.-of Kedah. iHe does\;notj however, solve the historic doubt raised .by Sir Prank- Swettenbam; as to a marnagp between the Sultan's'daughter and tho ;: English- ship's captain, Francis Light. Tho tradition 'is; that Light .obtained possession,of tho island of Penang as' his wife's dowry; but, 'according•'to'Sir -11.I 1 . Swctt-onham, Mrs. Light, nee; Martina-Rnzells, cariio .from Siam, and was probably of Portuguese, oxtraction.' On tho other hand, there" is, evidence' that tho English' captain's widow was living at' Wellesley in 1819, when she was then known as tho Queen of' Koclah.