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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TELEC.O. 882

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

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present at the Executive Council at which the matter was sanctioned.

1376. Sir J. Hogg.—And you suppose that the Governor and the Executive Council formed an opinion of the ex- pediency of proclaiming martial law upon the grounds that were then submitted to them ?—I have not the slightest doubt of it.

1377. It was founded upon the belief that the repre- sentations that were made were correct?-No doubt it

W&B.

1378. Mr. Gladstone.-Have you had subsequently any means of knowing whether that statement of facts was accurate, or do you still consider that it was accurate ?—I had no subsequent means of knowing that it was not per- fectly, correct.

1379. Chairman.—Generál Smelt also acquiesced in the propriety of proclaiming martial law ?—Undoubtedly.

2275. Mr. Hawes.--You were a member of the Executive Council when it was proposed to proclaim martial law in the first instance at Matelle?—Yes.

And subsequently at Kornegalle ?—Yes.

And you assented to them proclamations ?—I did. I did more than assent to them; I concurred in them.

You not only assented, but you concurred in that proclamation ?—I agreed in the measure, but the 'propriety of the measure was not submitted to me; I should have con- ourred in the propriety of it if it had been submitted to me.

It will be observed that Major-General Smelt, commanding the Forces in Ceylon, was one of the Executive Council concurring in the proclamation of martial law.

Colonel Fraser, the Deputy Quarter-Master- General, an officer of great experience in Ceylon, and who in 1849 Lord Torrington was blamed for ♦not having consulted (before the facts were known), addressed the following important letter to the Colonial Secretary, who through Gehéral 'Smelt, had addressed to him a letter upon

this subject;

Selby.

2276, 2277, 2279, 2280.

April 11, 1850.

To my letter the Major-General returned the following Sir E. Tennent, 2728. answer :-" I lost no time in forwarding your letter ad- dressed to me, of November 6th, to Colonel Fraser, requesting him to give answers to the queries therein con- tained. I have now the pleasure to send them to you, and as they are so satisfactory, and so fully tend to refute the evidence that has been given before the Committee of the House of Commons sitting on the affairs of Ceylon, they need no comment from me, further than in addition be allowed and confirmation to what he has stated, I may

Sir E. Tennent.

April 11, 1850.

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to attach the following extract from despatch to Lord Fitzroy Somerset, in the first operations of the troops under my command, who were employed in suppressing the Rebellion of 1848: 'I have sent you, with my official dospatch, a sketch af the country in which the Rebellion has been carrying an. It appears very ably done by Colonel Fraser, the Deputy Quartermaster-General, to whom I am much indebted for the very valuable informa- tion he was able to afford, having been employed over the same ground during the Rebellion of 1817 and 1818.” Thane documents will plainly show that book Lord Tor rington and myself, on the very first outbreak, did send for and annsult Colonal Fraqur, qud naturally plased much weight on the information and adaior which his grout separience as well mabled him to give. I remain, my dear Sir James, vory kithfully your, I'm. Smali, Major- General."

This is the letter of Colonel Fraser, which the General forwarded to ma: "December 12, 1849.” (The latter

is written in double columaa: be puts my queries on one side, and hip answers on the other side); and with refereage to the assertion that he had not been consulted by the Governor, he says,

"This was certainly not the cass, the intelligenos of the outbreak had not I believe bosnan hour in Lord Torrington's possession whạn his Lordship sent for me, sad referring to my experience on farmer ogcazioną, saked me to favour him with my sentiments and suggestions in regard to that event. All the believe which his Encellemey had recained from Kandy by the amperest of that morning were then put into my hamaly, and in consequence of the very alarming accounts which they contained of the state of Matelle, I mgpanied that Government should be prepared to place that district under martial kne; giao that no tiesa should be lost in send- ing to Mydray for the aid of a reinforcement of tracen and that a small detail of the latter should be brought over ni oner, and landed at Trincomaine, to smable us to withdraw from that station a largo detachment of our cum ¿roque, and mons them direct into Majells. Some time after this,

I waited unga the Major-General osenmanding the furços, at his own office, to meqsive his orders for concentrating the troops, and he then informed me that it had been zaequisinad, siktas Į left Lord Torrington and himself at the Charen's Kogen, that the steamer 'Lady Mary Wood,' was then at Galla, and that an expuosa mau juat för that plage with the Gowermor's despatches and kis for the authorities at Madens, to be foresaded by the 'Lady Mary Wood,' the agapts of that vaasal bewing aguyod them that she would not only be available for conveyance of the despatches, but would afterwards return to Trincomalee with the first woops that might be H

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