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Reference:
C.O. 882
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH——NOT TO
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improved." It is not the case that depression in trade and agriculture is "still increasing "an assertion which indeed the memorial itself, in the very next line, to some extent contradicts, by the statement that tea cultivation is making great progress, and "relieves the withering influence of a dull circulation of capital," whatever that may mean. It is not the case that "many facts have yet to be determined" before the growth of tea can be pronounced to be an established industry, or that the paying capacity of a line to Haputalé depends wholly, or even mainly, on the coffee enterprise. The memorial also adopts, without examination, and founds an argument upon, Mr. Dickson's erroneous statement as to the decline in the yield of coffee from 11 bushels to four and a half bushels per acre, on which I have commented in my Despatch, No. 257, of this day's date.*
12. One other argument, and one only, is put forward, viz., that as the extension of the line to Haputale is now urged on the ground of the increased profits it will secure, Ju passing, so a further extension to Badulla may be hereafter urged for the like reason. I may observe that if the argument were put forward, and it were found on examination that it could be maintained with truth, I should consider it a very good one; but, in point of fact, the two cases are wholly dissimilar. Extension to Haputalé secures entirely new traffic,-traffic the whole of which now goes by road to Ratnapura, and of which not one ton finds its way to the railway. Extension to Badulla from Haputalé would only secure the same traffic at a higher point; and though, no doubt, it would prove a great boon to the planters in shortening the distance between their estates and the nearest railway station, and might also so stimulate industry and production as to be attended with profit resulting from this increased activity, it could not be advocated on the same grounds which exist for rendering the line accessible to traffic at present If the framers of the memorial were not compelled to make use of another route.
aware of these facts, they are too ignorant of the question with which they deal to render their opinion of any value, whatever weight it may possess with regard to matters on the sea coast. If they were aware of the difference I have mentioned, it implies some dishonesty to have suppressed all reference to it. In this dilemma I leave the
memorialists to their choice.
13. The memorialists appended to their paper reports of speeches made by Mr. Ráma- Nathan and Mr. De Alwis, which are for the most part only pleas for delay, and have been practically answered to a great degree by the railway commissioners. They also forward some extracts from certain newspaper articles, of which I would only observe that (unlike the memorialists) I fail to see anything "remarkable" in agreement between journals which, if not belied, owe their inspiration at least, if not their existence, to the same source.
14. Mr. Ráma-Náthan is a Tamil from Jaffna, and the bulk of those whom he represents have no interest in the extension of the railway towards Badulla. On the contrary, they are likely to be hostile to it, for a wild scheme has lately been revived for as the adoption constructing a railway from Métalé to Jaffna. Utterly out of question of such a scheme is at this time, it is naturally very popular at Jaffna, and has been the subject of speeches, memorials, and public meetings there; while of course any other scheme, to which at other times the people of the Jaffna Peninsula would be simply indifferent, becomes positively obnoxious to them when looked on as a rival to their own project, and regarded, however erroneously, as the great obstacle to its realisation.
I have, &c. (Signed) ARTHUR GORDON.
The Right Hon. the Earl Granville, K.G.
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Enclosure 1 in No. 4. ORDINANCE enacted by the Governor of CBYLON, with the advice and consent of the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL thereof. No. 2.-1886.
An Ordinance to raise a loan of 550,000!. sterling for the construction of lines of railway from Nanu-oys to Haputalé, and from Kalutara to Bentota.
Arthur GORDON.
Whereas it is expedient to raise a loan not exceeding 550,000l. sterling, British money, for the construction of lines of railway from Nánu-oya to Haputalé, and from
• No. 8.
63
Kalutara to Bentota: Be it therefore enacted by the Governor of Ceylon, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:
1. This Ordinance and Ordinance No. 19 of 1884, intituled "An Ordinance to "declare the terms and conditions applicable to loans authorised to be raised by the "Government of Ceylon, and to provide for the creation of Ceylon Inscribed Stock," shall be construed and read as one Ordinance.
2. The Governor is hereby authorised to borrow, at any time within 12 months from the coming into operation of this Ordinance, a sum not exceeding 550,000. sterling, British money, by the sale of debentures or by the sale of inscribed stock, or partly by the sale of debentures and partly by the sale of inscribed stock, under the provisions of "The General Loan and Inscribed Stock Ordinance, 1884."
3. The proceeds arising from such loan shall be applied to the construction of lines
of railway from Nánu-oya to Haputalé and from Kalutara to Bentota.
4. The contributions to the Sinking Fund as contemplated in sections 10 and 24 of "The General Loan and Inscribed Stock Ordinance, 1884," for the repayment of the said sum of 550,0001, sterling, British money, hereby authorised to be borrowed, shall commence from the date on which the interest on the debentures or inscribed stock to be issued under this Ordinance shall begin to run.
5. This Ordinance shall not come into operation until such time as Her Majesty's gracious allowance and confirmation of the same shall be notified by proclamation in the "Government Gazette."
6. Pussed in Council this 15th day of January, 1886.
R. W. IEVERS,
Clerk to the Council. Assented to by his Excellency the Governor, the 31st day of January 1886.
Colonial Secretary.
Enclosure 2 in No. 4.
No. 2 of 1886.
CECIL C. SMITH,
Ordinance No. 2 of 1886, entitled “ An Ordinance to raise a loan of 550,0001. sterling, "for the construction of lines of railway from Nánu-oya to Haputalé, and from Kalutara "to Bentota.'
I am of opinion that in terms of Colonial Regulation 179 this Ordinance is one to which the Royal assent may properly be given.
(Signed) S. GRENIER,
Colombo, 15th February 1886.
Enclosure 3 in No. 4.
PROTEST.
Acting Attorney-General.
We feel it our duty to enter a protest against the passing at the present of the Bill authorising a loan for the railway extension to Haputalé. In the absence of the sanction of the Secretary of State for this work, and for other reasons, we consider the Bill premature. We have argued the question fully at the second reading of the Bill, dwelling at some length on the agricultural, commercial, and financial condition of the island. We venture to think that the facts and figures quoted by us have not been controverted by any of the speakers who took part in the debate, and that their observations on the general utility of railways and the protection of native interests are foreign to the purely financial basis on which the discussion was started. We would also humbly note that the severe criticisms which his Excellency the Governor has passed on us are not likely to conserve the independence of unofficial members of this Council. The Government seems to be unaware of the opinion gaining ground since 1879, that coffee enterprise in Uva is doomed to suffer much the same fate as that experienced already by other districts in the mountain zone. We think it only right to say that, before the Bill is passed, not merely should existing estimates be revised on inore recent and reliable data, but a Commission should be appointed, consisting of European and Native gentlemen, to inquire into and report upon the condition and prospects of coffee enterprise in the Uva Province. The delay which will occur will K 2