Star.
London, England, 1815-11-17 00:00:00

CEYLON.

PROM TUB CEYLON GOVEENMENT GAZETTE EXTRAOIL
EMMY, MANCH 6.
OFFICIAL BULLETIN.
British Head-quartile, Candy. March le
This day a solemn conference was held in the
Audience-hall of the Palace of Candy, between hi,
Excellency the Governor and Commander of the
iorc s on behalf of his Majesty, and of his Royal
Highness the Prince Regent, on the one part, and
the Adikars, Dessaves, and other principal Chiefs of
the Candian Provinces-on the other part on behalf of
the people, and in presence of the Mohottales,
raals, Vidaans, and other subordinate Headmen from
the different Provinces, and a great concourse of in-
habitants.
A public instrument of Treaty, prepared in con•
formity to conditions previously agreed on, for esta-
blishing his Majesty's Government in the Candian
provinces, was produced and publicly read in Eng-
lish and Cingalese, and unanimously assented to.
The British flag was then, for the first time, hoist-
ed, and the establishment of the British dominion in
the interior Was announced by a royal salute from
the cannon of the city.
All the troops present in this garrison were ender
arms on the occasion of this important event.
By his Excellency's command,
JAMES SUTHERLAND, Dep. Sec.
OFFICIAL DECLARATION OF THE SETTLEMENT
OF TIIE CANDIAN PROVINCES.
Led by the invitation of the Chiefs, and welcomed
by the acclamation of the people, the forces of his
Britannic Majesty have entered the Candian territory
and penetrated to the capital—Dime Pnoviozece
has blessed their efforts with uniform and complete
success—the Ruler of the interior provinces has fallen
into their hands, and the Government remains at the
disposal of his Majesty's Representative.
In this sacred clia.ge, it is his earnest prayer, that
the Power which has vouchsafed thus tar to favour
the undertakiny, may guide his counsels to a happy
issue, in the welfare and prosperity of the people, and
the honour of the British empire.
Under circumstances far different from any which
exist in the present case, it would be a duty, and a
pleasing one, to favour . the re-establishment of a
fallen Prince, if his dominion could be fixed on any
principles of external relation compatible with the
rights of the neighbouring Government, of 11;b
nal rule in any reasonable degree reconciled to t." 1..
safety of his subjects.
But the boilable transactions of the fatal year
180 S, forced upon the lecoil..eti.at by meey heal
circumstances, and by details unknown b.:lore—the
massacre of 150 sick soldiers lying ht•lpleis in e:e
hospital of Candy, left under the pledge of public
faith, and the no less treacherous murder of the wl.o!e
British garrison commanded by Major Davie, which
had surrendered on promise of safety, impress upon
the Governor's mind an act of perfidy unparalleled
in civilized warfare, and an awl ill lesson recorded in
characters of blued against the momentary admission
of future confidence—whsle the obstinate rejection of
All friendly sivertures, repeatedly made during the
intermission of hostilities, has served to evince an im-
placable animosity, destructive of the hope of a sin-
cere teem:ciliation.
Of this animosity a daring instance was exhibited
in the unprovoked and barbarous mutilation of ten
innocent subjects of the British Government, by
which seven of the number lost their lives—a mea-
sore of defiance calculated, and apparently intended,
to 11,4 a filial negative to every probability of friendly
onto course.
If, therefore, in the present reverse of his fortunes
and condition, it may be presumed the King would
be found more accessible to nepociation than in for.
mer times—what value could be set on a consent at
variance with the known principles of his reign ?—or
what depenuence placed cn his observance of condi-
tions which he has hitherta so perseveringly repelled?
Still less could the hope for a moment be entertained
that any conditions of safety were capable of being
established on behalf of the inhabitants who had ap-
pealtol to his Majesty's Government for protection,
and yet more hepi less the attempt to obtain pardon
or sate:;uard for the Chiefs, who had &flied it a
duty paramount to every other obligation, to become
the medium of that appeal.
How far their complaints have been groundless,
and their opposition licentious, or, on the contrary,
dietr grievances bitterly and intolerably teal, may
now he judged by facts of unquestionable authen-
ticity.

Tile wanton destruction of human life'comprises
or implies tie existence of general oppression.• In
conjunction with that, nu other proofs of the exercise
i•f tyleinny require to be specified—and one single
instance, of no distant date, will be acknowledged
to iliclusle every thing which is barbarous and un.
principled in public *rule, and to poiirtray the last
stage of individual depravity and wickedness, the
obliteration of every trace of conscience, and the
co►nplete extinction of human feeling.
In the deplorable fate of the wile and children of
Eheylapola Adikar, these assertions are fully sub.
,taii.tiated—in which was exhibited the savage scene
•'f tour infant children, the youngest torn from its
mother's breast, cruelly butchered, and their head►
bruised in a mortar by the hands if their parent—

succeeded by the exeetteon of the woman lneself
and-thres, females more, whose limbs being bound,
and a heavy stone tied round the neck of each, they
were thrown into a lake and drowned.
It is not, bower, that under an dhsnlute Govern•
ment, unproved suspicion must usurp the place of
fair trial, and the fiat of• the ruler stand instead of
the dtcision of justice; k is not that a rash, viclent,
or unjust decree, or a revolting mode of execu,ion is
here brought to view, not the innocent suffering
under the groundless imputation of guilt : but a bold
contempt of every principle of justice, setting at
nought all knows grounds of punishment, dispensing
with the necessity of accusation, and eitoasitw fur
its victims helpless females uncharged with any of
and infants incapable of a crime.
Contemplating these atrocities, the impassibility of
establishing with such a man, any ci'vilizt.d relations
either of peace or war, ceases to be a subject of re
fret; since his Majesty's arms, hitherto employed in
the generous purpose of relieving the oppressed,
would he tarnished and disgraced, by being instru-
mental to the restoratitat of a dominion, exercised in
A perpetual outrage to every thing which is sacred in
the constitution or functions of a legitimate Govern-
ment.

On these grounds his Excellency the Governor has
Acceded to the wishes of the Chiefs and penple of the
CAndiun provinces, and a Convention has in cony:.
vence been held, the result of which the following
public act is destined to record and proclaim :