CO885-(1-2) — Page 167

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :--

EC.O.

885

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

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A further force of a wing of European, and an entire regiment of native infantry was held by Sir

H. Pottinger at Lord Torrington's disposal, in

readiness to embark at a moment's warning.

Martial law was proclaimed by the Governor New Papers, p. 170, without delay, viz., on July 29, for the disturbed districts. The sacred relic, the tooth of Boodh, the palladium of the Kandians, was taken possession of by the Government Agent, and sent under a guard to Colombo for safety.

A number of persons were arrested or taken prisoners, were tried by court-martial, and punished with death, transportation, imprisonment, the lash, or otherwise; and amongst the first so captured, tried, and executed, were a principal leader of the insurgents and a brother of the Pretender (August

4). A reward of 150l. was offered for the appre- Ditto, p. 217. hension of the Pretender. Numerous estates were sequestered belonging to suspected persons. All persons absent from their homes were ordered by

proclamation to return upon pain of confiscation of

their lands. The Pretender himself was finally Ditto, p. 240.

taken on the 21st September, but his trial was reserved

for a time. He was finally brought before the Su-

preme Court, pleaded guilty, and received sentence

of death, which was commuted by the Governor to

a public whipping and transportation for life.

Ditto, p. 296.

The Cooly immigrants from India, upon whom

so much depended for the realization of the coffee Ditto, p. 192. harvest now coming on, were assured of protection and dissuaded from alarm by Government notices circulated both in India and in the island, and were understood in fact to have remained generally steady in spite of the disturbances,

Addresses were presented to the Governor ex- pressive of loyalty and satisfaction at the vigorous measures adopted, from the Roman Catholic Bishop and Clergy (p. 193), from the European Chamber of Commerce at, Colombo (p. 194), from the Eu- Ditto. ropean residents at and near Kandy, voted at a public meeting with Sir H. Maddock in the chair (pp. 194, 202, and 205); from the native inhabitants in various parts, including the capital (pp. 202, 205, 214-17). Counter inemorials were addressed to Lord Grey, complaining of the new taxes, by the same Chamber of Commerce at Colombo, who were

J

+

Now Papers, p. 236.

Ditto, P.

264.

Ditto, p. 242.

Ditto, pp. 268 and 29.

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divided in opinion (pp. 196 and 197), by the inha- bitants of Galle (p. 204), and by the Buddhist priests, as regarded their subjection to the road ordinance (p. 212).

ance.

Tranquillity was not again disturbed. The vil- lages for a time appeared deserted, and the jungles were at first filled with wandering bands of armed or unarmed men, who still retained either some intention of renewing the contest or some fear of arrest. But by degrees the people returned to their usual occupations; the harvest began to be gathered in; the face of things resumed its wonted appear- The troops borrowed from, Madras were ordered to return thither as being no longer re- quired. Martial law ceased by proclamation on the 10th of October. A number of the prisoners, however, including the Pretender, had been handed ́ over some time previously to the civil power. An Act of indemnity, civil as well as criminal, to take effect simultaneously with the cessation of martial law, was passed by the Legislative Council for the protection of the Governor and his officers against the legal consequences of all acts done by them in putting down the rebellion. The Act, however, was only carried by the Governor's own casting-vote, owing to a division of opinion in the council upon the civil part of the question.

By the end of September there had been punished,-under sentence of Court-martial, 18 per- sons with death, 28 with transportation for different periods, and 66 with imprisonment and the lash, 8 only having been acquitted of those tried,-and under sentence of the Supreme Court, 17 with various periods of transportation and imprisonment (6 of which were for life), 17 more having been acquitted. Forty prisoners had, at the date of the Governor's last despatch (October the 14th, 1848), been liberated on bail, 200 had been unconditionally discharged, and 39 remained in gaol for trial at the November sessions to be held at Kandy.

As soon as the rebellion was at an end, it became necessary for the local Government to consider whether that event, and the facts which had transpired during the course of it, would render any change advisable in the measures of Govern. ment, especially with regard to the new ordinances.

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