PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 882
1
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
126
spot; the cost of keeping cattle at such an extraor- dinary period would very soon have exceeded their value, and the expense of removing and storing grain would likewise have been great. There was therefore no alternative but either to sell it at the highest price it could realize at the time, or aban- don it to the marauders. It was consequently sold on the spot, and realized, considering the time, a very fair price."
Again as to the causes which constrained the sale of household articles, the Assistant Commissary "Those sold at Kornegulle, like those at says: Kandy, were with few exceptions of little or no value, almost every thing of value having been either secreted or carried off by the owners when they deserted their houses, It was impossible to store these articles at Kornegulle, the public build. ings having been sacked and partially destroyed. It would have been equally unsafe to have for- warded them to Kandy without a military escort, which their value and the exigencies of the time did The cattle and paddy were not appear to warrant. disposed of under the same circumstances as at Ma- telle."
The grain was brought to the nearest place for sale, and Mr. Sayers reports that the sales were so prudently conducted, that at Matelle the paddy sold on an average for 1. a bushel uncleaned, a
the very time when the market price was 18. 3d.
for well cleaned grain.
At Kornegalle it sold rather lower.
The total number of cases in which sequestration took place was 431.
The entire amount of property of all kinds seized or sequestrated during the rebellion was 93401, 19a. Od.
Of this the portion eventually confiscated by the operation of law on conviction of the owners of high treason by the Supreme Court was 10481. 18, 10d. The amount unsold and restored without charge their representatives was to the owners or 7,2491. 18. 6d.
There was also a small amount of cash seized and restored, 211. Os. Ojd.
127
So that the entire amount sequestrated and sold
was
£587 18 of t...... Matelle.
46 7
2 at.
Dambool,
437 12 8 M................ Kornegulle.
In all...... £1021 17 10j*
Of the property so sold, it has been stated that
a large proportion consisted of articles of metal and other substances of an imperishable nature, and which it was therefore improper to have sold.
This is not strictly correct; of the household sundries thus seized and sold, a very small pro- portion indeed consisted of articles of metal, or other imperishable substances.
For example, all articles sold, composed of ivory, china, or metal, including some silver bangles and chains, amounted to less than 40%., of which one-half, or about 221., was the total value of all the articles of metal seized and sold.
The remainder, 181., was for some elephant tusks sold by mistake at the commencement of the in- surrection.
But they sold so well that they produced 28 1d. per pound, whilst ivory was selling at la. in the bazaar; and the entire proceeds were handed back to the owner.
Jewels were not sold. The only jewels seized were in the instance of the Dewa Nilleme; and they were deposited in the treasury vault, pre- served and restored to the owner.
The other imperishable articles sold were of wood and cloth, which it was impracticable to keep securely; and the entire value was about
561.
In fact, the gross value of all the imperishable articles (as they are called) which were sold, was
941. 10. 4d. out of 9,3401. sequestrated.
• The entire proceeds of these sales has been returned with-
out deduction to the owners or their representatives. Some small balanos, to the credit of the owners lay unpaid at the cutcheiner of Kornegulle, Maselle, and Kandy. On the day on which I left Ceylon, these balunoos unclaimed or unpaid were--
At Kornagulle..
At Matalls and Dambool At Kandy
Out of .....
Out of $487 12 8 65 12 8
"
584 5 .. 1 10 0 040
$1091,17 10., £7 68
And this balance, I have no doubt, has been paid sinon I ļaft
Ceylon.
2 L