27. The Special Commissioners under colour of Martial 

 Law are levying forced contributions to compensate the Moors 

 from all well-to-do Sinhalese, although they are respected 

 members of society, who had in no way been connected with the 

 rioting. To illustrate the system pursued in the villages, the 

 Special Commissioner, who is often the Government Agent of 

 the district, has the damages sustained by the Moors in a par- 

 ticular division first assessed quite arbitrarily and at the highest 

 valuation set upon their loss by the Moors themselves. Then 

 there is a house-to-house visitation by the Headmen or police, 

 who force out of the villagers whatever sums they can extract. 

 In case of failure to pay, the people are arrested and threatened 

 with shooting; on promising to pay they are compelled to sign 

 a bond, and the title-deeds of their lands are extracted from 

 them. In the district of Madampe, Mr. Edward Batuwantudawe, 

 Superintendent of a cocoanut estate, was summoned by the 

 Special Commissioner, Mr. C. R. Cumberland, Government 

 Agent of the North- Western Province, and demand made that 

 he should pay down or sign an undertaking to pay Rs. 5,000 as 

 compensation to the Moors, on the ground that he was a rich 

 Sinhalese estate owner of the district. Mr. Batuwantudawe 

 pleaded that he was only a paid servant, and that it was impos- 

 sible for him to pay the amount. Mr. Cumberland was seated 

 in his office in military uniform, with armed Punjabi soldiers 

 standing by him. He threatened to have Mr. Batuwantudawe 

 shot down if he declined to pay, and put his hand to his waist 

 where the revolver is carried. To save his life, Mr. Batuwantu- 

 dawe was constrained to sign the bond undertaking to pay the 

 amount, and the villagers, who attended at Mr. Cumberland's 

 command, were similarly coerced. This is not a solitary instance, 

 but the general method of exaction followed. Even Mr. J. G. 

 Fraser (Special Commissioner), Government Agent of the 

 Western Province and member of the Executive Council, the 

 writer is instructed, levied contributions from well-to-do Sin- 

 halese, attended by armed Punjabi soldiers. 



28. In the City of Colombo, Mr. R. W. Byrde, Mayor 

 (Special Commissioner), announced in the Municipal Council 

 that he was about to make a proposal under Martial Law, which 

 no member would be at liberty to discuss, but if any member did 



