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Bastern Av TI

CONFIDENTIAL

Appendix No. 4 to Memorandum on Colonial Policy.

Memorandum of the recent Finan- cial Legislation in Ceylon, and of the Government Measures and political events connected

therewith.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TILLI C.O. 882

1

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

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

A system of revenue in which monopolies and export duties formed so large a feature, sa might be observed in that in which Ceylon had been carried down from the Dutch time to the present with but little change, could not in these days of economical speculation escape the criticism of the Government, both on the spot, and at home, and of the educated and intelligent com- munity of Europeans, which commercial enter- prise had latterly caused to grow up there, and which could not fail of obtaining abundance of sympathy and support from the public here. It had moreover happened of late years that con- siderable changes had taken place in the pro- ductiveness of different branches of the Ceylon revenue. Some, like the pearl fishery, had from great sums fallen away to nothing. Others, like the export duties on coffee, had risen from nothing to large sums. Again, the great decline in the price of cinnamon, so long the staple, of the colony and chief support of its reve

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4

under these different heads in that year, were as

follows:

1. Sea Customs, viz. :—

Export duty on Cinnamon

Ditto on other articles

£

a. d.

-

20,453 3 11

·

Import duty on Rice and Paddy Ditto on other articles of food Ditto on other articles not used

as food

·

-

2. Assessment on lands growing

rice and paddy -

Ditto on other grain

12,108 13 10

75,111 11 10 5,812 9 3

30,973 13 5

-

41,262 4 8

•

6,025 2 11

3. Duty on arrack, wines, and

spirita

4. Salt

·

5. Sale of lands

6. Stamps

7. Tolls

61,518 6

36,160 17 7

37,946 13 4

22,342 16 3

-

24,934 9 2

8. All other sources of revenue

-

59,378 13

4

£434,028 14 7

The expenditure in 1845, under its different

heads, was as follows:-

1. Civil charges sanctioned by Her

Majesty's Government

-

55,803 8 3

·

97,592 0 10

Ditto voted by Legislative

Council

2. Judicial charges, sanctioned by Her Majesty's Govern-

ment

-

Judicial charges voted by Le-

gislative Council

-

3. Revenue charges sanctioned by

37,581 10 7

15,728 10 4

1

Her Majesty's Government - 39,016 2 Ditto voted by Legislative

Council

4. Miscellaneous, sanctioned by Her Majesty's Government -

Ditto, voted by Legislative

Council

-

•

18,425 1

3

2,822 10 3

5,731 12 7

-

33,863 7 9

:

7

-

2,958 4 3

5. Pensions and other civil charges

paid in England

6. Military charges, sanctioned by

Her Majesty's Government - 56,990 15 Ditto voted by Legislative

Council

·