CO882-(1-2) — Page 18

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TINC.O. 882

...نانسيسيا

1

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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IV.—As to the actual state of the Finances at the close of the three years, 1842, 1843, 1844.

Mr. Anstruther has given evidence on this point on two occasions; first, in 1848, before Lord George Bentinck's Committee on Sugar and Coffee Planting, and again in 1849 before this Committee; and his statements on those two occasions vary considerably both as to the condition of the colonial finances, and the causes which have influenced it.

In 1848 he ascribed all supposed embarrass- ments of the Colonial Revenue exclusively to Free Trade, the discouragement of coffee-plant- ing by the commercial policy of 1848–7, and the reduction of the protective duty on coffee (16,690). He anticipated that "two-thirds of all the plantations in Ceylon would be aban- doned in consequence (18,704), by which the revenue of the island must be totally ruined, and in fact the Colony he knew was at that moment bankrupt (16.705).

The remedy he suggested was the reduction of twopence per pound upon British coffee, re- taining the present amount upon foreign (16,712) and in illustration of the efficacy of this, and in reply to the question (16,713) whether in such an event, “instead of the island being bankrupt and the plantations abandoned, cultivation would not continue at its full height, and bring a profit quite equal to paying its whole revenue?" Mr. Anstruther stated that "when he left Ceylon in 1845, when coffee was very flourishing, there was a surplus revenue of from 50,000l. to 70,000l. a-year ; and he left in the cash chest when he came away about a quarter of a million" (16,713).

As to the expenditure since, he said, it had increased (16,717), he did not know how, and "he could not account for it.” (18,718, 16,717). There had been a less expenditure on roads since he left than before (16,714) to the great Injury of the planting interest; and in answer to the inquiry whether anybody was in fault for that neglect, he said he supposed it was the "want of funds," as the colony was bankrupt (16,752-16,753).

In 1849 Mr. Anstruther was a second time examined on the same points before this Com- mittee, but his views had materially changed- Free Trade is not even alluded to in his evidence as a cause of financial embarrassment. So far from there being any “want of funds,” as he had stated in 1848, (16,753) he says there is "no deficiency of revenue,” (7,721) and so far from there having been the neglect of expen- diture upon roads, as he had before represented, he declares that the finances were embarrassed

by "money wasted on roads and public build. ings," (7,784) which might have been done for a smaller sum.

V.-Mr. Anstruther.

Surplus Revenue of

1842-3-4 50,000l. to 70,0001. a-year. (Com. 1848. Qu. 16,715.)

As to Mr. Anstruther's statement of there having been an annual surplus at the time he left the island of from 50,000l. to 70,0001 per annum, the manner in which he stated the circumstance conveys a fallacious impression as

to the real facts.

The annual surplus he alludes to is an excess of revenue beyond expenditure of 87,9681. in

·1843, and 09,4421. in 1844.

But in each of the six previous years there had been a deficiency, and in each of the thres years which followed, the expenditure exceeded the income; so that Mr. Anstruther's statensind as to an annual surplus, instead of being sitad

- by him as the rule, should have been painted

as the exception.

And he should likewise have explained that the casual surplus in the three years he has selected was occasioned by purely temporary and sient ciness; and tililled no evidamen acfàll' Vonilition

example; în 1846, wit

57;0087. the' receipts from 29,5001, and thé đắtles fra

to a reduction of 80 par duky reddenly rose fruim 13,04 47;3081