CO885(1-2) — Page 166

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

885

TILLC.O.

וויון ועוז

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

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been previously circulated in the villages, inviting the people to assemble and protest by petition en masse against the new Ordinances, a large con- course, not armed however with deadly weapons, inet in the environs of Colombo, and evinced an intention of forcing their way into the town and fort to parley with Lord Torrington. Mr. Elliott, editor of the "Observer" newspaper, was thought either to have originated or actively helped forward this move- ment. The placards were not distinctly traced to him, but his newspaper openly disseminated amongst the natives the European theory of taxation requiring the consent of the people by their representatives, inculcated the doctrine of passive-he professed to deprecate active-resistance to the new Ordinances, and expatiated on the right and policy of collective petition. The Government on becoming acquainted with the intention of the people to assemble in the neighbourhood of Colombo with these objects, sent out the police in the suburbs to watch the proceed- ings and to prevent ..ny tumultuous entry into the town or fort. But the mob having collected in large numbers, attacked, beat back, and entirely dispersed the police and pressed on to the town. Mr. Elliott at this juncture appeared amongst them, harangued them and pacified them, and Lord Torrington also arriving on the news of the defeat of the police with a strong body of military, the people fell back and dispersed, having first however at Mr. Elliott's suggestion signed a petition in Cin- galese against the new taxes, which Mr. Elliott undertook to deliver to the Governor, but which on being translated was found to conclude with a sen- tence declaring that the petitioners would not obey the new laws if not revoked. The Governor replied conciliatingly, but in defence of the ordinances, saying that he assumed the petitioners were generally ignorant of the improper sentence, and quiet was restored in the capital and its neighbourhood.

In the meantime a certain pretended heir of the New Papers, p. 166, &c.

lost rights of the old Kings of Kandy, whose dynasty

was put an end to by the British in 1815, a pretender of whom the Government had heard something for some months previously without attaching any im- portance to him, classing him with the numerous and up other pretenders of other years who had risen

Vide Map annexed to New Papers,

at the end.

Vide Map ditto.

New Papers, p. 18, &c.

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come to nothing without doing anything to deserve the notice of the Government, resolved, or was persuaded by those who used him as a tool, to take advantage of the unpopularity which circumstances or those persons, own contrivances had brought upon the measures of the Government, and to hazard an open rebellion in the Kandian mountains, in hopes

of subverting the Government itself.

On the 27th July he and his advisers collected in arms a number of followers, induced the Buddhist Priests at a certain temple to perform the ceremony of coronation, or what was tantamount to it, and then on the next day attacked and plundered the European civil station of Matelle or Fort Macdowal. The public buildings were ransacked, and many coffee plantations seriously injured. The magistrate har sent a requisition for troops to Kandy, about fifteen miles off, upon the danger first becoming apparent; but before they could arrive he wa forced to abandon the place to the rebels. It was speedily recovered, however, by a detachment of Europeans and native rifles, who inflicted a severe chastisement on the rebels by the way, and had nearly captured the pretender, losing themselves only one man wounded.

On July 29th the same or another body of rebels to the number, it is believed, of 4000 attacked and plundered Kornegalle in exactly the same way, driving out the European residents. This is a native town and civil station without a garrison, exactly similar to Matelle, about twenty miles from the latter in the direction of Colombo, and about twenty-five miles from Kandy. Kornegaile was immediately recovered by a very small detachment of Ceylon rifles. The rebels had the audacity to make a renewed attempt on the place within a day or two, but were effectually and most gallantly repulsed.

Lord Torrington upon the first intelligence of the outbreak of the Kandians in arms, took up the "Lady Mary Wood" Peninsular and Oriental Com- pany's steamer then in harbour, and despatched her to Madras forthwith, with a requisition to Sir Henry Pottinger for military aid. A detachment of Her Majesty's 25th was embarked at Madras within twenty-four hours of the steamer's arrival, and landed little less rapidly in Trincomalee in Ceylon, G