CO882-(1-2) — Page 192

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

'། ། ། །

C.O. 882

1

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

14

were your views in this affair. Judging, however, from the conduct of those who seem to have been most active in it, I hope I may be allowed to say, that the priests and head- men, the evidence discloses, took the most active part in inciling the people; in fact, any one who attended the court during the last fortnight, and listened to the evi- dence, can hardly doubt that the common people were driven to it like a flock of sheep. I therefore conclude this rebellion was hatched by headmen or priests, or both by headmen and priests. That the priests have a cause, and a growing cause, of discontent, I am aware; it is known to the country generally, and therefore needs no further allusion to it here. They have kept a keen eye upon the decline of their religion, and it is quite natural that this should raise discontent in their minds; but I am aware at the same time, and I speak from my own obser- vation, that headmen have been always discontented, as far as their conduct has come to my knowledge, and it appears to me the reason of it is as follows: the remem- brance of the former power and authority which they had exercised over the common people has not yet been effaced from their minds, neither is that power, as far as

I can see from the evidence, altogether gone, or anything like gone, as is clearly shown by the evidence adduced on these trials. Their word appears to have operated as a law upon all inferior men in this affair; but they no doubt nust see, and I hope do see, that the day is fast approach- ing when this state of things cannot continue long. They are aware that those perquisites of office which they formerly looked upon as rights, are nothing but op- pression and wrong; they find that their power over the common people is decreasing. I have little doubt that the natives of this place have had annoyances, and they are unavoidable annoyances. The contiguity of coffee estates to their lands and houses, has necessarily circum- sribed the boundaries within which their cattle used to graze before, and the wild range of patnas to which their cattle had free access had become, from the same cause, appropriated to other purposes, and their buffaloes and bullocks, upon straying into coffee estates, happened to be seized and pounded. These are unfortunately grievances, but they are evils which a growing state of civilization naturally brings with it. They were necessary evils, which none of us can help, but which must be submitted to. I do not mean to say that the Kandyans should sub- mit to any encroachment upon their rights, legitimately so called, but it was their duty, when ground belonging to the Crown had been sold to any party, to take care that their cattle did not enter; and they ought to have remembered that they should so enjoy their own property as not to injure that of others. I believe, also, that many parts of this country are so distant from courts

Sir A. Oliphant.

June 21, 1850.

Sir A. Oliphant

June 21, 1850.

15

of justice, that there was but little law in them; that is to say, that law was not attainable there; hence cattle- stealing and other crimes increased in those parts, and people would naturally feel that they had not that pro- tection from the British Government which they had been taught to believe they were entitled to. The learned counsel for the prisoners has told us that that is one of the causes of discontent among the people of Matelle, and

I am quite disposed to agree with him. In my mind, it is these causes which have led to the rebellion, and not simply

the imposition of the recent taxes; and I judge so from the following reasons: The expense of 2s. 6d. for the register- ing of their gun, and la. for the licence to keep a dog, and also the expense of Ss. a-year which is imposed by the Road Ordinance, would fall most heavily upon the poor people, whilst these suns, amounting in all to 68. 6d. a-year, would fall lightly upon korales and aratchies; but no human being who has attended this court during these trials, and listened

to the evidence, can for a moment doubt that this rebellion has been got up by korales, aratchies, and priests, and that

the common people were exceedingly passive in the transac- tion. In all this, however, I may be mistaken. I give expression to my own notions, without asking any one to adopt them."

6888. You have stated that the causes of the discon- tent were not the taxes only, but several other matters ? -My impression about the tames is this: that none of the common people knew of their own knowledge by reading, what taxes were imposed, and that therefore no well- grounded discontent arose in their own minds against the Government from knowing, and having read, and being sure

that it had imposed taxes upon them; but I do not mean to

say that the korales and aratchies, who drove the people together,

did not tell them any stories they liked about the taxes; I have no doubt that they made use of the taxes to excite the people. It was in evidence, that the people who came to Kornegalle said, “18 new taxes have been imposed upon us, and we are come to pay them." The taxes were certainly made use of by the aratchies and korales for mis- chievous purposes; they told the people that there were

18 new taxes; and I remember hearing that it was said to be the intention of the Government to tax women's breasts, and other absurditios.

6883. In consequence of certain taxes being imposed, did the aratchies take advantage of that and spread all kinds of reports of a variety of other taxes being about to be imposed?—That is my impression.

Evidence 1849.

Mr. Wodehouse is also examined

upon

this point.

1

4674. Mr. Hume.--Had not there been cause for dia- satisfaction on the part of the priests in the neglect of