The Express.
London, England, 1851-10-18 00:00:00

COLONIAL

CEYLON.
The dates from Ceylon ore to Sept. 15. The event
of the month has been the opening of the Legislative
Council, on which occasion Sir George Anderson
developed his plan of law reform and his intended
policy in regard to some other subjects. The fol-
lowing arc extracts
Before stating the measures of legislation which I have to
propose, I will briefly acquaint you with our financial eon-
' dition for the past six mouths.

RETRY F.
Actual revenue of the lit half year of 1850 £209,3G3 0 0
Estimated ditto, 1851
Actual ditto, 1851

EXPENDITVILE.
Actual expenditure of the lit half-year of
1850 £190,118 0 0
Estimated ditto, 1861
Actual ditto, IS-k
The excess of revenue of the lit half-year
of 1341 over the expenditure for the
same period is L14,971 2 31
The actual revenue of the first half year of 18.11 has ex-
ceeded the estimated revenue for the same period by 8,8381.,
and the actual revenue for the corresponding period of
ISA, 4'6,7241. The actual expenditure of the first half
year of 18,51 is less than the estimated expenditure for tho
same period by 10,5831., but has exceeded the expenditure
for the corresponding period of WO by 1,9031.
The statements showing these results, I have directed to
be placed upon your table.
_ Our estimates for the ensuing year I shall shortly lay

before you.
I will now notice the measures connected with the judi-
cial administration, which I intend to submit fur your con-

sidemtion.
In January last the Chamber of Commerce, in an address
presented to me, made certain complaints as to the ill work-
ing of the present laws in some respects. I stated that I
would consider the matters of which they compla:neil ; and
I referred certain passages of their address to the judges
of the Supreme Court, requesting the judges to state if any
amendment in the law, as desired by the chamber, was
called for, and, if so, what course they would recommend
should be pursued.
lu reply, the judges suggested several alterations in the
laws, and among others they considered that all matters
connected with shipping and all other maritime matters,
and all questions regarding bills of exchange, should be
decided by the law of England. An ordinance has been
drafted, and will be presented to you to carry out this
purpose.
The judges have also recommended a most important
measure of reform with the object of assimilating the laws
of the Kandyan provinces to those of the maritime pro-
vinces, and of rendering them as uniform as possible. An
ordinance to carry out these views will be submitted to
you, and will, I trust, remove much of the perplexity
nod doubt which are involved in the administration of law
in the Kandyan provinces, especially as respects litigated
questions arising with and among Europeans.
I propose to extend the jurisdiction of what are here
called Courts of Requests, but what are really small cause
courts This measure will extend throughout the island.
My object is to attain the great end of giving litigants
cheap, simple, yet efficient means of obtaining justice ; and
which will be administered by the same persons who now
exercise the judicial functions.
It is intended to give these courts jurisdiction to enter-
tain and decide small land suits. I believe this alteration
will be one of very great benefit to the community, as
affording to them a readier, mire speedy and less expen-
sive mode than at present exists, for settling disputes con-
nected with the title to, and possession of, lands—disputes
which have in many cases led to acts of the greatest vio-
lence, which would probably nut have occurred if the law
furnished a cheap and speedy method for the adjustment
of such questions.
These contemplated additions to the jurisdiction of the
Courts of Requests are based, I am happy to suy, on the re-
commendation of the judges of the Supremetldourt, who
have also suggested another very important *alteration in
thewilmiuistration of the law, which I shall submit to you,
namely, that of requiring. the Supreme Court to hold a
monthly criminal sessions, instead of one every six months,
for the district of Colombo, which is the most populous and
commercial in the island. I expect very great advantage
to result from this measure, not only in respect of the ge-
neral administration, but of the shipping, when seamen are
detained here as prisoners for trial, and also as calculated
to relieve the gaol in Colombo front the great number of
persons waiting fur trial with which it is often crowded
under the present system.
Another important change which I shall submit to
.you on
the recommendation of the judo is, that of having all
civil appeals from the district courts heard in Colombo,
where, 1. have no doubt, they are likely to be better con-
, sidereal and decided than un circuit.
On the same recommendation 1 shall submit to you mea-
sures for abolishing the system of assessors; and here I
should state that on the suggestion of the late commissioner
for the colony, that most able jurist Mr. Cameron, I in-
quired of all the judicial authorities, if we should revert
to the system of permanent and paid assessors formerly in
existence. Without exception these authorities deprecated
it; and I find the general opinion to be that assessors are
in general of no benefit to the judicial administration, but a
burthen to the people, amounting even to a grievance. It
is, however, carefully provided that when ton-ties require
assessors, and the judge assents, or himself desires and
orders theiratteudance, they shall in those cases be saso-

ciated with him. ,
Another reform of vast concern to the inhabitants of the
colony which I shall lay before you is that of an alteration
iu the stamp laws, so us to lessen the cost of these imposts
generally, and to render the law with regard to them more
generally intelligible to the people. We are indebted to
the Chainber of Commerce among others fur the suggestions
which have led to the consideration of this reform.

I found the house assessment tax to weigh heavily upon
the poorer inhabitants. Alter slue inquiry I have had al-
terations made in the existing ordinance with a view to '
remedy the evil. 'these alterations will he laid befure you,
and I am very certain that you equally with myself will
rejoice to aid in this relief to the pourer classes.
It has been in my consideration, and the subject has been
enjoined upon my attention in the instructions of the Se-
cretary of State, to confer on certain towns of the island
the benefits of municipal institutions ; and with this view
un ordinance is in preparation to carry out the measure—on
this principle—that where the inhabitants of a town are de-
sirous of constituting themselves into a municipal body and
show that they are able to maintain it—then under certain
requirements provided by the law, the privileges of such an
institution shall be granted to them.
An ordinance tar establishing a snore perfect law of bank-
ruptcy is under consideration. It is a subject requiring
great circumspection; and it is desirable to ascertain how
tar what has been lately done in England in this matter
has worked well, before deciding on the course to be
adopted here. 1 may nut be able, therefore, during this
session, to lay before you the draft of au ordinance on this
subject, though I much desire to do so.
A new customs law has been drafted—it has been ear-
nestly considered by the Chamber of Commerce and by the
authorities of the customs department. I shall hope to be
able to submit it to you for deliberation in a complete form ;
but before finally making it an enactment, it may be well
to await the changes that may be directed in our establish-
ment from the Imperial Government consequent on the
transfer of this department to our colonial control.
In respect of roads, I may observe, generally, that those
already existing are considered to Le in a favourable state,
and other roads arc in progress.
I have pawed several months at Kandy, where I am re-
joiced to say the greatest tranquillity prevails, as it does
in other parts of the island. I have at Kandy had constant
interviews with the chiefs, and have given audience to the
priests ; and where they brought to my notice any trouble
or grievance which they conceived themselves to labour
, under, I told them, and to their satisfaction, that I would
endeavour to remedy the evils, if found to be such, of
which they complained, if I could do so with justice to all.
and consistently with the principles which guide the British
government.

The coffee planters, we regret to learn, arc searing
from a paucity of labour. This is a serious inconvenience
just as the crop season is commencing. The cocoa-nut
planters of Jaffna have applied to government fur a grant of
public money to complete that portion of a main road which
passes through their estates. Their claims arc enforced by
the statement that in ten years they have purchased from
government nearly 10,000 acres of land, upwards of 7,000
of which have been cultivated, the total expenditure being
110,0001. Cocoa-nut planting is going on steadily at Batti-
calua, N(gombo, and elsculicre ; and a gentleman is
making another experiment in sugar-growing.

5360
90 13

TEIREATENED COTTON-SPINNERS' STRIKE.—We
regret to learn that there are some indications of an exten-
sive strike among the operative cotton-spinners in Glasgow
and neighbourhood. The men, it appears, have been
urging an advance, or restoration, of 10 per cent. upon their
wages, which the masters have declared their inability or
disinclination to comply with. The operatives have accord-
ingly resolved upon what is termed a " sectional strike,"
and two mills—one in the town and the other in the country
—were last week selected by ballot, and the workpeople
withdrawn. These mills belong respectively to Messrs.
hPNaught and Co., Anderson, and Messrs. William Ste.
renews and Son, Crossley, near Johnstone. Subsequently
upon this partial strike a meeting of the millowncrs was
held, when it was resolved that unless these two works
were opened upon the old terms, all the mills in the dis-
trict should suspend operations on Monday, at least so far
as mule-spinning is concerned. A notification to this effect
was made to the men accordingly. A meeting of operative
delegates was consequently held in Paisley on Saturday
night last, when it was resolved to continue the strike in
reference to the two mills already noticed ; and the men of
other mills who had received notice to quit on Saturday
last, were ordered to:present themselves on Monday morn-
ing on the old terms. Should they be rejected or refused
admittance, the operatives were then to ask a meeting with
the employers on Tuesday, with the view, if possible, of
coming to some satisfactory arrangement.—Glasgow Con-
stitutional.

WILTS, SOMERSET, .'NI) WEYMOUTII RAILWAY.—
A meeting was held yesterday at Yeovil, when a committee
was appointed to communicate with the directors of the
Great Western Railway respecting the completion of tho
I line.

TE#e Court.

WINDSOR, Oct. 1

The Queen and Prince Albert went out on horse.
back into the Park yesterday afternoon, accom;:anied by
Prince Frederick of the Netherlands and Loud Simour,
and attended by the lion. Miss Seymour, the Earl of-Mor-
ley, Colonel Buckley, and Colonel F. 11. Seymour ,• and
Count Van der Duvu, attending on the Prince Frederick
of the Netherlands:
The royal dinner party yesterday included the Duchess of
Kent, Princo Frederick of the 'Netherlands, the I.sily in
Waiting to the Duchess of Kent, the Barmess de Spetb,
the Count de Buol Schaueustein, the Baron Dentinek,
Field Marshal Count Nugent, ViNcount and Viscount...,
Palmerston, Lord Seymour, Colonel Count A. Nterent.and
Count an der Duyn. The band of the Royal Horse
Guards attended during dinner and played the following
pieces :
Mario, Al'egro, Scplett
ind Act, Mono d'Roban
Wattc, " Itt tr-drop"
Proptkete "
The Qucetitt private band afterwards attelia,d in: the
Castle and performed the following pieces
Overture, , Ade lust4en Welber T.lll Mad.

■~f "...

Beethovn,

Otto

Concerto, violin, M. Sdaton
scene de DAIWA IA Haysdere"
This morning her Majesty and Prince Albert walked
the Home-park and the Slopes.
The Prince of Wales and Prince Alfred, tato' 1,1 by
Rev. Mr. Birch, drove out in an open carriag.•.
The remainder of the royal children took

At usual

exercise.
Prince Albert went out shooting this forenoon, men
ponied by Lord Seymour, and attended by the Kai
Morley, Colonel F. H. Seymour, and the Ma.de•r of
Household.

Prince krederick of the Netherlands and Bentinr
took their departure from thu Castle this morning. Vi
count and Viscouuteas Palmerston also lett fur Loudon.

The Rev. Dr. Symonds had an interview with
John Russell, yesterday, at his official tesidenee, in lk,wn
ink-street.
Mr. French, M.P., had an interview with the Chancelln
of the Exchequer yesterday. The Earl of Arundel an
Surrey had also an interview with the Right Wm. Baron'
at his official residerce in Downing-street.
Mr. Nortuan Macdonald had au interview with 7 .:
Grey yesterday at the Colonial-office. Mr. Forster, M.:.
had also an interview with the noble Earl yesterday.

•
The Finance Continitn..e. of the Royal Commis,ion for
Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations in IN;I
held a meeting yesterday at the Board of Trade.
The (tight lion. Fox blank left town yesterday al:I:moon
for Scotland.
Mr. Frewen, M.P., had an interview yesterday with
Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Despatches were sent off last evening front the Coleni
office thr the Governor of Canada' and awe for the Governors
of the other North American Colunies.

Among the passengers who left Southampton for
Lisbon yeecrtlay itt th.. l'eninsular Mail itar:itot M.tntro,
was the Countt.s. Tho:uar ; the Count WWI at rtuuthatuittou
and took blare of the Count4.l on board.

THE HONOUR OF• KNIGHTHOOD would, we under
stand, hare been conferred on Mr. Dilke, of the EaLcut:,
Committee of the Great Exhibition, if the ateeph.nee of i
had been agreeable to that gentleman's feelings.

(From last takrbt'.,
MANCTIESTER, Oct. 10.—The Queen wns this Illy
pletiDed to confer the honour of Knighthood upon .h.:11
Potter, Esq., of Buile-hill, it the county of Laltea......r,
Mayor of Manchester.
CoNIMIssION SIGNED BY THE LORD LIEFTENANT
or LINCULNSIIIILE.— Colonel Thomas Chaplin, to he
deputy-lieutenant.
CoMMlssloN SIGNED ItY VIE LORD LIEUTEN.tNT
or MlDDLES£l.—Lieutenant James Prince, to Iw captain
in the Royal Eaat Middlesex Regiment of Militia.

POSTPONEMENT OF THE PAYMENT OF