PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
C.O. 885
Reference-
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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House of Lords. The Court was however obstinate, and after renewing the Tax Ordinance for two or three months, to allow of a reference to this country, finally allowed it to expire on the 30th of September last, from which date the whole revenue of the colony, except a comparatively small sum derived from permanent taxes, has ceased. Such is the plain history of this case.
It is only necessary to add, that it has scarcely been disguised by the members of the Combined Court, and openly avowed by their supporters in the Colony, that the object of the course pursued was not economy, but to embarrass Her Majesty's Government, and compel them to recommend to Parliament an alteration of its commercial policy.
There was not the slightest ground for the measure as one of economy. The Governor's salary is certainly not more than sufficient to enable him to live as he ought in so exceedingly expensive a colony, nor did the state of the finances require any such reduction. On the con- trary, the revenue was better than in former years, and is derived from taxes which there is no neces. sity for taking off, inasmuch as they fall almost exclusively on the labouring population, who, instead of requiring relief, are so well off, that the difficulties of the colony are mainly attributable to their having no adequate motive to perform a reasonable amount of labour, because they can live as well as they desire with so little exertion.
But though the conduct of the Combined Court has been thus unreasonable, no efforts have been spared to put an end to these unfortunate differ- ences, by adopting the most conciliatory course compatible with the maintenance of the just au- thority of the Crown. With this view Her Majesty has been advised to intrust the Government of the colony to Mr. Barkly, though an opponent of the present Government in the House of Commons, because it was hoped that he would command the confidence of the colonists from having been one of the ablest (though the least unreasonable) of the advocates of their interests in Parliament, and from being himself a landed proprietor in Guiana,
Another of the Crown Colonies as to which
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great complaint has been made is Mauritius; but if the complaints which have been made by its inhabitants and those connected with them are examined, it will be found that they all really turn upon the ruin brought upon planters and mer- chants, as it is said, by the withdrawal of protec tion, but in truth by that reckless over-speculation At the same which protection had given rise to. time it may fairly be admitted that the Government of this colony has always been conducted in too expensive a manner; but no effort has been want- ing to correct the fault which in this respect has been acknowledged to exist in the system of administration, and already taxes to the amount of A new 65,000l. a-year have been remitted. Governor has also just been appointed, who will carry out with him instructions to revise the whole of the public establishments upon the principles of the severest economy.
Ceylon, however, is the colony respecting which 'thecamour has been the loudest.
The facts are these.
A few years ago the cultivation of coffee in this
island was undertaken by English capitalists, or on their account, and so much profit attended the first experiment that a sudden rush was made into the business. Capital to a very large amount was invested, and a great extent of Crown land was purchased for the purpose of forming coffee planta- tions. Of course while this was in progress every. thing was prosperous in the colony. The revenue was swelled not merely by the large receipts from the sale of land, but also by the great increase of duties upon imports, which, while capital was being invested, were largely augmented. Though the symptoms were only too plain, as I should have thought, that this was a delusive and fleeting prosperity which must necessarily be followed by a strong reaction, Lord Stanley in 1845 thought it prudent to make a large addition to the expense of all the public establishments in the colony, carrying this so far as to render the immediate annual expenditure not very much below what the facti- tious revenue of that year would bear, without making any allowance either for the certain falling