CO882-(1-2) — Page 101

། ?། ། ‛

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

19

سلسل

Reference :-

C.O. 882

1

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO

80

was "very inconsiderable" (7632), and "exceed- ingly unimportant, and which might have been put down without the least trouble at first” (7689.) 7689.

Mr. Henry Layard, formerly a Captain in Her Majesty's service, who was examined by the Com- mittee, has concurred in the censure on Lord Tor- rington for omitting to consult the officers who were at the heads of departments, who were con- versant with the country, and who had been en- gaged in suppressing the former rebellions of 1817 and 1818. (6347)

He specifies Colonel Braybrook, Colonel Charl- ton, and Colonel Fraser, of the latter of whom he says, that from his efficiency in quelling the Rebel- lion of 1818, his name itself was a terror to the

natives. (6351)

Of these, Mr. Layard specially singles out Colonel Fraser as one who ought to have been consulted, as he "knows every inch of the inte- rior, having surveyed it "-and Colonel Bray- brook; and then he adds, there is Mr. Gibeon, who has been there a long time, and would have been capable of assisting the Government in an emer- gency.* (6451)

Yet these officers, Mr. Layard states it to be within his own knowledge, were not consulted by Lord Torrington-“I know that they were not consulted."

Now these statements, made with so much emphasis and particularity, may serve to shew the Punsoundness of the information on which Lord Torrington has been arraigned before the Com- mittee and yet Mr. Layard professes to speak of his own knowledge and being a member of a family whose connexions are to be found in every department of the public service of Ceylon, and in every quarter of the island, he is supposed to speak on sound information from others also.

Now what are the facts? Colonel Braybrook I pass over,—he was not consulted by Lord Tor- rington,—and I believe very little by the Major-

• The juxta-position of Mr. Gibson with the veteran mill- tary authorities is ouuusing-Mr. Gibson a evil servant, a quiet, indoleus man, and an assistant in my own offos. · But the mapla- nation is this--be in Mr. Layarđe brother-in-law, who took this opportunity to introduan him favourably to the nation of the Commition. There can be no other explanation of his allusion to a gentleman who never served out of an offes in Columbe;

tor is he uoquainted with any part of the island.

81

General Commanding-for the simple reason that he has little or no military experience. Ho has been a considerable time in the island; but I have been confidently assured that he never saw a shot fired in his life; and being chiefly employed in the Commissariat Department, his services have been more of a civil than a mili- tary character. The Commissariat în Ceylon is a vast civil store-and even its duties connected with the military, in taking charge of provisions and bedding, are the least important portion of Its functions, which consist chiefly of the purchase and issue of timber, lime, and building materials for public works in the Civil Engineers' depart- ment; besides an extensive retail sale of innume- rable articles to the Public departments and the public-[a list of which I here put in, and which will serve to shew that length of service in this store is not favourable to military experience.]

Colonel Braybrook served in the Commissariat

for 20 years, from the year 1819 to 1889.

As Assistant Commissary-General at

Colombo

-

1819

Commissary of Stores and Provisions

at Badalla

1800

Ditto

ditto

ditto

Trincomalee

1891

Ditto

ditto

Vitto

·

1898

-

Acting Comminary-General

1800

-

1891

Colombo

Deputy Commissary-General

which he held up to 1889.

Theos äntien comfund Colonel Braybanok chiefly

to the store at Collembe, and took him no such

out of the the.

starenly be

as to quelling

domion, that they can

by