CO882-(8-9) — Page 585

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference:-

PETC.O. 882

9

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

12

the numbers of the garrison being reduced from 2,637.- Polop 12 of all ranks to 2.014 of all ranks.

.i

"

With regard to Trinconmlee they reported :-

-

We are of opinion that it is not indispensable for any Pudup sa purely colonial purpose that the place should be

permanently garrisoned ; and in determining the strength

of the military force which we have recommended to be “maintained in this island in time of peace. we have been guided by considerations wholly irrespective of any necessity for permanently garrisoning Trincomalee for any purely Colonial purpose, and the members of the Cominission who more especially represent the interests "of the Colony only consent now to agree to a portion of the Island Brigade being detailed for the purpose of forming a garrison for Trincomalee owing to its having "been clearly shown that such a measure will not be "attended with any additional expense to the Colony, and "with the distinct understanding that the troops thus -detached must still be considere available for genera! military service within the Colony, and must therefore *be called away from Trincomalee at any time whenever "general military considerations may render such a step We feel happy to be able through this understanding to recommend an arrangement which, without imposing any additional expense upon the "Colony, has the great advantage of affording protection "to the Imperial Naval Yard.'

necessary.

In other words the size of the garrison was fixed irrespective of Trincomalee's needs; and the Commission took the line that if it pleased the War Office to put a bid. detachment there which was liable to be called away at p. xxii.

This is clearly any moment, the War Office might do so. shown by the unanimous resolution of the Commission on which their Report was based: "inasmuch as it is not indispensable for colonial purposes to keep a military force at Trincomalee, and as the force of the Island Brigade has therefore been calculated irrespectively of "Any Colonial necessity for garrisoning that port."

"L

As regards fortifications the Commission said "as forts and batteries at Trincomalee are not required for any purely Colonial purpose the cost of any new works or "fortifications which it may be necessary to erect for the "better protection of Trincomalee as a naval station should "be defrayed exclusively by the Imperial Government, "the responsibility of the Colony being confined to providing proper barrack and hospital accommodation

A

for the military force now assigned as the garrison of "that station."

On the 3rd of November, 1866, the Governor was A. 191, informed that the arrangements suggested by the Com- p. 61

(No. 17). mission should be embodied in an Ordinance with some amendments: native pensions (estimated at £8,000) were to be dealt with by the War Office, and the annual sum was therefore to be fixed at £160,000 instead of £152,000. The arrangement was to last for seven years and finally "Her Majesty's Government understands that all forts and "defensive works other than Trincomalee will be con- "structed and kept up by the Colony and that barracks "will be provided by the Colonial Government at any new "station to which troops may be allotted at their desire."

By Ordinances 12 of 1867 and 4 of 1869 these arrange- Ibid., p. 64 inents were brought into force. The latter Ordinance laye (No. 20). down that the fixed commutation of £160,000 a year bid., p. 66 "shall include only repairs of military works and (No. 21).

Dhud., p. 67 (No. 22) and p. 68

(Enclosure

66

13

buildings, and shall not include the construction of such works and buildings or the repairs or construction of "fortifications.'

In 1872 it was proposed to disband the Ceylon Rifle Regiment (Malays) on the ground that they were no longer needed for internal security or for such non-military in No. 24), duties as treasure escort, which they had previously under- taken because European troops could not perform them without serious danger to health. These duties had since been entrusted to the police. In urging the disbandment against an alternative plan of the War Office to reduce the European troops the Governor said :— Phid., p. 71 In regard to the reconstruction of the military force (No.26,En-in Ceylon it is not for me to make any recommendation, closure 2).

"but I think it right to urge that the troops now stationed "at Trincomalee should be concentrated at Colombo. In "this suggestion I have the full concurrence of the "Major-General."

Phid. (No.

27).

Ibid., p. 83.

Ibid., p. 80.

Ibid., p. 89 (No. 26).

11

The War Office eventually agreed to the disbandment, and pending the termination of the seven years agreement Ibid., p. 77 on 30th June, 1874, the contribution was reduced by (No. 33).

£3,000 a month, representing the saving thus effected.

In July, 1874, the War Office Committee which had been appointed to consider what new arrangements should hid., p. 78 be made submitted their report. They referred to the (Ng. 35). unforeseen and very considerable charge on Imperial revenues which had arisen from loss by exchange and said that "the expenditure on Trincomalee has been separately "treated in view to the possibility of this charge being "defrayed exclusively from Imperial funds.'

They recommended a total strength of 1,060 for Ceylon generally and 109 for Trincomalee, and placed the contri- bution to cover all charges, except new works and new stores and armaments, at £121,000 for the rest of the Colony and £17,532 for Trincomalee.

It would appear from the letter of the 19th December, 1874, addressed by the Colonial Office to the War Office on the receipt of this report, that during the interval between the last settlement and 1874 a considerable change had come over the attitude adopted by the Colonial Office on the question of the Ceylon contribution. In the earlier correspondence, both departmental and colonial, the Secretary of State had taken a strong line against the views of the Colony and in favour of Her Majesty's Government. This letter breathes a different spirit. The Secretary of State cannot accede to the whole of the Committee's proposals: he "is glad to perceive that it is "not proposed, as he gathers from the report, to charge "on Colonial revenues the cost of the battery of Artillery "to be stationed at Trincomalee for Imperial purposes "; and he suggests considerations for an arrangement "which would not entail any charges on Imperial revenues "that should not properly be so provided"; and puts forward a number of points, including that of the home depôt charges for the troops. Finally, Lord Carnarvon proposed a capitation fee of £100 for a garrison of 1,020 men, excluding Staff and Engineers, payable in rupees at 18. 10 d., or Rs. 1,083,730. In July, 1875, the War Office Ibid., p. 95 replied, refusing to agree to proposals which differed to (No. 37). any extent from those of July, 1874. But in July, Ibid., p. 96 1876, the War Office accepted the verbal offer of Lord (No. 38). Carnarvon that the contribution should be fixed at Ra. 1,150,000 for five years from 1st July, 1874. The letter stated that the War Office consented to regard the cost of the garrison of Trincomalee as an Imperial charge.