1st PERAK STATE COUNCIL MEETING, 1877

Snippets:

The first State Council Meeting, Perak was held on Monday, 10th Sept 1877 held at Residency at K Kangsar. Present:

Raja Muda Yusuf
Resident - Hugh Low
Asst Res. - Capt Speedy
Raja Dris
Orang Kaya Temenggong
Kapitan Ah Kwee
Kapitan Ah Yam

Absent: Che Karim (of Selama)

J.T. Keyt - Clerk of Council


== Raja Muda proposed to abolish duties collected on rice, salt, gambier, manufactured goods, tea, sugar, coffee and raise import revenue from spirits, opium, and tobacco. Present duties on:

Spirits, per dozen, per case     $1
Opium, per ball                      $4
Tobacco, per kati, various      $1 to $5 in different ports 


== Resident proposed export duties only on tin and gutta, all jungle produce at 10% ad valorem. 

Present duty on tin $10 a bhara. Proposed that all mines to pay royalty $2 a bhara making a total of $12 a bhara or $4 per pikul.


== Resident showed a reply letter to Mr. Gray of Penang of land application with copy of grant of reserve in the name of Manila Yengarie Co.


== Chinese members demanded for lease on mines and to get grants of 100 orlongs. Raja Muda agreeable for 21 year lease and the latter.


== To employ penghulus and pay them asto merit. This would reduce the need of state police from 600 presently to 150 members.


(Notes on Karim - an agent of Mentri of Larut to open up Selama somewhat endorsed by ex-Sultan Abdullah. He wanted to put claim on duties the Government had collected in Selama).


Full account of the Perak State Council Minutes, 1877-1879 are found in Papers on Malay Subjects edited by R.J. Wilkinson, Oxford Univ Press, 1971.