CO882-(1-2) — Page 190

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

།

Reference :-

TTILUC.O. 882

لسلسالسا

1

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

12

Great efforts, however, were made to show that the financial and commercial arrangements of Lord Torrington, especially the new taxes, caused the rebellion which broke out at the end of July 1848. Mr. Selby, the Queen's Advocate, was examined upon this point by 'Mr. Hume. Mr. Selby was a witness summoned to give evidence by Mr. Hume and Mr. Baillie.

1288. Mr. Hume.-Have you formed any opinion of what the causes were which led to those disturbances ?......

I have.

1289. Will you state them shortly to the Committee?---- In the year, 1842 an attempt was made in the Kandyan country to create disturbances of a somewhat similar cha- racter to those which took place in 1848. I conducted, on behalf of the Crown, the prosecutions in those cases and I believe that the disturbances in 1848 were attribut- able to the same cause which created the disturbances in 1842, though I also think that many more people joined in the disturbancea in 1848, from the dissatisfaction which they felt in consequence their believing that the Govern- ment were about to impose a great number of taxes upon them; and I think so, because, upon one of the trials in 1848, at Kornegalle, it came out in the evidence for the prosecution that the people who were marching into Kor- negalle to attack Kormegalle, said, “ They have impored 18 taxes upon us, and we are going in to pay them." I con- clude, therefore, from that circumstance, that to some extent the apprehension of more taxation being imposed, had influenced the people.

1290. In point of fact, before the commencement of the disturbances in 1848, had not several taxes at the end of 1847 and the beginning of 1848, been impased by the Government ?—Yes, but I do not know that the expres- sien which I have referred to had reference to tases which had been imposed by law, because they spoke of eighteen taxes; and I have reason to believe that the people were under the idea, in consequence of certain returns which had been called for, for statistical purposes, that those returns were wanted with a view to imposing additional

taxation.

1291. But, in point of fact, were not the taxes known by the name of the gun-tax, the stamp-duty, the dog-tax, the tax on carriages and boats, the shop-tax, the tax on palanquins and carriages let to hire, and the read-tax, imposed at the end of 1847, or at the spring of 1848)—1 think that all, or certainly the majority of those Acta, were passed at that time.

1300. After the statement which you have alluded to in the Blue Book, and your own experience, are you of ople nion that the imposing of those tames in the session of

H. C. Selby, Esq.

March 7, 1850.

New Taxes not the cause of the Rebellion.

New Tages not the causes of the Rebellion.

H. C. Selby, Esq.

March 7, 1850.

Bir A. Oliphant.

June 21, 1850

13

1848 did tend to produce that discontent and dissatis- faction which prevailed in the country?—I cannot say that I think it tended to produce it. I think there was dis- content in the country, and that there being such discon- tent, many more joined in the disturbances than would have joined in them if they had not been under the im- pression that they were about to become subject to additional taxation.

1901. You say that an additional number had joined in the disturbances; I ask you, therefore, whether the im- poring of the taxes had not caused the excitement, and had not induced people to join in those disturbances; am I to understand that that is your meaning?-The taxes had not caused the excitement, because I think there was dissatisfaction in the country from the circumstance which I have already mentioned; and in 1842 the same sort of thing was attempted, but at that time the difficulty on the part of the discontented was to get the common people to join them. And I recollect the common people on that occasion saying, "Why should we join? We have nothing against the Government."

1303. I wish to confine your attention at present to the effect of the imposition of those new taxes on the minds of the people, and the part that they had to do with the disturbances ?—I think I have already answered that question, as far as I am able to answer it.

1304. Sir J. Hogg.-Were you a member of the Execu- tive Council at the time those new taxes were proposed?---- No; several of them had been proposed, and been deter- mined upon, before I became a member of the Executive Council.

1305. Were you in the Legislative Council at the time?—No; I was in the Legislative Council when they were passed, but not when they were first proposed.

1306. You were in the Legislative Council when they were discussed and passed ?—I was.

1307. Did you give your assent to them ?—Yes. 1308. Without being influenced by a knowledge of sub- sequent events, did it occur to you at the time you gave your assent to them, that they were calculated to create discontent-I do not know that it did occur to me, but I believe that all taxation to a certain extent creates dis-

content.

1809. The only discontent you think they were calcu- lated to excite, was the discontent that is incident to all tomation ?-Certainly.

The Chief Justice also (a witness summoned by Mesars. Baillie and Hume), in a charge from the Bonch, used these words:

"A more futile and contemptible attempt at rebellion than this has never before to my knowledge been made. It ig difficult to divine what were the causes moving you, or what E

14