CO882-(1-2) — Page 432

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TEC.O.882

זוןווון זר ודו

2 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

1

Memorandum on Ceylon Military Expenditure.

1. Her Majesty's Government have been much pressed of late years to reconsider the existing arrangements in regard to Military Expenditure for Ceylon, by complaints from the Legislative Council that the Colony contributes towards it too largely, and complaints in Parliament that it contributes not largely enough. It has, however, appeared best to postpone instructions on the subject until, with reference to the state of enquiry into the general question of Military Expenditure for the Colonies, and with reference also to the state of the Ceylon finances and railway engagements, Her Majesty's Government could consider the matter ripe for the settlement to which they hope now to bring it.

House of

2. It is desirable to refer in the first place to what has occurred in Parliament on the subject. In the Session of 1861 the Select Committee of the House of Commons on Colonial Military Expenditure, recommended, as a general rule, that military charges on account of Colonies not falling within the category of Imperial Garrisons, or Settlements, should be borne by Colonial Revenues, and they more particularly reported their opinion to the House, "That the expense of the troops in Ceylon should be in a greater degree Report of "borne by the Colonial Treasury." In the Session of 1862 a more sweeping proposition Select Com- was made in the House of Commons, which created some anxiety in the Colony, and mittes of gave rise to an address of remonstrance from the Legislative Council to the Queen, Commons on submitted in Sir C. MacCarthy's Despatch, No. 253, of the 29th December 1862. The Colonial proposal referred to was that Ceylon, which geographically and nationally is but a Military Ex- province of India, should be united to India for purposes of Government, as indeed it penditure, July 11th, formerly was in the first years of our Government in Ceylon, a measure which would at 1861. once relieve Parliament of the present heavy annual votes for the military service of the Colony, inasmuch as India provides entirely for its own expenditure, civil and military alike. The views of Her Majesty's Government have been opposed to such a measure as inimical to the best interests of Ceylon, but it has been felt that the necessary consequence of such opposition is to call upon Ceylon to do much more fully than heretofore that which India does completely-provide for its own defence. It is somewhat singular that the remonstrance referred to from the Legislative Council should have contained no allusion whatever to this ground of Military Expenditure, upon which, more than upon any other, the proposal to annex Ceylon to India was made.

3. In the Addresses of the Legislative Council to the Queen, submitted with Sir C. MacCarthy's Despatch, No. 37, of the 13th February 1862, and that of the Officer administering the Government, No. 15, of the 14th January last, the Council state their views very fully on the Military Expenditure question, and they apply for an enquiry into the whole subject,

'with an especial view (as they state in the earlier address) to "ascertain and suggest the proportion which the Colony ought to pay as a fair and just "compensation for the protection it receives from the mother country." Here will be observed a resemblance to the suggestion made in Januury 1860, by two members of the Departmental Committee appointed at that time in this country, to consider the subject of Colonial Military Expenditure, to the effect "That the Imperial Government should "call upon each Colony to decide on the nature of its own defences, and the amount of "its garrison, and should offer to assist it by bearing a share (say half or any other proportion which may be fixed) of the entire cost." And it will be perceived that in paragraph 24 of the Despatch transmitting this address, Sir C. MacCarthy refers to the same suggestion as if it possessed an authoritative character. Now it is an error to suppose that Her Majesty's Government are favourable to any such uniform mode of proceeding. They are of opinion that no inflexible rule of the description suggested can be laid down for different Colonies, nor indeed for the same Colony at different times. So far as a general principle can be laid down upon the subject, it can be no other-Her Majesty's Government consider than the principle adopted by the Committee of the House of Commons that the Imperial or Colonial Revenue should be respectively charged with expenditure for military establishments, according as these establishments may be maintained for Imperial or Colonial purposes. What Her Majesty's Government have to do is to give effect to this principle, so far as circumstances may permit, applying it more or less perfectly, according to the financial or other circumstances of each case, from time to time.

11803.

A