Singapore is the political, commercial and administrative headquarters of the colony of the Straits Settlements, and the governor for the time being is ex officio high commissioner of the Federated Malay States, British North Borneo, Sarawak, the Cocos-Keeling and Christmas Islands, and governor of Labuan.
The king's " lord high commissioner " attends the sittings; but does not intervene or take part in the court's decisions.
In 1901 he became private secretary to Lord Milner, then High Commissioner for South Africa, and remained with him till 5903.
In 1904 the financial and legal administration was put into the hands of the British High Commissioner for the Western Pacific. The native king is assisted by a legislative assembly consisting, in equal numbers, of hereditary nobles and popular (elected) representatives.
Persecution of members of the old church followed, and in 1890 the missionary-premier had to be removed from the group by the high commissioner.
