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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

LLC.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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APPENDIX I.

COPIES of LETTERS exchanged between the Government of Ceylon and the Secretary of the Buddhist Excise Memorial Committee.

SIR,

(No. 9794.)

Colonial Secretary's Office, Colombo, 8 June, 1912. IN continuation of my acknowledgment of your letter of the 29th May last, forwarding a Memorial from a Committee appointed at a public meeting of Buddhists held in Colombo on the 25th ultimo regarding the new Excise Scheme, I am directed by His Excellency the Governor to state that the action which Government is taking has been very carefully considered and is designed to control and regulate the consumption of intoxicants in localities where such consumption is proved to exist, but where it is at present wholly uncontrolled. 2. I am to add that under the new system the facilities for obtaining fermented toddy will be diminished, not increased.

I am, &c.,

W. A. De Silva, Esquire.

The Tent, Flower Road.

A. N. GALBRAITH,

For Colonial Secretary.

before you.

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The Government has informed the Committee to place the evidence

I shall thank you if you

would be so good as to appoint a time and place for the investigation.

The Excise Commissioner,

Colombo.

(No. 344.)

SIR,

I am,

I am, &c.,

W. A. DE SILVA.

SIR,

The Tent, Flower Road, Colombo, 28th June, 1912. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, No. 9794, of the 8th June, 1912. The Committee appointed at the public meeting of Bud- dhists on the new Excise Scheme acknowledges that the new scheme has been introduced by the Government with the object of the proper control and regu- lation of the consumption of intoxicants in the Island.

The Committee has been collecting information on the subject and they find that in several instances shops for the sale of toddy have been established in places where there was no demand existing for the drink.

They desire to place before the Government evidence they have collected, you

if will be so good as to appoint an officer to hold a public investigation on the subject.

The Honourable

the Colonial Secretary.

I am, &c.,

W. A. DE SILVA.

Office of the Excise Commissioner,

Colombo, 17th July, 1912.

WITH reference to your letter of the 16th instant, I have the honour to inform you that I shall be obliged if you will be so good as to state the several instances in which shops for the sale of toddy have been established in places where there was no demand existing for the drink, and also the nature of the evidence you propose to adduce in each case.

&c.,

SIR,

B. HORSBURGH,

Excise Commissioner.

The Tent, Flower Road, 31st July, 1912. REFERRING to your letter, No. 344, of the 17th instant, I have the honour to inform you that the Buddhist Committee have selected the following two cases to be submitted to you for inquiry as a first instalment out of a number of instances that have been brought to their notice of places where there was no demand existing for toddy; viz. :-Botale and Pirisyala, in the Hapitygam Korle.

2. The Committee propose to lead oral evidence from the residents of the villages concerned that there were no habitual toddy drinkers in these villages, and that no trees were tapped there during the last twelve months for the purpose of obtaining toddy.

The Committee desire that the inquiry should be a public one.

The Excise Commissioner,

Colombo.

(583.)

I am, &c.,

W. A. DE SILVA.

(No. 11508.) SIR,

Colonial Secretary's Office, Colombo, July 10th, 1912. WITH reference to your letter of the 28th June, stating that the Com- mittee appointed at the public meeting of the Buddhists on the new Excise Scheme have found that in several instances toddy shops have been established am directed by His in places where there was no demand for drink, Excellency the Governor to inform you that you should communicate any evidence of the nature indicated to the Excise Commissioner.

W. A. De Silva, Esquire.

I am,

&c.,

M. M. WEDDERBURN,

For Colonial Secretary.

The Tent, Colombo, 18th July, 1912.

SIR,

I HAVE the honour to inform you that a committee appointed at a public ineeting of Buddhists on the new Excise Scheme, held on the 25th May, 1912, submitted to Government that they find that in several instances shops for the sale of toddy have been established in places where there was no demand existing for the drink, and that they desire to place before Government evi- dence to this effect, if the Government were so good as to appoint an officer to hold a public investigation on the subject.

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Excise Commissioner's Office,

Colombo, September, 1912. SIR,

WITH reference to my letter, No. 588, of the 29th ultimo, I beg to express my regret that absence in Galle prevented me from meeting you personally.

2. Mr. Allnutt, however, informs me that he gave you all the informa- tion at our disposal regarding the taverns in question at Botala and Pirisyala, and on the subject generally,

3. In view of the evidence in my possession regarding the previous demand and consumption at these places, and the fact that any evidence led by you could be only of the nature of negative evidence, which is of very doubtful probative value, I do not think it advisable or expedient to hold any public enquiry.

4. Mr. Allnutt has assured you that the consumption at the taverns in question and at the others mentioned by you will be carefully watched, and I trust this assurance will be accepted as sufficient in the meantime, seeing that the present lists are subject to revision in view of the volume of actual consumption.

5. I am obliged to you for your suggestion regarding the relative position of arrack and toddy taverns. It is one requiring some consideration, as there is room, you will agree, for considerable diversity of opinion on the point, and the carrying out of your suggestions might arouse a much wider sentiment of

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