Star.
London, England, 1815-08-07 00:00:00

carLom.

GOVERNMENT GAZETTE EXIT AORDINART.
. MONSIAT, MAICII 6, 1513.
OFFICIAL SULLgror.
British Headquarters, Kandy, March 5. .
This day a solemn conference was held in the Au-
di:nce•hall of the Palace of Kandy, between his Ex-
cellency dui Governor and Commander of the Forces ,
on behalf of his Majesty sad of his Royal High-
ness the Prince Regent, on the one part, and the
AJikars, Dessaves, and other principal Chiefs of the
Kandian Provinces on the other part, on behalf of the
People, and in presence of the Mohnttales, Coraals,
Vidaans,. and other subordinate Headmen, from the
diffetent Provinces, and a great concourse of inhabi-
tants. A public instrument of treaty, prepared in
conforaky to, conditions previously agreed on, for
establishing his Majesty's Government in the Kan-
dian Provinces, was produced, and publicly real, in
English and Cingalese, and unanimously assented to.
The British ft.,g was then, for the first time, F. istcd,
and the establishment of the British dominion in the
interior was announced. by a royal salute from the
cannon of the i ity. All :the troops present in .the
garriion were under arms-on the occasion of this ins,
portant event.;—By his Excellency's comnfand,
(Signed)• JAMES SUTHIIIILAND, Dep. S..c. •
OFFICIAL DECLARATION OFTHE SET CLEMENT oft
TkiE .Ii,ANDIAN-.PILOVINCES.
" Led by the invitation of .the. Chiefs, and .wel-
comed by the acclamations of the people, the forces
of his Britannic Majesty have entered the Kandian
territory, and penetrated to the capital. lirmit Pito.
vincNot has blessed their efforts. with uniiorm and
complete succeu. The Ittilet of the • interior. pro-
vinces has fallen into their hands, and the Govern-
ment
remains at the disposal' of his Majesty's &pre--
sentative. '
-- 1
" In this sacred charge, it is his earnest prayer,
that the Power which has vouchsafed.thns far to fa-
vour the undertaking, may guide his counsels to a
happy issue, in the welfare and prosperity of the'
peoptc. 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 there-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, or his inter-
nal. rule in any reasonable degree reconciled to the
safety of his subjects.
" But the horrible transactions of the fatal year
ISCS, forced upon the recollection by many local
circumstances, and by details unknown before—the
massacre of 150 sick soldiers lying helpless in the hos-
pital of Kandy, left under the pledge of public
faith; and the no less treacherrus murder of the
win k Brit sh garrison commanded by Major Davie,
which had surrend,red on a promise of safety, im-
press upon the Governor's mind an act of perfidy
unparalleled in civilized warfare, and an awful lesson
recorded in tharacters of blood, against the momen-
tary admission of future confidence—while the obsti-
nate rejecticn of all friendly overtures, repeatedly
mace during the intermission of bostilitieti, has served
to evince an implacable animosity destructive of the
hope of a sincere reconciliation. .
" 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 loscilieir lives--a measure of
defiance calculated, and apparently intended, to pot
a final negative to every proloability of friendly inter-
course. If, therefore, in the present reverse of his
fortunes and condition, it may be presumed the King
would be found more accessible to negotiation than
in form .r times, what value could be set on a con..
sent at variance with, the known principles of hi.'
resign ? or what dependence placed on his observance
of conctilion. which he 113 s Ilithertil so perseveringly
repelled ? Still less could the hope for a moment be
enteriained,that any conditiOns of safety were capable
of being established on helialf.of the inhabitants, who
had appealed 'to his Majesty's Government for pro-
tection; and "'et more hopeless the attempt to Obtain
pardon or safeguard for the Chiefs, who had deemed
it a duty paramount to every other obligation, to
become the Intalitim of that appeal.
" How far their complaints have been groundless,
and 'heir opptAitinn lisentioui, or on the contrary
their griuvancestittetly and intolerably real, may now
be juuged by facts of unquestionable antlie:,ticity.
" Toe wanton destruction 'of human life comprises
or implies the exi.aence of general oppression, In
conjunction with that, sin other proofs of tbe exercise
nf tyranny req. ire t,• be specitiedand one single in-
stance, of no distant date, will he ackqpwkdged to
include every Oinic wilier} ill barbarog am iinorinci.