The Express.
London, England, 1851-02-13 00:00:00

CEYLON.

(Tres Me Daity Kn-s.)
M the end of last week a hatch of papers relating
to the affairs lon were resented to both houses
of parliament by command of her NIAJEsTY. To
appreciate these extraonlinary ellwuments at their
just value, it will be necessary to cast a glance
backwards for a few mouths.
On the 22nd and 23rd of July. 18.50. the select
committee of the House of Commons on the affairs of
Ceylon passel) sundry resolutions to the effect that
much of the evidence they had extorted from wit-
nesses was of " a private and confidential nature, the
publication of which would create dissensions in
Ceylon injurious to the public interests;" that in
their opinion the attempt to separate the select and
confidential portions from the remainder was .4 open
to insuperable difficulties ;" and that, in consequence.
no further evidence should be reported to the house.
The third and final report of the committee,
accordingly. instead of reporting the evidence to
the house, simply recommends that the attention of
government should be coiled to it, and that " a royal
commission should be appointed to proceed to Ceylon,
to ascertain what changes may be nevessary for the
better goveniment of that colony, unless some step
he forthwith taken by the government which may
obviate the necessity of further investigation."
'flee papers presented to parliament last week show
what have been theate " taken by government to
obviate the necessity of further investigation." Lord
ToURINoToN has been recalled, and left at liberty to
resume the railway and agricultural pursuits which
were supposed to have pre-eminently qualified him
for governolena colony; Sir GEoItGE ANDERSON,
whose antecedents warrant fair hopes of his effici-
ency, has been appointed to succeed Lord TonniNo.
TON ; Sir EstessoN TFNNENT hits been removed
from the post of colonial secretary, but sent to govern a
dependency where he can do little harm. relegated, like
another Ns PoLEoN, to St. Helena; Mr. M'CAUTIIT has
been nominated to the vacant post—an appointment
obnoxious, perhaps', to a charge of nepotism, but
mnl-
listed by the general confidence reposed in Mr.
Wesirritr. in Ceylon; Mr. Wylie:House, like Sir
EMERSON TENNENT, has been removed to another
sphere of action; Mr. SELBY (Attorney-General),
and Colonel lilt tYIMoOKE, are allowed to resume
their official situations. after having been subjected
to what is technically termed "a wigging; and
that unlucky and blundering cat's-paw, Captain
Wsysos, is to be brought before a court-martial.
In making these arrangements, the noble Secretary
of State for the Colonies presents himself, it must be
allowed, in an imposing attitude. He resembles!
nothing so much as the Archangel, in MILTON'S
" Paradise Lost," dispensing justice tempered with
mercy—awarding their merited dooms to a whole
company of offending ADAMS, without one EVE
among them—assuaging the despair of exile by in-
dicating the means through which the banished may
work out their re-habilitation.
In all this, however, there is more of skilfid artis-
Heal display and stage trick, than of substantial
justice. The "steps taken by government" do sat
"obviate the necessity of further investigation." The
abuses which the CZ3lon committee was appointed
to inquire into, the wrongs which government were
called upon to redress, related to the inhabitants of
Ceylon. It was alleged—it has been proved—that a
system of oppressive taxation, alien to the habits of
the ('ingalest. was suddenly and without previous
notice forced upon them; that some insignificant dis-
turbances. confined to a very narrow district, excited,
by this blameable policy, were magnified into acts of
conspiracy and rebellion ; and that to suppress the
pseudo-rebellion, measures of the most atrocious,
and unwarrantable severity were resorted to. Rd
these grave considerations are utterly ignored in
the government awards against its peccant officials.
The wrongs and complaints of the Cingalese arc passed
over without notice; the officials arc punished or reri-
mended (as the case may be) simply for indecorous
squabbles among themselves, having a tendency to
make the world suspect that people in office may be
mere ordinary mortals, and rather weak and vulgar
mortals into the bargain. Government has evinced
a kmu sense of decorum, but little regard for justice.
Not the least remarkable feature of these proceed-
ings is this. The evidence taken by the committee
of last session related partly to the public affairs of
• Ceylon, partly to private and confidential matters, in
r which the public (it has been alleged) have no con-
cern. The committee thought the former sufficiently
important to require publication, could it have been
separated front the latter. Government, however, in