174
THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — THE STRAITS SETTLEMENTS
Justice and Crime.
The law in force is contained in local ordinances and in such English and Indian Acts and Orders in Council as are applicable to the colony. The Indian Penal Code, with slight alterations, has been adopted, and there is a Civil Procedure Code based on the English Judicature Acts. There is a Supreme Court which holds assizes at Singapore and Penang every two months, and quarterly at Malacca, and which holds civil sittings monthly at Singapore and Penang, and once or twice a quarter at ]\lalacca.
There are, besides, police and marine magistrates' courts. The total convictions before the Superior Courts in 1897 was 692 ; before the other courts 34,367. The police force numbered 1,843 of all ranks in 1897, of whom 58 were Europeans. The number of criminal prisoners admitted to the gaols in 1897 was 8,291.
Finance.
The public revenue and expenditure of the colony for each of the last five years were as follows : —
Years
Revenue
Expenditure*
Dollars
Dollars
1893
3,706,308
3,915,482
1894
3,904,774
3,714,620
1895
4,048,360
3,782,456
1896
4,266,064
3,957,090
1897
4,320,207
4,429,693 '
The estimated revenue for 1898 was 4,753,650 dollars. The leading items of revenue in 1897 were — stamps, 300,895 dollars ; licences, 2,597,050 dollars ; land revenue, 259,600 dollars ; port and harbour dues, 167,769 dollars ; postage, 211,825 dollars ; and of expenditure — salaries, 1,552,717 dollars ; public works, 494,363 dollars ; education, 92,346 dollars ; police, 88,666 dollars ; marine department, 63,752 dollars ; transport, 12,259 dollars ; military expenditure, 1,027,164 dollars.
The revenue in 1897 was derived as follows: — Singapore, 2,536,429 dol- lars ; Penang, 1,425,421 dollars; Malacca, 358,358 dollars.
The total as.sets of the colony, January 1, 1898, amounted to 3,325,018 dollars, and liabilities 1,183^643 dollars.
The revenue and expenditure of the protected native States were as follows for 1897 :—
-
Revenue
Expenditure
Dollar.s
4,178,238
3,567,845
607,313
266,491
Perak ......
Selangor ......
Negri Sembilaii^ 1 Pahang ......
1
Dollars
3,837,558
3,688,390
572,546
198,193
Debt of Negri Sembilan, 503,119 dollars ; of Pahang, 2,103,739 dollars. 1 Sungei Ujong now included in Negri Sembilan.
