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TLC.O. 882

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came true, the people in these districts took no

share whatsoever in the rebellion.

Had the taxes, as alleged, been the origin of the Taxes not the cause of Revolt. rebellion, it is natural to suppose that the effect would have been co-extensive with the cause. But although the taxes applied to the whole island without exception,-to the Tamuls of the north and the Moors of the east and south; to the Bin- ghalese of the Maritime provinces and the Kandyans of the hills, it is notorious that the insurrection took place amongst the latter alone; and in a dis- trict which had already five times been the focus of rebellion on previous occasions.

The Shop tax is one of those chiefly condemned by Lord Torrington's opponents, and assigned as one of the canses of rebellion. But of all the taxes objected to by the people at the assemblages in Kandy the Shop tax alone was never named, for the very obvious reason that no Kandyan keeps a shop ! the bazaars being exclusively kept by Burghers, Moormon, Parsees, Tamils, and a few low-country Singalese.

There is a very curious passage in the protest against these taxes presented by the Kandyans on the 6th July (Blue Book, page 144), in which they repudiate the Dog tax, not as is supposed because they felt it a pecuniary burthen, but because they looked on it as an insult! They say, "We consider the tax on dogs a disgrace; we won't pay on what is of no value; and therefore we resist."—(Page 148.)

Amongst the papers now on the table there is an important one as bearing on the point. It is written by the only Kandyan gentleman uncon- nected with the Government who has furnished information in relation to the late rebellion, Mr. Danawelle. He is son to a Kandyan chief, and brother to the Ratamahatmeys of one of the most important districts adjoining Kandy; he is a man of education and property, and not a partizan of the Government, as he has been actively engaged in procuring evidence on other matters to matain the present charges against Lord Torrington, his testi- mony is therefore entitled to consideration, and in relation to the taxes, he says, writing to the Mahra- Moodhar on the 3rd August, 1848, (See Inclosure No. 3, p. 252.) “The disturbances had their rise

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in Doombers and Matelle, whence they spread to Kornegulle, whilst the people of Gampola do not seem so much as to know that the country is dis- turbed, but go on peaceably with their own agricul- tural business.

As far as the present rebellion is concerned, I have no hesitation

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in saying from the knowledge and information I have acquired since the breaking out of it,that the recent Government Ordinances have nothing to do with it. It is a great delusion in the people of Colombo to suppose that the rebels ever under- stood the Ordinances. ~**

And the people of Hewahette I am told are quite willing to carry out the provisions of the Road Ordinance, and they have not the slightest objection to labour on the roads for six days in the year, provided of course the roads run through their own districts.

It is notorious, that had these Ordinances been properly explained, all that assemblage in Kandy would never have taken place.”—(Page 260.)

That opinion of Mr. Dunewelle is strictly correct, and it is a striking fact, that after my interview with the people on the subject of the taxes at

'the Pavilion, on the 8th of July, although the rebellion broke out on the 28th, no further com- plaints of the taxes were afterwards heard. And in all the evidence now before the Committee, the depositions of witnesses, the examinations on which persons were committed, the proceedings before Courta Martial, the Judges' notes in the Supreme Court, the testimony of the witnesses and the con- fessions of the prisoners and convicta, no allusion whatsoever is made to the taxes as a cause of the insurrection, but ene and all avow the more ex- citing and momentous determination to bring back

a Singhalpso Sovereign and restore the indepen-

The Chief Justice from the Bench, on the con- clusion of the State Trials, declared that the whole temor of the evidengs went to show that the taxes were not the cansen of the oftbreak, which had been comepeted by the chiefs and the priests, from mo- tives political and personal. And there is a very remarkable document in the enclosures to Lord Torrington, Confidential Despatch, dated November 18th, 1849, (Enclo. page 205,) which bears upon this point; it is an address to his Excellency from

dence of the Kandyas kingdom.