CO882-(1-2) — Page 106

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

गय

Reference :-

C.O. 882

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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Mr. Anstruther's charge. I had been but three years in the island, and with all diligence and much travel, I am conscious that I am still most imperfectly informed as to the country and the customs of the Singhalese people who inhabit it. But who were the other four members?

The Major-General, who had served in Ceylon thirty years before, and had all the experience and information derivable from residence in India, and observation of the people both in war and peace.

The Queen's Advocate, Mr. Selby, who had been upwards of ten years in Ceylon, and had

served in judicial capacity in all parts of the island.

The Acting Auditor General, Mr. Wodehouse, who has been I believe some eighteen or twenty years in Ceylon. And

Mr. Templer, the father of the Civil Service, the oldest and most experienced public officer in the island, and familiar with the people in every district of Ceylon.

And by the unanimous consent of these mem- bers of the Executive Council, Lord Torrington adopted the measures for the suppression of the rebellion which have been condemned by Mr. Anstruther as the results of inexperience.

And though Mr. Wodehouse himself now dis- sents from the policy which he then supported, it must be borne in mind that he gave it his un-

✦ qualified support at the time; as attested by the

Minutes of Proceedings of the Executive Council.

But even admitting the deficiency of the civilians Measures taken by the military

in the service of the Government, this condemna- authorities.

tion of Mr. Anstruther cannot apply to the

military authorities, and the view which was taken of the rebellion, and its aspect by such old and experienced officers as General Smelt, Colonel Fraser, Colonel Charlton. and the many military officers who andated them by their experience and co-operation, both in the Kandyan and mari- time provinces; and who, being quartered over the island, had abundant opportunities to judge from their own observation of the actual condition of affairs.

The Major-General had his own sources of information, independently of the Government despatches, and so accurate was his intelligence that, a month before the actual outbreak, he wrote

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to Lord Fitzroy Somerset to say that he appre hended it, and to remind the Commander-in-Chief that, "should any serious outbreak take place, which is far from improbable, our present force is totally inadequate to give protection to the several properties and plantations so widely scat- tered throughout this island." (Military Papers, page 13, letter 11th July.)

The number of troops in the Kandyan provinces

was manifestly insufficient, barely 400 effectives; and in order to enable the General to strengthen them by concentrating a force from Colombo and Trincomalee, Lord Torrington, on Colonel Fraser'ı suggestion, wrote to Madras for reinforcements, which, owing to the promptness and decision by which it was dispatched, arrived in an incredibly short space of time, and thus permitted the garrison

of Trincomalee to be moved inland to the central provinces, whilst 200 rank and file were marched to the same point from Colombo.

In the meantime, the whole extent of the Kandyan Kingdom was in excitement and alarm. The civil officers poured in applications for troops to put down the insurrection expected in their several districts, and the European planters and residents at coffee estates applied for arms to defend themselves, and soldiers to be dispatched to central points, for the protection of the pro- perty from plunder and destruction, such as had overtaken the coffee estates in the disturbed dis- tricts.

Those applications, and the measures adopted

in pursuance of them, have been transmitted to the Secretary of State, and are accesible to the Com- mittee for examination.

Colonel Drought's first mesance was to insure the safety of Kandy, which was the grand object of attack to the rebels; and in order to do this, he was obliged to replace the troops dispatched to Matsile and Kornegalia, by calling ont andarming the Malay pensioners, organizing a body of volm- toors na a guard, and a company of thirty mounted gentleman as cavalry, and stxty extra menand five inspectors were added to the local polles foros.

Öne haudred rank and file, under Major Layard, waes sent to garrison Kornegalle.

Pao kundred men from the garrison of Trinco- males were marched to Dambool, and were distri-