The Express. — London, England, 1849-02-21 00:00:00

me t ais= d as ISOM IssaMphoes dedere that he as meet . he ita heard of the elearer f a me peept i r2 witeritlehmieg the annem el yams ad awn, the cif.l eras bemematy ma le age nal essaltsilsam awl yet hue h was assaissry to Alma es eta gat fie Lassa el a lasseumesine i Z Mk sr drat fa •he tea was la the belemo. alesenes ma up and sea pat ash. het whether te aline them er dieldiewei seems al oh law—thene Wig aka _se anik eases ler theme astaes meths seher. Th e scar igen the edist i .whoses shet la Ids Meese terally u sia we 1=11 • 1 1 11C ia ltil• am Si tau ins win asseren am a smog repedisr Ilrassissises plate et rasissilssasa. mew ate tee whams sofa him-• fetter and a r r e s =il the litv dialers Obsegh the mamba et the weie his aura et the al). emerald vailat very supliseselanalineries eta slam teki way awaiLlate far • mer e shahs. 01 isiffik o wl es m the oath, bat sees cell the eyes soh es tbe were able be sea s =am who aka sal as Iselled the pestleperaleal mama inlen ef the ha =crate' j r t me lon jesuawasre di = lliw gee. tided ada et thy prima srenen the Heess ib i g i " Atte, ma se naiad las is teas N.. =et ask Sea tat he mita las lbeharser, who sF le tam be iamb. The latergiser erali, lenewer, tags tem se mere mrsealle Mae it wee mitesselik he the Has% Adressa ==rready artalled tbe gemplen he keit at the gentlsmes who ha armed lee— tamale. ha . rat hem* tits provost diarmleed the pdest abseil bead be was shot asesediehly sat wnleg. The =i that paid the governor's - mad oar a /s -team the mica' yawl Si this par &re dying tea=m,meats dist Is Ids seserdetel hatilleta. tad a pact Aga Ode la his he phased. ea net mily wee Mile chit Tishah as in heat eared to the khan et the lesidbit has ea to era tie art pantly des. It is au however, wernamsy lareed that this past wee esetrely Ineuent— thee be bed had we Isessenstemina mbstmer with the king. He was • low wary ma who lint lately ended the leerier; as barn to her el the pupa sal a lea to arena wlek he aide* secrets; and Oen as treesear, it le wow degas he knew oohing whether d lak and wee est mminaled m y time be the sae pet tithe ~ln awe the gait mini Now I pat the quid= of anemia estin s ight I sane that these Men were guilty, but I manner of their execution was as outrage on he= (Hear, hem) Had each an act been committed at under General Nervier, we never should have need the het of it ; indeed, it is call in Spain we can find &cygnet lel for the atrocities which have been committ. d in Ceylon. (Hear. hear.) Bet in order to appreciate the feelings of Lord Torrington, we mu.t r. f. r to his correspondence with the chief justice of the supreme court respecting these execu ting. It seems that as soon as the coats martial had bees inminded the 'Mary tribunals mate into operation, and the ransielag paeans were tried in the espresso court at Ma* holke the &Ist jetties). Feerteen men were ma te death, and the chiefjuidos esmniunlestea the We is the hilawlng later, _Afar Magog the names et the pr oem envoi, the Mkt putties gate en to may— taaralliesnt dismaseext Asa bow resammended year es. allembe lea meals' ea three or Ilenr et them lest ennatimed age maim amain inertia Oak regostke sew tip the he et as mew; have appeared le as meet /Why, Ts beeemeded at the het peaky d the law opal them wail law him sesemery he the Waimea et logien ceder, sad peed parse', awl hr eh asomple to ea rn. - But Iha Oa tat r est* tee tam daft made. I ors ad same le melee hem lOW shoed, riot he err shore in Ms release by OM ear% arm. del; I heidiee Wok when it to samitsrel that se eariarepron les tem pie be alb-4W pee ealy tea loss wanaled la the Mau Met me pease have avowed la weak rem molest the de the saimuin at Marne aid Karam" that as Seed am dank spit y a mhim' hr all purpose, nether et et he kw hr ele. Now, here is the answer of Lord Torrington to the Chief Jamicialetter I lave the bane to acknowledge your Yaw et the hied hark trimmillas as maser admen and alma et Meth pasta en the peirmere eamistal et bleb trams et the lab make et the lope= Omit hid et Km* ths seedel et Wein ewe mos the km n abs. las te ermarlei. sallsa. art eery the It animas. yaw hat that psiersi aw endow norihmatba I rea ler s me edema question et hh and drib supeal ty pier gine. ▪ resammeaato et ah the pgresno kr a eammetedria of their pieihmeetr. Bet skis sairlikg the aide ma opinions of the issentive Oaseill, it is eta geese anse that 1 dad mash aids to awe eta m e the that auk teem& seed these ass is be erer Pri Vel et kw, red wham edit has bra se dark essiklial that as arist lee et year duty, estetiosered try mbar eregiesethes, week km ad yea, is yea state, to remanal to ato lath es that th masa the law la Wareham at jetties, mar, and /sad with the is g m bree q =e i t a ken w ang Mews% as seem tin r: with year sAlks ate joylmit, ter a ura:poen el hand aen ed en elm wadi Ms groom y tout ou be saute hem Pm to reetamsulleg there petite to any, hos perimad the mere mkt Is y Wad ; while at the saw time sods putty W uhetnestely teen eras to yew "am tklualgest as wedd ium isa n te soase cthe veruseet sulamorniat were Ito sit aleyear te may and hue theme latividaile ter assimita Oa the her heed, I lanies mesh parcel lemensame Yob be ream frees Ws iffemeery review of an ma peeeediete or the lama all weed be the Wind. del=ved hr a saseleg andikaties et IS. pagan upon ohs mated of to grant °r hinos tangs is ear lea t'paa a Jellimile seledS go. wever, et the semperative ails a either e tre, and halo the Ms. asassas• wash Ila placed in tag w en app ewe I ben drama tt Ira ft has to tios Ude wee& ind le se snit el year neemmenalies as regards the ammailes et a alpha =lbrafallikadag trsnefsartstion for Ws Is ite Inane et ll‘ anists irk here sot been reeemardsd be may by tit juries, and tneepniedes he Walesa yam la all the ether rata Weald it net appear by this litter that Lord Toniugton win highly dhpleased at being compelled to temper justice Mit meroll os i u lika u a r One would suppose that he would Bowe hit deep oblgatious to the person who had relieved him hem the awful responsibility of deciding wet the life Car death of a number of his fellow-creatures. (ffeso, bar .) Well, than, it appear that not only aun ties. bat cosfisestioss were the order of the day. A pro ismatisa was issued to the effect that the land. of all persons the, able a certain day in 1848, should be found to have lea shiest hem their residences for twenty days previously, without befog able te give a satisfactory explanation, should be eselasated. Now, from the admission of Lora Torrington himself : we have the feet that, with so mach haste was this procsamation carried into effect, that 00Ssidenble perifty was not only confiscated but ac tnaLy sold hem genres who bad sines been able fully to aloha k Noir kneestin (Hear.) And these are the smarm whith have remised the full sanctioa of Lord Grey. (Lend missed " Has, hear.") Them are the measures by moanel whisk ha leper to make good and faithful subjects fie her Noisily._ (Cheers.) I new come to the last act of this r e d the bill of indemnity. It appears that Lord Torrington at last discovered that he had been acting ille gally, and that it was necessary to pees a bill of indemnity, In order to sore all those who had been acting under his credos from the consequences of their illegal acid was at last summoned, and the of i i nrsani r ty he lard u before them. I should here observe that this council was composed of men wholly and entirely soneated by the Bonner or the Colonial-Milos. Out of harken men composing . the council, eight were official, and six nea.official, bat nominated by the governor. This eoun al so composed was actually divided in opinion as to whether sr no this indemnity should pan seven voting for, and seven against it, and the bill of indignity was actually car lied at Last by the casting vote of Lord Torrington himself. (Loud cries of " Her, hear.") Sir J. E. *Dement declined to vote on the Tuition. Now I think there client be a greater proof of what must have been the feelings of the colonists, if a council so composed could have been divided in opinion on a question of such vital importance to the character of the government. (Hew, hear.) I think I have shown that the colony of Ceylon, to my the least of it, is in a very unsatisfactory oosdltioe, and that a searching parliamentary inquiry is doe to the iskabitants of this e Any, into the evils of which they so - justly complain. (Hear, him.) I have now shown you that well grataded disc ontent prevails, not oily manse the native population, but also amongst the European resi dents. I have shown you that the finances of the country see in a state of disorder, and that with ••revues* mou n t ingt- to 400,000 ( , the goverr.niect Si the colony is Meet the public expenditure, and that the attempt to meet the defieiesey by the &rainy and uneontitational Im genial of tans has resulted in rebellion. I have shows you that the European residents of Ceylon complain of a bad and inc mpetinit system of acimicsater.eg the alert of the colony and of a wasteful expenditure of the public money. I have shown you the case of a euvernor suspending the ordinary legal tribunals and estab',l.bing martial law, and that with in the swollen of the Council. (Hear, tear) Ido not know how it is possible to add to this catalogue of grievances, bat this I will say, that the noble lord. the Secretary for the Colonies, has not dose a greaterinjustice to the colony, which I has been so iniagoverned under his sanction, than to the I nobleman whom he has entrusted with its government. (Hear, hear.) Asd, i rel trust the melancholy result of this experiment will, if it have no other effect, at lead operate sea waraing to those who in future may be entrusted with the Welland raponsible duty of distributing patronage in the aolonial department. (Hear.) Now, sir, Iran this, I must beg to all the attention the hoses to another scene of colonial misgovern sent, when the evils of our resent colonel system are no km mends% and apparent than in the 'okay of Copies—l lens the eolcay of British Guiana. The Delany of Brink Guiana win formerly to be referred to as the aunt promis ing and hu=shing ot all our West India colones—parer leg a sell et unbounded fertility sad extent, it was %ally imaginal that this colony was destined to survive the rash esperimatte of tit mother country. But, sir, it appmrs = ma keg withstand the withering influence of the .effles ; and British Guiana, with all its natural ad venters, is at this moment in a more deplambie etadigin than any of our ether West India ecierake, owl khaki to broad light the evil effects of mligemeasseelt en the' net of this mother emintry. It will be rentambisid that when the ammeipatkin of the negroes was asked the Colonial-aloe nagieeted to take steps to meet the Amid ton latices which were about to be established between No planters and their shwa. It sever marred to them OM it might be advisable to pass laws for regulathq_and elehhilleg entreat l a bour, and to provide for the cultinilen of the eim seder the altered state of ercurnstances t es tbe act of emsncipation. La feet the Colonial-ad= the sr snit wholly to thanes—so steps were tekeskllo maralla were adopted, to meet those difficulties, whieklhey Were ON by all parties must arise in carrying out the gnat ezpseimegi sit emancipating the slaves. Well, sir, the sena vessel et this neglect have been, as waste be expected, most depiaella to the colon and to the planters. The negroes sees &and out that they wore in effect the masters of the land—they either Wined to work at all, sr mated the most enormous wages for the milieu amount of work. In fact, they give just as much or as little work as they pleased, and the planters were left entirely at their alnico for to cultivation of their estates. Under these eir minuteness the colonists repeatedly applie I to the Cologial elks fee prriakaik to import labour from some sham country, and were as often red, the rearms continuing all the while to write Ir me the mom fionrishing accounts a the prosperity of the colony. (Hem) Well, sir, the re sat can surprise no our, and the Colonial-Mike may cm gratulate itself that it has ace unlined the ruin of the planter. The value of estates in Guiana, has fallen to netting. In one instance, an estate whisk east the late greprorter 24,0004. a few years ago, was s Ad lest year for only 2,0001. sad I have le en assured by a gentleman well ale quiatiel with the facts of the case, that the coppers, bailers and macbisery were worth fully that amount. ~.;... Hen, thew, is an estate actually given away though In some is stances, speeelators Inv he fogad such circumstances to purchase sal cultivate these waiting fa the chapter of events for • pate, it is hut the :obey sot go on ender a system nadir sub platten have been ruined. The coins have fan . Ganda of the auruhants of this country and speeulstors, cultivation. teen may to earned on at • less . (Hear, ' The okay of a*hlt Guiana h admiaireeed by a r emit what hailed • coon of, pelkl, whisk esertit INlONlolliilloOld by the 11OVINIIII and her by*. TO b Wed a *wadi el lleseelveesomidlls , log if sis nembsse &mint by el the roans, awl Mess bin inn le salsa turn nobbled non ef Gabes. used was eases yes to v itee the supplies, and rep ' ontraditure of tbs Wm. when this b:dy east r mensament ef the year 1848, they thought it am lake tam cessidereska the Wale eine of the whey, the snails of sins, i erne Us gaga eat owl: la the gable esessillinel--aud set n beat new, la ae colony pother ban there been ran name% this (Rear, heir.) I have a list of FOB° otiose is the ooldny, with the Wades allaned le them—first of nese in the gift of tits goversor, seneadly of those in the gi ft of the Colonial effige. The rem Gann of solarise—ezelesive of thaw *Mar 2501. a-veer—atteebieg to plane at the disposal of the governor, is 37,5001. a-year. Firef i ghters is a neenee-genenl, with a shin of 2,1321., with eansistant at 6941. There is the sexton of George Town, with a salary of 1,6671. a-year. (A laugh.) Then there is • high sheriff. with 1,4001. ayes: ; a clerk with 1.300 1 . • next there is the brother of the high sheri ff, the eustare-houte waiter, 8381.; a tauter pilot, 9521.; a director of river duties, 1,0081. ; six superintendent* of riven, 2,0631 ; an administrator general, 2,8001., and his assistant, 12901. ; eight mini,- ten of the Scotch church, with 3,6111. a year ; an in nector of police, 9301. ; his clerk, 2601., and a sub inspects, 3891.—these ere all in the gift of the governor, irrespeotire of the civil list. Is the other and moss important Nilsen which are in the gift of the Colon at office, I find a ganner, at 5.0001. a year, a ehiefjostice, at 2,5001., two rime jalm at 1,6n01. a year each; a government secretary, at 1,6001 a year ; an saistsat, at 6001. ; en attorney-general, at 1,1001., and • high sheriff, at 1,2001. Ate Hos. biausaa.—That is the same high sheriff you referred to before. Mr. BAILLIII.—No, this is nether. (A laugh.) A sheriff of the pane at 9001.; another at 7001., and six stipendiasy magistrates 7,2001., or 1,2001. • year each, making • total of 30,0001. (Hear hear.) Well, sir, when the Court ef Gana ma, the; proposed that there sisal& be a sedan= ef 25 per Nat fa all official salaries from the peewee Isms es the lowest public officer. To this the gevegoMmt elismok sad an altercation ensued, when the wart thenesed to stop the supplies. It was, however, finny anneged that the supplies should be voted for three months, to give the go vernor an opportunity of monasoleating with the Colonial office ; and I will now state, from the nand' of Lord Grey to the governor, his mower to his communi cation. Wallies these neon That despatch is dated the 13th Jen, 1848, sad fa it Zeal Grey says: If the asseme—the lOWAN Ss morke—las deign Is success eas:whh a demean kr the seleelis et the Weer granied to ve the ti id le =bi b " be to t o t = ameals kr the amietemse el the Manse What he dm peels& Om width it Is la isms ; suer would waft Met et on shush Imility Y mama the pisdr A il i dly the robs- Um. tat as nib ammeeilp snista. Covinor MO alma thin the menaltswe senni dons mod t.)swomis emeematts title whets espeaditme (erhileta) et the she sendamer mart emplete mad mar tie Mow itaslu. S, awl thet the re vim le lather imeseehe them Miles efl, sad is Weed ism tans Inn rem ills ma the pimma lhbe Imes MA there wee no emelea hr stem* corollio as Sat Ma was_ men area ese—a beech Mei" embus as lam Sat Se Mew cessow Meld sweei thesapenillime et es MIMI resonate. ha ft my hay, Ise ths Nemo 1 bine MIA le eldseL At the Name thm if rap ef the re pill bele the deli Id druid Mem vemmt am be, I shield seere a ss er wrap! peesthells Mesa= width iamb is the minim samba r thms It will be observed diet Legal:boy here justifies his refusal on two grown—one Wag dot the revenue is Madan to meet the demean upon it; the Ober that the faith of the colony is pledged. He says that the revenue is derived from taxes which press little en the planters. Now, what are than names ? Chiefly Was ea supplies—one of the most ret of whisk is the bread tax. (Oppedlisa sheers ) p arrwe have a aniline who tells us that - the am tax upon bread—is a most oppressive tax as aria the peo ple of thiejmntry:going to the colonies, sod eslttlet people there a tax on bread le of mesh small to the inlayer', and Is raised with se sma ll culty, that it jutting tingsatee on the pen el the colonial government. (Hear, bear.) Thom noble lord says the faith of the colony fe 'pledged to the mmielememse the present civil list, by wed the noble lard wane that an agreement was awed into Whines the waned east of Guiana and the ColienialaMen gby which it was stipulated that the civil list should he Wed regularly for a ends period, and that it would be a manifest breach of faith MIN do so. (Hear, hear.) Thanatos!' says it must sad ,bell be Pal& ni hew ray lerl; VIPS s tl a tiles speak! lv hew ay bad; smi Meshes emit m sera 111 set be mere a Wheal Maw& MI To Mho dieted, ralwa, sod elan an yin, To Christian intercessors. endow mot. I'll have as speaking ; I will We my teed. (Cheers.) Such appears to be the:spirit in which this des patch was penned. (Hear, ,hear.) New, sir, I have a few words to offer with respect to this agreement. It was clearly and distinely proved before a committee of this house—the Sugar and Coffee-growing Colonies Committee of last year — by • no less competent witness than Mr. Darkly, whore Lord Grey hiss since appointed as governor of this colony, that this agreement was obtained by false pretences. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Darkly says in his evidence, when the Colonial office was anxious to raise the salary of the governor, they applied to the combined court of Gams for their consent, bat the court refused. The Colesialselee then premised that if they would give the inereeked salary—they, the Co lonialoffice, would pass an immigration ordinance. To this arrangement the court consented, and Mr. Darkly not only says this in words, but he proves it by refereaes to several documents ; and he adds that as soon as the civil list was obtained, the poetised immigration ordinance was refused. (Hese, hear.) Can any minister after this venture to accuse the colony of any breach of faith? (Hear, hear.) The colony would have been Finely justified in refining the performance of their part of the agreement, on the ground that the Colonial.offin had not kept faith with them. But they do not: they appeal to Lord Grey its forond piniperis, sad say we are re due, d to such a state of poverty that we find it absolutely necessary to adopt economy in the public expenditure of the celsoy,and we a~ppeeaal to you to assist usby remise the salaries of the public eines • and the refusal of the Colonial-office Mks week iirOVIIIItaLOIS is the most unnatural and cruel, •MM ea tramehal est ever perpetrated. (Cheers.) But te Man is the preesedings of the combined court. After the sessipt of Lord Grey's despatch the court was assembled, end the despatch laid before them. Lord Grey, in the para graph Wish I have read from his despatch to LicreL-Ge velem Welber, remind that U any of the otiose paid from the Oki llat Meld become vacant, all proper sad posseled i nanition Midi could be =de is the nubs Mosibiag to them shoal have his sepsevaL Bat Ist us see hew he re deems Ns 'gnaw. Alio this Mph& was written, the Abe ef gewgaw berme were, smi the sembined court of the he etierider how hr the salary of that ollse e t4trt s e dlea sedased ; but they were told by the • wing gnaw INS their Wines was to vote the civil list, net to discuss it—(hear, hear)—and the result was, that the court was adjourned sins die. The Iloorogricsol ef this has been that great distress prevails ; si Wien in the colony is at • stand-still ; then is no mean to pay the public officers, no mercy to pay the police, and no money raised for the public service, the civil list only excepted, Lord Grey having natrived to secure for that a sem of money which was Wad is the public treasury, and which had been raised to pay the interest on a loan coo tncted to promote immigration. (Hear, hear.) I have, sir, but one set more to sake Ia esaniteden with the govern ment of this colony—the late sppelalmen of Mr. biddy. I=l Now, sir, I wain Ide segret that Mr . Darkly lave so far sacritesd be as to amtpt that ales. (Hear.) It will be that Mr. Batty ="llin parliament the govenneut Mantes, denouneiog 11 respect to these inn oul I have shown that Warmed Won the emenne ter the express purpose it bodkin the manage of tha senbincd court of Guiana, e a llig t o rt the Wends bed been the dans of fraud iota And yea we IN Vas afterwards the dies dreamer, sod an to the colony ea e Wiry set dews in the list, vie., 8,0001. with out any eedastioa. (Heta. Isom) Sir, I think I have made oat a case at least justifying wilantantary inquiry. (Rear, hear.) I am well aware that I have drawn largely ea the indalaestes of the lamas, end corteinly, it bad been my intention to have entered also into** ewe dike Maori dui, but I am disposed ca redaction to think that It weld be better to wane myself at present to saying that there will be found in the ease of that eskay the same lingerers , mut and the game wasteful eztramganee as in thos of the I two to With I have mere at large refe I rred. think- It better to confine the Wintry to these two sad Monies; m bobs be nest urgent, ter the acre tameable kasemease of the how : al a secondly, become the mess yea NO the inquiry, the likely are you to anive at a salidasesey malt. (Hear, ben.) I will not now, therefore, eater Ws the Ono of the Mae& das, bat peepese le defer that till a Wan eseastes (Reef.) I wealadieweeen ash yea winner yea Mak lbw Wis=e , can less emillage te foe gemend en the erten mew par ran—whether ra sea bag anion to dans their inks- Moans Nall von in fhe smannesat thdr own slabs ? The ken member coadadel. =MS mirk ebeedec, by web, Ise the appalalmant ef a "Se=at Oellankles to garbs Into the grimness sees s d pi : ba the Moira selesim ef Ceylon, sal British end non if the bun irlastker any messimes can be ; he the better aambiaration and geverniant d them depfeedeades." Mr. HUME, who seaweed the melba, wished the house to understand that it was the splint under whit* our colo nies WOW/ placed, and tharellm tiro bait of parliament Joel', which had praduced the Memnon resins so well described by Mr. Balla He NSW upon the hank treatment which Ceylon bad szperiamod, ern the Walt whisk DOW- Taro had received at the karts of the Wads' seereaa Is the matter of the civil list, an deleted for the mason UM self government w hich was noted ashy en wont of the rowan it would nest hem the ColandoMes. Mr. RICARDO =d, by way d onsonient, to add those weeds the Moray they le war la essisad women ell mans the Sel ina of se wine bas urns et wenn le m as is the Wen whit win Sepselesselhesign tins lw sulfa pattbasetamannima that fray dwell le mpeee. la mar& me gbh the peon wasidel "say NW It has rallbmeary odoilod. He said It would be presumption on his part to talEpea Wesel( to reply to the heavy charges nad so fbift go verament, and that he mum earn his his) he e d grave en atenatim se fie has. . Bailie) had mode he should have with se small a mottos. It wet his bald that the ease ef Oellis led bees sainted ES,. Men nfOab ~ at the a was, &utast slam-gem. _ sugar am. ib e e not that protection, the; would make the 25 per sent. melostice. They afterwards proposed that the esti mates should be postponed altogether, until the result of the committee, which was sitting in th at house on the sugar and coffee question, bad been ascertained. Now, this looked very like having a motive, that motive being to obtain pro- tection ; and, indeed, extracts from the papers of the colony showed that the suppiies were refused, merely because they bad been unable to obtain protection. (Hear, hear.) The hon. member here referred tea meeting at which Rose pre sided, and at which the terms were read for granting the supplies, and he then proceeded to observe that there was no dispute about the long list of Wailes to which the member for Inverness (Mr. Beillie) had called the attention of the house. The dispute was about the civil list. The salaries were under the control of the combined court, and if they chose to reduce them 50 per cent. they might have done so without objection. (Hear, hear.) There was no doubt that the movement in British Guises was made fur protec tioo, and that it was not aimed against Lord Grey, but against a free-trade parliament (Applause.) The boa. member for Inverness was no friend to the colonies it he endeavoured to persuade them that there was a possibility of retrain to the old state of things. The amendment having been seconded, Mr. HAWES rose and mid that but for the motion of which the hon. gentleman the member for Stoke had given notice, it would have been his (Mr. Hawes's) duty, ask would be hie inclination, immediately to have followed the speech of the hon. member for Inverness. The latter boa. member had made heavy and grave charges against hie noble friend the head of the colonial department—against the colonial office in times gone by—and, he (Mr. Hawes) might almost i my, against parliament and the country itself. (Hear.) The bon. gentlemen had attempted to cupric these aura 2 I ;f:enc. to the papers oa the table, in a manner most sous and unfair. (Applause.) And be bad amid that he wished a committee to inquire into the conduct of the Colonial-office in reference to Ceylon and British Guiana ; bat why bad he struck out the Mauritius? (Hear.) He (Mr. Hawes) entreated of the hon. mover to where to his motion as it originally stood. (Hear, hear.) He feared no inquiry. (Applause.) He Melted inquiry—nay, more, he was anxious to grant it, (renewed applause,) end he was perfectly willing that the Mauritius, or say other isotopy should be inserted. Let it not be understood for a moment that either his noble friend ate the bead of the Colonial Department or himself ared he the slightest degree any inquiry that might be institute I. He feared it as little as the right hon. gentle men had reason to fear it, who conducted the colonial affairs under the last administration. He was ready to meet it, and then the hon. mover of the resolution would have an opportunity of making good his charges. (Hear.) The Colonielmffice had been accused of tyranny and opprei dm, and wasteful expenditure; and it was con- I ended that the colonies should have control over their own affairs, and ever the expenditure of their own tonalien. But no distinction had been drawn, and no die gebillitie• used in treating of the subject. First of all, atten tion hod Men drawn to the colony of Ceylon; and it was ne cnto follow that part of the case step by step. When orriagton hid been appointed, and when he arrived la that colony, he found its treasury almost bankrupt, its trade declining, and, of course, the Herm:eon population chiefly engaged in trade, at that time by no means in a Mierand thriving condition. Now, the hon. mover reads the slightest reference to any of the measures whisk Lord Torrington had introduced or carried with reference to taxation. He had not said a word abut the redactions his lordship had made; not a word about how he had revived trade sad expanded the springs of in dustry ; and not a word about the amount he had converted from direct to indirect taxation. (Cheers.) No allusion had been made to any pert of the ease which would have done Lord Torrington justice, but most disingenuously and unfairly had those points only been touched which would be likely to produce en unfavourable impression on the house. (Renewed cheers.) Why, the first thing his lordship aid on witnessing the depressed condition of attain in the colony was instantly to communicate with all the leading depart ments and to reduce expense of all kinds. Next, he investi gated the tariff, and repealed taxes pressing on the land to the amount of 30,0001. a year. (Cheers.) Then he insti tuted an inquiry into the state of the expenditure, and in the first six months of 1849, in consequence of that inquiry, he reduced the expenditure, chiefly on the fixed es tablishments, nearly 20,0001. • year. (Loud cheers.) Not one word of that had been statedby the hon. gentleman. Lord Torrington, still pumuing the investigation, established a committee, determining to inquire closely into the extrava gant expenditure of the island in recent years, and had given an earnest of that intention by reducing the expenditure about 30,00 W , and hoped to bring about at least an squabs& lion of the income and expenditure. He had stated mat the noble lord bad greatly relieved trade. He had repealed the coffee duties to the extent of 15,0001. a year. He hal reduced the duties upon various staple commodities of the colony, on tobacco, cinnamon, &c., to the extent of 12.0001. or 15,0001., effecting a reduction altogether of 30,0001. It be came necessary to see whether some means could not be found to raise the requisite amount of revenue, which under the depression of trade was not likely to reach its ordinary amount, and he accordinely proposed, not four but six ordi nances with that view. There was • road ordinance, which had been drawn up by a man of the greatest mill and judg ment, and a near relation of • member of that house—Mr. Wodehouse, and by that ordiatesoe it was designed that the roads of the island should be placed under some sort of native and local control, and the taxation hitherto thrown upon the public revenue be paid by local rates ; but as it was impossible ti levy rates in an island like Ceylon, the tax was commuted from 3s. a year to three days' labour, and that wee what the hon. gen tleman tailed a poll tax : another instance of the remark ably ingenuous manner in which the hon. gentleman had dealt with the subject. He Deemed to think that these ordi nances were repealed. Mr. BaLuz —The dog and gun tax. Mr. HAWES—Was the Iran tax repealed? The hen. gentlemen was wrong again—it was not repealed. (Hear.) The great object of that tax was registration. Perhaps the rate of taxation might have been too high and the annual registration objectionable—but the governor at ell events deeming it too high, altered it into one uniform raristration,end that in per petuity. So that the object aim at by the tax had been obtained. Then there was the dog tax. The hen. gentle man's remarks on that subject mid* him (Mr. Hawes) con clude that he knew very little of Ceylon, for otherwise he would have admitted that one of the great nuisseces there as iodeod was generally the case in large towns, was thi enormous quantity of dogs. In Ceylon there was a general dein to abate that nuisance, and if the ordinance had been mallosil to towns he believed it would have been a popular umeare—the objection to it being that it operated on mu residing in the cou who wished to keep watch But the was a bsolutely repealed, and all objec tion en that more was at an end. The taxes on stamps and Sl=Sr., allremained. Only about two were repealed fied. The hon. gentleman was not content Mating that Lord Torrington was incapable as a but went so far as to say that in hie opinion r ialir taarrection was caused by these taxes. On Mat point the hon. gentleman's authority wee op the highest authorities in the island, and to all .r. ts .. he (Mr. Hawes) had received on the subject. The ibut authority be should quote was that of the major ismseal esameiMMg the of the island, who said the late oodinemese lamed by the late tire annals» given as a plea he the pressat Mime* bat that is only a pretext. It sat brag lies4ceowing. sal the Hardie= are aszions to have Oak ours him end is mimes themselves of their pre t~ TM a= opinion he would teem to wee, that ef the okfif J who in panda, cadence on some el the mimosa triad before him the mu im ne Ow 00 part they had taken i ln n the imrarrea. Nat i * thaw onaclude it bee been hatched by headmen or by or by book. That the priests have cause to be dia. amenet al lam aware—it is known to the amatrygenevally, eased Owe is no named to mew to it here. But *rah flea nW ewn observation when I say that the headmen Imo been always discontented. The ressembranoe of the heart power theywartkaid over the people has not yet been SPUN" from their minds, and the conseq uent feeling cif trilleeness is not pat gone nor an ythi ng C I ; The chief justice did not attri nte the ration to the ordinances—neither did the ear moiler of the forele, and neither did Sir B, Tensest, whose fiefdoms as contained in this book (papers relatiu te the Whim of Ceylon) was quite of the contrary nature. The boa, gentleman was about to read some extracts from the blue-hook referred to, but closed it, saying he would content himself by stating_galesza ll y that not only the evidence of Sir B. Tennant, but of others, as contained in these papers, went to show that these ordinances ware not the im mediate cause of the outbreak. He was perfectly ready to admit that they were used by parties who were endeavouring to foster discontent, and who stated that by them 30 or 40 taxes were about to be imposed on the natives. He could also assert that means were taken by indivi Male to excite to insurrection, and amongst others the editor of a newspaper, who preached in direct opposition to the laws of the country. He stated that unless these ordinances were repealed, the people would not obey the laws. He regretted that he could trace in some of oar colonise the onseepiences of such bad advise. He regretted to find the hon. member for Montrose wlitieg a letter, with all the weight due to his colonial reputation, end telling the colonists that they wore to renew the agita tion, and never to cease until they got a responsible govern ment. With • large native population profoundly ignorant, and ruled bya priesthood such es ezistel in Ceylon, he must my that writing smelt a letter wason the put of hishon. friend an us of Mat liMiere B en. (Laughter.) The hen. gentle mar bad himself seed some hard words, and mutt expect a few lambs in Mara. (Hoar.) Another and meet painful part of the subject was the loss of life, upon which it wee less boa %lowish to look with indifference. Before the house imam to say conelusion on that most painful cart of the sub =Tut leek at all the oircuestances attendiag the . He maintained that that insurrection was not I gograyagg by the ordinances. Oa the contrary, from 1817 down to 1848, there had beset successive attempts at insurreetioa which were fostered by the same parties in the island, whisk had the same objects in view, and which were I the Weft lept Colo el ,wh h dune s much e 1817, 0 Td were a .1,000 lea property. an • i country of p -ii on in a , In 1 17 Mrs MT street mith _ ...... one non. gentleman ,au a saner from the commander of the forces, Ma or- General Smelt, stating that martial law bad been Ms - ately proclaimed, that no time was to be lost, that pt &Ed vigorous measures were absolutely necessary to be taken, &e. ; mid after describing the revolt of the troops, he went on to say that to the vigorous measures of the governor must be attribut d their present success in having checked the rebellion ; but that he was not at all sanguine as to its having hi en pot down, for the people were beginning to feel that it was widely spre ad since 1837. The house must not therefore suppose that this was altoge•her a contemptible rebellion or that it did not require active measures for its suppression. Serious injury had been done to all the opera dons of the oolooy,and had it gone on,would have caused such aloes as would have certsinly brought upon the governor the SOOSSIS of that house for cot adopting those mammies, which lie betunately and actively resorted to. Martial law was pro- claimed. He apprehended that when that was the case, all civil law was suspended, and that the civil government was not to be held responsible for the trials sad executions which took place. When they took place in this instance, the governor was one hundred miles from the spot. They had not received neonate of those at present, but there was a dis tinguished officer in chief of command, and a general whose conduct was some guarantee for the correctneesof the proceed ings in than courts martial, which were held by the hoe. gent:ems to be so sanguinary. The measure, taken to sup press the rebellion and to punish the guilty agent., Mr. Hawes went on to show, were jutillable or unavoidable, and he cited the testimony of Sir Herbert Mad dock to the judicious manner in which the rebellion had been dealt with by the authorities of Ceylon, at the same time vindicating the conduct of the soldiery. He now proceeded to New Guiana, respecting which the hon. gentleman's statement was a complete burlesque ; and if he had taken the smallest pains to ascertain the truth, he would have seen so. But he really seemed as if he had made up that statement from the merest dribblets of news papers. lie said that Lord Grey bad refuted to consider all reductions of the civil list. Now the civil list was commonly acted at 39,0001. a year. So it stood in the ordinance, but the sum actually paid by the colonists was much less. There was a chugs of 7,0001. for stipendiary magistrates, 4,0001. of which was paid by this country. The civil list was settled in 1841, and voluntarily renewed ia 1844. In 1841 Mr. Peter Rose proposed to add 9,0001. odd for church expenses, and to that the colony assente d. - That was • pure addition to it ; so that as far as the civil list was really concerned, it amounted in Guiana to only about 24,0001., the ne being about 227,0001. In 1848 the Court of Policy pat forward as grounds for refusing the civil list, that they were so impoverished, that they wen utterly unable to pay it. Now, when this was said, the n had not fallen off. Oa the whole, for the year 1848, it had increased. The produce had not fallen off in that year, for they had exported 9,000 hogsheads of sugar more than in 1847. That was no reason why reduction or economy should be refused, but there were serious objections to the mode by which it was attempted to enforce it. Suppose an hon. member in that house to say he would not vote the estimates unless they first reduced the civil list of the mown, the obvious answer would be, that whether the country could or could not bear those estimates, that was not the time to introduce the question ; it was connected with an act of parliament and should be dealt with by an addreu to the crown. Lord Grey did not assent to the course proposed by the Court of Policy, and refused to authorise the governor to accept the vote of the estimates if the civil list wire omitted. The colony did not take that advice. It answered perhaps, by refusing the sup plies, to embarrass the government and plunge the whole co lony into confusion. The hon. gentleman said that when Mr. Darkly was appointed was the time to reduce the civil list. But Lord Grey never opposed a fair settlement of the question of the civil list. But the noble lord was of opinion, and he (Mr. Hewes) was also of opinion, that it would be the wont policy in the world to cut down the salaries of gover. non in colonies such as Guiana, where the climate was danger ous and the cwt of living:enormous, for if they did so, few men of adequate ability would be found to accept the office. He had shown that the civil list was not what it was represented, but some thousends lees—he had stated that his noble friend was prepared to consider the question of reduction, and he contended that the colonists had nothing on which to rest their cue. They endeavoured to force the question of re duction, and it was because his noble friend was not to be driven from his government, nor led to desert his principles by a combination of men here or elsewhere, that he was now the object of that bitter assault of which they bad had a s eimen that evening. The hon. gentleman left out of his motion the Mauritius. He entreated of him to include it. He said that the present ministers had deserted the princi ples they held when out of ofilee,and deserved to be censured for their Inconsistency. He denied there had been any change of principle. He supposed that the boa. gentleman would not say that in colonies like Ceylon or the Mauritius, where there was a great disproportion of races, and great inequality of condition, where the white popu lation was small, and the coloured population large, that the same representative government should prevail as in other colonies. Far from it. Lord Grey had always felt it his duty to watch the colonies, in order to see when they were fitted to receive representative governments. He might be accused of prone ness to make promises, but those promises would speedily be fulfilled. Notwithstanding all the studied obloquy that had been cast on the Colonial-office he would appeal to the house, after hearing the case fully stated, to give their sup port to the colonial policy of Ear Grey and himself, which was consonant with the general opinion and wishes of the liberal party. Mr. Hawes took a comprehensive view of the results of the policy pursued by Earl Grey, and the appoint ments made by him, in our various colonies, and conclude I by saying that although an inquiry conducted in the spirit which had manifested itself in this diictruion was not likely to be beneficial to the colonies, yet, on the part of Lord Grey, who courted inquiry, be assented to the motion for a com mittee, with the amendment of Mr. Ricardo. Sir W. MOLES WORTH said the grievances of the colo nies could not be redressed by removing this or that colonial governor; the evils were of deeper root —it was the system of which the colonists complained. Had ministers anointed to an inquiry into the affairs of Ceylon he should have ac cepted the inquiry; but he did not feel himself in any way bound, by the qualified natant which they had given to the appointment of a committee, to abstain from the remarks which he proposed to offer en the state of CsylondHe should show that is that colony an excessive and increasing expen diture had led to injudicious taxation; and this had pro- duced the events which hod occurred there last year. He found that in 1843 the expenditure of the colony was 326,0001. • in 1847 it was 496 , 0001, being an increase of 60 per cent .; while the revenue had only increased in the same period 18 per cent., from 380,0001. to 440,0001. The surplus of 44,0001. in 1843 beam, • deficit in 1847 of 6,0001. In 1845 the expenditure, fixed and extraor dinary, had been 448,0001. The extraordinary expendi , tare was that annually voted by the legislative council, which was composed of the governor, a majority of aerial members, and a minority of unofficial members, ap pointed by the colonial office. Of that expenditure he had ISO detailed account ; but it consisted of accidental aid con tingent charges on account of the various departments, and it had gone on strikingly increasing, from 159,0001. in 1814 to 252,0001. in 1846, an increase of 70 per cent. in two years. The other portion, the fixed expenditure, which could notbe reduced without the unction of the colonial office,—a sanc tion which was rarely, if ever, given—had also gone on in creasing. In 1846 it was 31,0001. mon than in 1844. In 1845 it was 220,000, consisting of salaries, pensions, and mili tary charges. He would first take the military charges. Them, in 1845, amounted to 57,0001. ; 24,0001. of which was a contribution from the colony to our military chest. But this amount Sir Emerson Teannt proposed to throw on the imperial exchequer ,• so that, while our expen diture on account of Ceylon would amount to 134,0001.. our exports to that colony had not much exceeded, in 1836, 300,0001. The despatches showed that a bill would be sent in to us for 24,0001., on amount of the expenditure of Ceylon enemata; the revenue last year owing to the dis turb mo ss; and wheninrer there wee dist urbance and rebel lioa in any of our colonies, the pecuniary cooaquenee was always felt in a demand on the imperial exchequer. The remainder of the fixed military expenditure consisted of par and allowances to the colonial troops, and was, in 180, 32,0001. The next head was salaries to the officers of the civil, nelesiastical, judicial, and revenue departments, amounting, in 1845, to 132,0001. The item for the civil of was 47,0001, including 7,0001. to the governor, who, when an officer in command of the troops, received an addi tion of 1,6001. The colonial secretary formerly received 2,0001; that had been raised by Lord Stanley to 2,5001. The two assistants of the colonial secretary had 1,0001. and 1,8001. . • the treasurer, 1,5001. • the auditor, 1,7501. In all, 1 the 13 superior officers r eceived 18,7751 a year, being an average of 1,4001. each. The next establishment was the eallWriatical department—an expensive item in all our colo nies ! In Ceylon, the European population did not much ex ceed 6,000, and them were divided into numerous sects —catho lies, presbyterians, Wesleyan', independents, and so on. The ' natives were either Mahommedans, or followers of Budhu, or Brahma • very few of them were Christians. Lord Tor finites stat ed that multitudes of them called themselves Chehalis who were in secret still more closely attached to Me dinedms. of Budhuism or Brahminism ; and the vast I=devemse of these pretended Christians professed to be (Ueer.) To each a population we had given an egniihhel church, and had made them pay to an arch hi, Bishop of Colombo, 2,0001. a year ; to one 9001. ; totem. others, 7001. each ; and N epees later sums, in all 9,0001., exclusive of grants hem the colonial treasury for the building of chunks.. (Hear, hear.) Nextecame the salaries of officers of the Mvenue department,—amounting in 1845 to 39,0001. The rits of the provisoes, five in number, had each salaries of 11M01. or 1,5001. a year ; and their Inferior officers bad from 2001. to 8501. One of the duties of them officers was to make the government acquainted from time to time with the state of the native population, their wants, wishes, and grievances ; but owing to their ignorance of the native language, this duty was completely neg. looted; end the government had the utmost di ffi culty en obtaining authentic information as to the state of the people, or in making known to them their intentions. In the last insurrection, a rio'ous mob bad assembled in some of the towns; they had broken open houses, destroyed furniture and papers, broken open a gaol, and proclaimed two of their " . . • '• s I ••• • I ' .., • • • ..1 ••,, Tirg. .4. ! . •,. • -A , : , ..i I f I * Illt 1 1 4 ,, • ...• ~ . ,• ' -. ' ••• i A 081 ; dad r i ..rt - „.,' reele r ' ili • i „„. ,by sne ' • ,• is, e mad ender T's %,,,: t , 1 t al ' -.7 '• of a insiir ' r of ~ 1. •'. ' • indirse?, 74ll e ill 4 .4 a, wee rate els • I '. be .1 'to sot beleigspfle . - ha- 1 . or Joe, at i impresihis o a reartiatary atovemeat lit favour of 'vetian (Oh, ii• - far as the Ince ' t at Seal. C which the oh.) This was his we , and he d prove it. Drought thee cosi . . 1 " . .. a.. ut 1.000 men, lee into 'is The whole Wolof* with 140 . 6.11 " .-- • 4leiane base wee seerearei-abost. . •ii reek was sitaulu Aston. mid beitolien Alapie 4* ' elder fella= ths t Ar o ; ,=o . l4l:itatwisppe very formidable aspect, ma Lear, he .) mete, W inetaterismOdate WWI n - mieked the issurreation of• 181 repave —VirikrObt feet-wee avowed. ildese. Ti. ...at whisk it took twelve months to suppress. There wer sets of e ht mover in this rah wee the ems who had acted as leader to upwards of 12,000 Weep in the field, nearly 11,00 WS= Ohs party who eafeend the supplies. Thar man's name woe were last. There was a line distraction of property. ion, Peter Roes, and be lad asthma to the governor that it was total charge noon the means of the mother country these Impales to meet the eanise while the colonists wove rin. wards of 230.0001. These inearrections had gone on 1 dans. is protected against slam sugar. The Court of Policy had pro- ratter ranch the same down to the present time. I regulate elm- posed in 1848 that the civil list should be reduced 25 per martial law was peockimed, and existed for two year lat the Mtn- per coat., and the ground on which they made that prequel the insurrection was put down. Now, let him central necessary' to was, that, when the civil liet,was mud, they had protection that the cheroot*? of Lord Torrington. The hon. gen colony, and against slave-grown sugar, and that then, as they had here read a letter from the commander of the 4 f been orces, •. - ... ___ el--..... 1 a h.• 1.• a.m.; •• m that Imartial law ha d II 1849. oompanions kings. All the while, the govereneed was utterly ignorant of the deplorably neglected elate in which these people were living. Then, for the first time, Lord Grey discovered what, in his despatch of the 24th October, he stated to be the principal fault in the STO'4III of govern ment there, and comniutaented to Lora Torrington that a knowledge of the native language by the agents and ser vants was a necessary qualification for the effective diet:harp of their important antlers. (Hear, hi ar.) The same im- Lso .. r_trl discovery had been made by Lord Memel; and Lord '."" , both of whom had laid down a rule that no Bare pitaalfiould be appointed to • responsible situation in Cey lon, unless he was acquainted with at least one of the languages spoken by the natives; but this rule had been neglected, and the eonsequences were now written In blood in the annals of Ceylon. (Hear, hear.) The next head was the salaries of officers in the judicial de nte. In 1845 they amounted to 38,0001.; the chief uparecei . receiving five th e : pe t r e l : p d te t t r i i e et indit s 2,l:lool. l an to d 1,2001. ; and the 29 inferior, ham 2001. to iiani all, there were 40 legal appointments of Europeans, whom salaries amounted to 26,0001., being an average of 6501. each. It was evident we supplied them with an abundance of lawyers, but there was considerable doubt as to the quality of the article. The merchants and planters of Ceylon, In their petition, had complained that persons who had never studied, the law, or men taken from other prafeasims, were placed in judicial situations. Briefiess banisters were also appointed to high odious, who were ignorant of al law, and equally so of the language of the people. The consequence was, that the law and practice were utterly at variance. He stated that, on the authority of Sir Arthur Buller, several years judge. advocate in Ceylon, and now a judge in India, who, in • letter to Sir Colin Cunpb-11, in December, 1842, stated that so generally were the strict law and practice at variance in the colony, that he would himself undertake, ins month, to plunge it into utter anarchy. (Hear, bear.) The last head use th e pension list, of which, unfortunately, he bad no detailed account. Its amount was enormous—no less than 34,0001. is 18451 and since then it had gone on in creasing, and was likely still to increase. No blame, how ever, to the present colonial secretary, or the noble lord at the head of the department It had been caused in this way : some years ago, there was • mania for speculating in co ff ee in Ceylon; the European residents were seised with it, and governors, judges, archdeacons, and mieisten of religion neglected their several duties, and all became planters. In 1834, Lord Stanley complained of the low state of feeling, the want of energy and proper pride, among the members of the civil service. He ordered them to perform their duties ; and, to this end, to divest themselves of their coffee estates ; bat, to remunerate them for not being allowed to neglect their duties, he had increased the salaries of some, and augmented the pensions and retiring allowances. To this proceeding Lord Torrington attributed the great increase of 31,0001. in the fixed expenditure. The house might hence see who were benefited by such colonies as Ceylon, which contained numerous places, with comfortable salaries, for political anonyms, for the poor relations, connexions ' and needy dependents of men possessing politi c al power and in fluence, and for the horde of titled and privileged inoapables. It was these men who administered the affairs of such colo. nies as Ceylon, while ignorant constituents were taught to believe that thew wetly . ,pomanions were amongst the brightest jewels of the Brit i sh mown. (Hear, hear.) The finances of that colony were now in the most distressed state; the government had been obliged to borrow largely from thi banks, and was now compelled to repudiate a portion of its military payments. Unless this expenditure were consider ably doe:eased, the colony would become bankrupt, and would be an increasing burden to this country. Between 1811 and 1823 we had paid on account of Ceylon, exclusive of military and naval expenditure, 926,0001. ; between 1827 and 1831, 500,0001.; in all, a million and a half in, the course of 20 years. (Hear, beer.) Let the legis lature take warning from the past, and resolve that the expenditure of this colony should be carefully investigated. He now premeded to show how financial embarrass ment bad led to the enacting of injudicious laws. Sir E. Tenoent, in his speech to the legislative council in December last, said that a considerable portion of their difficulties were attributable to the serious fallacy which had pervaded the instructions of Earl Grey to Lord Torrington in 1846. Thine instructions had been founded on the report of a committee of that house, appointed at the instance of Lord Grey, to inquire into the commerce and finances of Ceylon, and con sisting of the hon. under secretary for the colonies and other members. Lord Grey had stated that the composi tion of this committee gave them at all times free access to the heads of the various departments of government with which they were connected, and to all the "information or documents which their respective offices could supply in aid of their inquiries. After an inquiry of several weeks they reported on the 13th April, their data being expressly stated to be derived from authentic sources ; and the re port would have been a very valuable one, had the data been less erroneous and the conclusion leis fallacious. In the very first page was an error • the expenditure of Ceylon in 1842 was set down at 301,000e-30,0001. less than was actually expended. TWA error had been caused by omitting all the pensions and other items. Again, the ex penditure of 1845, arranged under seven heads, was added up to 448,0001. instead 01425,0001. In the first page the ex penditure of 1846 was estimated at 392,0001. ; its actual amount that year war 498.0001., an excess of 25 per cent. This mistake was very extraordinary, as the report had been signed in April, 1847, by the hon. colonial under•seczetary, and ap proved by Lord Grey in June framing. But the next error was still more remarkable. The committee stated the balance on the 31st Dec. 1845, at 210,000 e, and on the 3lst of March following at 207,0001. They never amounted to half that amount; the error was unparalleled except in the annals of fraudulent bankruptcy. Since 1846, the treasury of Ceylon had been in the habit of including the liabilities of the colony amongst its assets. (Laughter.) The govern ment had created paper to the amount of 90,0001. One half of that was in circulation, the other half in the coffers of the treasury. The letter had been included in the balance car ried to the credit of the government, and the notes in circu lation were omitted entirely from their liabilities. (Great laughter.) This was jest as though the Bank of England, in giving an account of its affairs, shoed i reckon in its treasure all its cancelled notes, and should omit front its liabilities all its notes in circulation. (Hear, hear.) Let it be remembered that this was the report of the un.ler secretary for the colonies, approved by Lord Grey. Well, from these erroneous data the committee arrived at the erroneous conclusion which Sir E. Tennent termed a most serious fallacy, and which constituted the whole basis of Lord Grey's instructions to Lord Torrington, that it was evident that in dealing with the finances. of Ceylon her Ma. jesty's government had taken credit, first for a large sun mulated fund, and secondly for &considerable surplus revenue ; whereas the accumulated fund was a fund of liabilities, and the surplus revenue was a &fiat (Laughter.) Proceeding on the hypothesis of the financial prosperity of 'Ceylon, the committee recommended that certain reductions should be made in the revenue, and that certain duties should be taken offend that other measures should be adopted,which he would not trouble the home by enumerating. Nuw that report was submitted, as Lord Grey told them, to various members of the government who were especially cognisant of the affairs of Ceylon, more particularly to the lords commissioners of the treasury • and it was also sent to Lord Torrington as the basis of h is instructions. He did not wish to cast blame on any of these gentlemen; but if five gentlemen of distinguished ability and great industry could, after much labour and study, be so utterly ignorant of the practice of the colonies, the feet certainly established the position so frequently stated in that house by the noble lord the present Secretary of State for the Colonies, that no man, whatever might be his industry or his talents, could administer properly the complicated affairs of all the colonies of Great Britain. (Hear, hear.) It appeared that Lord Torrington was a man deeply committed on his arrival at Ceylon. The Under Secretary for the Colonies had told the house what Torrington had found in the colonies; he (Sir W. Moles worth) would tell the house what he expected to find when he left this country. He expected to find in Ceylon all the wealth (as was understood) of this country, and to become there a great commercial reformer. When he arrived in Ceylon he found a bankrupt exchequer, a deficient re venue. Having erroneous instructions from the government, he was placed entitle most awkward dilemma : either he must obey his instructions or he must disobey them ; if he dig obeyed them, and did not repeal the duties, then he would be assailed by the merchant and by all those classes who were anxious for their remission on the other hand, if he obeyed them, his noble lord, probably acting under the advice of his executive council, adopted the latter course. The duties on Manama, coffee and other articles, were coa siderably diminished. In • c ir cular the noble l ord neon mended strict economy in every department. Lastly, certain taxing ordinances were imposed by the legislative council. Now, in his opinion, some at least of those taxing ordinances were very injudicious. He did not consider that Lord Torrington was chiefly to blame for them. He thought he might assume, without any disrespect to that noble lord, that probably he was as little acquainted with the language, laws, customs, manners, religion, and interest, of Ceylon as he was with its finances. Therefore he might amuse that with the legislative council rested all the blame of issuing those, ordinances. At the beginning of hut year seven taxing mai nanoes were inipeeed for the purpose of incressing revenue • one relating to stamps, one for the licensing of boats and Carts, one for the licensing of carriages—the deg tax, the shop tax, the gun tax, and the compulsory labour tax. The imposition of tha shop tax every one acknowledged to have been in judicious ; it was repealed before the close of the year. As regarded the dog tax, he agreed with the hon. gentleman that dogs were a great nuisance in the towns end villages of Ceylon, and if the effort to destroy them had been limited to each places, no well-founded objection could have been urged; but the attempt to tax the dogs in the country parts was quite injudicious, and it was utterly imposaib'e to obtain by that meats anything like the ex emoted revenue. He now came to the gun tax. The ken. gentleman (Mr. Hawes) had made • greet mistake re specting that tax in declaring that it was imposed only with • view to registration and not to obtain revenue. The hon. gentleman did not appear to have remembered that that tax was first Imposed by Sir E. Tennant, who was for a tax of Is. 6d. and not 2s. 6d., and the reason why he proposed it was that it would prove an abundant source of revenue. The natives would not have objected to the tax had the only ob ject sought been that of registration; but they did object to a tax which made it neeee.ary for them to come every year from • distant part of the:r province to apply for • license, not in their own but in the English language, with which few of them weer acquainted ; the application being made to a government agent, who would think nothing of k.epicg them waiting for two or three days, It was not registration but an annual tax which was desired; and the hon. mem ber for Inverness was perfectly correct in saying that the gun tax had been substantially repealed. The last tax to which he should refer was the compulsory labour tax. It consisted of three days' labour or a commutation of Is. Therefore, it was a poll tax of 3s. on every man who could pay that amount. As such, it was contrary to all principles of equity as regarded taxation. la fact, it was a graduated property tax in the wrong direction. Worse than that, it belonged to the abominable system of c No doubt It differed from that Brants m Thos great mistake of this tax was ita Lord Torrington declared to be iss princi the Buddhist priest, who was vowed t like other natives. It was said, indeed, priests frequently broke their vows, and LI much resembled the old " nolo epise ion being never observed.—(laughter) ; but difference between the breaking of a openly requiring it to be broken. (He a most unwise, impolitic, and unstateatt to offer such en Jesuit to any people as their priests to violate their now (II this tax had been repealed by Lord Tun. the consequence of that ? The priests of complained. The Bishop of Colombo ha which he claimed a sin.ilar exemption minister. Lord Torrington refused to ad ground that if he did so, he must great to the ministers of all other religiec bishop asserted that the exemption of t alone would produce among the natives the religion of those priests was auto (Hear, hear.) Now, he thought it mu one that he had fully established the imposition of these taxes was They were either right or wrong in year. If they were right, surely it was repral them before the termination of t alternative, the hon. gentleman could conclusion that the conduct of the goven been most injudicious. With regard taxes also, ht contended that they prods content among the Kandians cf the inte dicioue taxes the sole causes of the diet t yr. (Hear, hear.) It shou' i that the s ea Kandians of the interior had the rule of this country since the year were an old fixed race totally distinct in the maritime provinces, who bad been to the European sway. Yet it appear. ton irritated and wounded their stronge feelings. His lordship stated, in a des that within the last few years measure he supposed by order of the Colonial Buddhist religion. Whet right had fere with the religion of her subjects ? over millions of the followers of Buddl leer. she had no right to interfere with of the moat leered relics of the Budi lingam ; and there was en ancient su to the possession of that relic the lovers be for ever attached. In 1815 that reli In 1818 it was carried about as the I which only terminated when we rear For years afterwards the government is &ion of it, treating it with honour, and Last year. by order of the Colonial o handed it over, as worthless, to the p this manner he had wotnded the psi of the Kandians. Thus boo we sown th which injudicious taxes had ripened in what wee the character of those die constitute rebellion properly so called, more than local riots ? Lord Torrinf the 9th of July, stated that he had a lies. that the maw of the Kandiani Either, then, the government of ignorant of the feelings and opinions o disturbances did not amount to a rel vemment were ignorant on the subject Lord Grey's despatch of the 24th of I turbances were little more than local r statements of eye-witnesses. No injury of Europeans, and the only violence c the agents toaverandah. What follows on ? Those who were captured in th ances having been taken before the ist lion, could not be tried by courts-mai were captured after the termination of subjected to martial law. From the 14th of September, 19 prisoners wen and one of the kings of Kandy was on • tree as • scarecrow. A. Bo in his priestly robes. (Hear, het perceive that the voice of the hon. gi faltered when he attempted to defer hear.) What would have been sai hellion, a Roman catholic priest had I robes? (Hear, hear.) Whether or was responsible for these proceedings to say ; bat it was certain that he mi have stopped the executions by shells he would appeal to the hon. gentl bench whether the chief justice ing that sufficient blood had b Torrington in holding the contrary or bar concluded by saying, that of ever; due last year Lord Orey had uneqt =rn ; therefore it was evident evile was to be found i Physically and morally Ceylon was par sztunied Indian empire ; its races an wholly the same. The troips apr equally applicable and equally applies to Ceylon to India. One reason wh governed well by the Colonial-office was too limited for the ambition of 2 triton. He was convinced that the t ment of Ceylon to the Indian admit' an annual saving of fully 130,0001. Mr. ADDERLEY did not think th reality an attack on individuals. At from proposing a vote of censure upon give him a vote of thanks, as to a ma been raised up by providence for tl damning the system with which he IR Mr. F. Score supported the motion Sir R. PEEL said—Sir, as I bell monely agreed upon the course id namely, that there is to be an inquir3 of the government in two out of ti have been named—and as the hon. Secretary for the Colonies challenge quiry into the specific facts which I hon. member for Inverness, I confer by common consent so to modify the to that committee that there thou division with respect to them. (Ho from the particular facts which wee ability by the hon. member for Inv be • public advantage in an inquiry connected with the administration o these colonies—en inquiry not fret any particular secretary of state w the function* of that department, but entered into with regard to the sys sued, with the view of ascertaininj any modification or improvement which should be calculated to give ment to the colonies. Looking at of Ceylon, I should think that then and dissatisfaction existing, whethe and I say, therefore, without refers dividual consideration, that it migl stitute an inquiry of that nature — been often instituted in this house. that we had one which extended o was moved for by Lord Althorp, government, and where no refiec thrown out against any individual. respect to the general condition there might be a public advents With respect to the challenge the Under Secretary for tl inquiry shall take place afte honourable gentleman near another ground for an inquiry, art claration of the hon. gentleman th foremost to urge the necessity for fore that I shall enter into this any particular Secretary of State tion—the inquiry will extend to the functions of the office without ing. I say again, therefore, that toavoid the possibility of any lot an inquiry as directed against and onee, it this is to be an inquiry mercial condition of these colon ing protection, and thereby encore the minds of the colonists, I, for o think it would be • great public e, the colonists with the ezpectati consent to the revival of tho policy which it has so recent). Boned. (Cheers.) But, sir, I i parable to effect the object which hues to have in Tien, so IS at misconception upon the subject, thought fanciful, but I neither amendment. Let us not state wt us by ear acts evince our determi possible, without some reference t all into this subject; and I am bar there is, in this book which 'elan to justify an inquiry. (Hear.) tory; but there are official docui responsible ministers of the crow cuss questions of this kind and r respect to the evidence preseate ccal the fact that the reading of very unutisfactory impression u regret the general tine and spirit are written. (Renewed cheers.) rience in public life can be mo allowance for the difficul post upon to administer a most import difficulty, than I am ; and I am allowances on account of the dist count of our inability to judge s the I peculiar circumstances whir rigorous exercise of the powers hear.) I find that there was a rebellion was suppressed ; I ben had been uncertainty and delay then we should have been distil mein; and to have said that at Amnon of vigour would have • make full allowance, then, fir actieg in difficult times. I d Torrington for having proclai not quarrel with • him it shown a determination b 3 vigour and resolution to or to suppress it after it think It would have been perfi ministration of the grutest riga spoken in a very different tone the executions which have taker necessity imposed upon him. (1 as it has been stated by the hon. admit, for the sake of argument,