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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

ILIC.O. 882

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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burden), until obstacles presented themselves to the imposition of the partial land-tax, and then he was for postponement, and in this course he acted according to the strict injunctions of Earl Grey's Committee.

In two answers already noticed, Mr. Wodehouse states his belief that Lord Torrington had specific instructions to repeal the general export duties. "We were aware in the Council that the duties were to be repealed." This, if true, may account for the extraordinary silence of the minutes of the Executive Council; they do not indicate one single

Evidence.

1849.----4677. 1850,--4588.

4840.

4838.

discussion on the subject. In other answers Mr. 1849-4880, 4684, 4685, 4839, Wodehouse is more explicit. His impression is, that "Lord Torrington's instructions respecting the repeal of the export duties went further, and were more binding upon him than appears in these docu- ments," referring to the Committee Report and Lord Grey's despatch of the 18th June. He recol- lects that part of the despatch which says that the report is to be a rule for the guidance of the Ceylon Government, so far only as it shall be thought just and practicable; yet he still retains his own opinion, that the export duties were intended to be abolished. In his explanation in 1850, he Bays:---

I admit the existence of the discretion which is referred to in a paragraph of the despatch, but I stated then, and I repeat my belief, that Lord Torrington was told, as a measure of financial policy, to repeal the export duties at I adhere to that belief. I have had reason to any rate. think of it since I made that statement, and before I made it; and my belief is, Lord Torrington left England directed to repeal the export duties.

Mr. Acland, a member of the Legislative Council, lso expresses the same belief. He thinks "Lord Torrington acted upon certain principles of com- mercial policy which he was resolved to carry out at all hazard," and "in defiance of the caution inculcated at home." He refers to a passage in a letter written by himself to Lord Grey:

I was restrained from offering any opposition to the Bill, by the intimation that it was under the direct and imperative orders of your Lordship that the Executive Government introduced it.

And he adds, that other members withdrew their opposition for the same reason. Mr. Saunders, Collector of Customs, and as such an official mem. "A ber of Legislative Council, confirms him: member of the Executive Council stated that the measure was recommended from home, and upon that Mr. Acland withdrew all his opposition to it."

1850,--4519.

1849.-3351, 3353.

8402.

3895, 8896.

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Evidence, 1860. It may be asked, what bearing upon the present inquiry has the fact thus spoken to by Mr. Wode-

4515, 4516.

house, Mr. Acland, and Mr. Saunders? If Mr. Wodehouse by his last minute did oppose the repeal of the export duties, what does it signify that he entertained an impression which might, but did not, repress his opposition? The only answer is, that he appears to have considered these duties of 24 per cent. no hardship; and that the revenue could not well spare them; and that he might, therefore,

if he had not entertained the impression in question, have opposed the repeal in toto, instead of merely urging its postponement; and also that, as Mr. Wodehouse has stated that he did entertain this impression, it may be important to notice any circumstances which tend to show that he may have entertained it.

As the point just noticed concerns the free agency of Mr. Wodehouse in one instance, refer. ence may be conveniently made in this place to the power generally of members of the Executive Council to oppose Government measures. Mr. Wodehouse says—

Immediately upon the introduction of all those measures (the financial measures) before the Council in Ceylon, Lord Torrington one day took occasion to express very strong opinions as to the degree of support he was to- expect from the members of the Council in carrying out those measures. I was the only member of the Civil Government. The other members were Mr. McCarthy, Sir James Emerson Tennent, Sir Arthur Buller, and the Major General. He stated very unreservedly, as I thought, his views upon that point. I asked him what was to be the position of the members who happened to take a different view upon the questions which were coming for- ward from that which he did. He said we must support them, whatever our opinion might be; we must vote for them.

Mr. Wodehouse then, as he says, referred to a despatch of Lord John Russell, and insisted that dissentient members might abstain from voting. This statement is confirmed by letters. On the 21st October, 1847, he addressed a letter to Lord Torrington on the subject. Lord Torrington's

answer is:

I consider the magnitude of the Government and the interests at stake sufficiently great to justify my demand- ing from the official members of the Ceylon Government the most unqualified and uncompromising support, have made my Executive Council active participators in my Government, and those discussions that have taken H

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