CO882-(1-2) — Page 175

£

Coconut Oil, 3,553 lengers,

value say

8hy

28,264 Or. 2 d. per cwt.

706

•

Cinamon, 8,400 bales, 8d. per lb. Coffee-Plantation, 220,000 cwt. at 858.

28,000

Native, 120,000 cwt., 18s.

285,000 108,000

393,000

9,825

1,000

́All other'exports, say ・・

Duty remitted 1849

£39,531

#

། ?། ། ་།

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

The export of cocoanut oil, which is a trade in which the natives are intimately interested, was, in the twelve months ending

31st August, 1847, 285,361 gallons,

1848, 401,672

+3

The repeal of the export duties was in fact unanimously voted in the Council, and popular be yond precedent out of doors.

Mr. Wodehouse strangely saya (4678, 4680, 4700) that he would not have given them up at the time; that they caused no pressure; and their removal was not called for; and in fact that there was no necessity for their repeal.

But Mr. Wodehouse acted, spoke, wrote, and voted in the Council directly the reverse of what be now says, and recorded minutes urging the Governor to proceed more rapidly than Lord Torrington felt inclined to, to sweep away the entire.

But to the natives the reduction of the export duty upon cinnamon was a boon of almost equal importance with the reduction upon the export of native coffee.

The cultivation of cinnamon, before the abolition of the Government monopoly, was rigidly prohibited to the natives. Since the sale of the cinnamon gardens, the natives have bent cultivation to a much greater extent than European.

The gardens of the Europeans are more exten- sive, but the natives are by far the most numerous.

The cultivation by Europeans produces by far the finer article, owing to the care and capital expended on its growth and preparation. The first class cin- namon sells from 18. 3d. to 28. per lb., whilst the lowest class produced by the natives range from 5d. to 8d.

To the native, therefore, the reduction of the duty (the amount 18. per lb. being the same on the highest and the lowest priced cinnamon) was a prodigious boon.

In 1846 the trade was so depressed that the low quality of cinnamon was ungaleable, and the natives were rooting out the trees to plant cocoa-nuts; but in 1847 this was suddenly arrested, and now the natives are most actively engaged in the prosecution of the trade.

Not only in the export of the low-priced cinna- mon, but in the distillation of cinnamon oil, which they almost monopolizc, as they continue to distil it

much more cheaply than Europeans can.

The export of essential oil was in the twelve months ending 31st August, 1848, 24,514 oz.,

1849, 57,397

Cocoa-nuts and oil are other valuable exports on native account, and each has equally reaped the benefit of the abolition.

In fact, taking the exports of the following staples, the produce of 1948, the year after the reduction, and shipped up to the 1st of September, 1849, the amount of duty surrendeied in favour of theg rower is as follows:-

1847

The New Tases.

Opposite the relief to trade (and especially the trade of the natives) the only increase that has

been made to taxation was in 1848.

Reference :-

6T

C.O. 882

1

$

Since discontinued

Stampa.

Receipts from Gun Licences

4,713 as an annual source

of income.

1848 227,499

1847 ..

25,152 An increase of Stampe above 1847

2,347

Carriages and Boats.

An increase of Carriages and

Boats above 1847 Shop Tax

and}

2,347

545

897 Since abolished.

1848

..

Dogs

$2,091 Hired Carriages

1,448

91

193 Since abolished.

545

£8,786

5,703 Since abolished.

New Taxes collected

£3,083

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

1

8

Native Taration.

Much misapprehension exists as to the actual pressure of taxation on the natives of Ceylon.

I have seen a statement made in this Committee

[Mr. Hume, 3707], that taxation on the natives of Ceylon was nearly double that of the natives of Bengal, taking the latter at 31. 3d a-head.

I believe this to be very incorrect. So far from the taxation of the Singhalese and Kandyans being 6s. 3d. a-head, apprehend it is not more than

28. 4d., or, including the consumption of arrack, 38. a-head; and in Kandy, where the natives use no luxuries, and drink little arrack, the average may be la. less.

I here put in a statement showing the propor- tions in which the revenue is contributed by Euro- and European descendants by Malabar immi- peans grants and by resident Singhalese.

£ ..

d.

The result is for Europeans and Burghers

10 10 0 a-head.

Malabare

53. 11jd.

or including Arrack

Or. 3d.

0 6 21

Singhalese and Kandyans

24. 3d.

or including Arrack

Or. 8d.

0 2 114