PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference:
TEC.O. 882
1
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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subject of discussion in the Executive Council?" to which the answer is, "Not to my knowledge. From the time that martial law was proclaimed to the time that I went out of the Executive Council, on Mr. McCarthy's return to Ceylon, which was at the end of August, I have no recollection of any discussion in the Executive Council as to the line of policy to be carried on with reference to those measures. There was one meeting very early indeed; it must have been the first day or two in August, at which the Governor told the Executive Council that he had done something, but that was all." Have you any doubt that the meeting there referred to is the meeting of the Execu- tive Council of the 5th of August ?—None whatever.
3916. At which meeting the whole of those documents were produced?--They were.
Question 5710 (1849), Mr. Wodehouse is asked, "Do you or do you not, know anything of the grounds upon which the proclamation was issued?" that is the first pro- claration; his answer is, "No, I know nothing of those grounds, and at the time I knew nothing of them but what is before the Committee." Were not the documents upon which the first proclamation was issued, part of those that were laid before the Council on the 5th of August?—They
were.
These two answers appear to have been taken by Sir E. Tennent as completely clenching his contra- diction of Mr. Wodehouse. But has not Sir E. Tennent, in 3915, mixed up together two very distinct matters ? In the recited part of Mr. Wodehouse's examination, the matter, which was then the subject of inquiry, was not the ground on which martial law was proclaimed, but the proceed- ings under it, such as "the confiscation of pro- perty." It is clear that both the questions and the answers of Mr. Wodehouse point to this, and this only; and therefore when Mr. Wodehouse refers to
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one meeting," "at which the Governor told the Executive Council that he had done something, but that was all," it is surely very doubtful whether Mr. Wodehouse referred to the meeting of the 5th of August, at which the Governor not only did not tell the Council that he had done anything in execution of martial law, but did not tell them anything at all. Mr. Wodehouse suggests that a Council should be held, that papers may be laid before it. The Council is called for that special purpose, and papers laid before it accordingly, and nothing more whatever is said or done; and the Council are not consulted about anything. How then can this be the meeting in Mr. Wodehouse's mind, when he said the Governor told the Council that "he had done something?" the context clearly
Evidence, 1850,
}
Evidenca, 1850.
1849.
4942, 4245.
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showing that
something done in execution of martial law was intended both by the question and the answer?
What Mr. Wodehouse really referred to may be difficult to ascertain. He refers to something "very early indeed; it must have been the first day or two in August." On the 31st July the Gover nor did tell the Council that he had "done some- thing," and that something was a quasi something in furtherance of martial law, which had been proclaimed two days before, for he told the Council that he had, on his own responsibility, sent to Madras for troops. If it was desirable to know from Mr. Wodehouse what was done at the meeting of the 5th of August, or what he would say about it, for the purpose of testing him, he was not questioned about it in a distinct manner originally, nor called upon afterwards in reply to Sir E. Tennent.
According to the minutes of the Executive Council, Mr. Wodehouse is strictly accurate in saying that the Council, during the month of Au- gust, after which he ceased to be a member of the Council, were never consulted, either about the manner in which martial law should be carried out, or how long it should be continued.
Sir E. Tennent states:
2747. When the question of the continuance of martial law was discussed it was raised by the General, who placed on record his opinion that it should be continued for a longer time than was in the contemplation of the Govern- ment; that was at the close of the month of August or the beginning of September.
This is inaccurate; and the inaccuracy is noticed because Mr. Wodehouse continued a member of Council until the end of August, and had stated to the Committee that no question of the continu- ance of martial law was raised during that time. The discussion referred to did not take place until the 25th September; and neither martial law nor the disturbances themselves are noticed in the mi- nutes of the Executive Council between that date and the 5th August preceding, although there were eight meetings of Council in the interval.
At these intermediate meetings, a great many subjects in connexion with the ordinary adminis tration of Government were considered. The only subject then considered which was at all in con- nexion with the recent disturbances was Sir H. Pottinger's offer to send troops in addition to three