( v iii ) 



that remarkable ability which ever characterized him. Then 

 came the great League, when Mr. Wall- 1 —" Granite Wall " as 

 Lorenz used to call him — together with Lorenz himself, Sir 

 Harry (then Mr.) Dias, and all the Unofficial Members of 

 Council, resigned in a body, leaving Sir Hercules Robinson, 

 the then Governor, in a sore state of perplexity. This was 

 many years ago, but though frequently invited, Mr. Wall 

 never again accepted a seat at the Legislative Board, although 

 always ready to give the Government the benefit of his 

 experience and matured wisdom on matters affecting the 

 welfare of the country. 



The story of the "League " is such an important one, and 

 the part played in it by Mr. Wall so characteristic of the man, 

 that we purpose in another issue to give as full a description 

 of the agitation as the facts at our disposal will allow. We 

 could not possibly do justice to it in this brief sketch. 



In 1868 there was a serious rice famine, and it was mainty 

 through Mr. Wall's endeavours that arrangements were made 

 for distributions of rice amongst the starving population. It 

 was at his own mills — Bloemendahl — that these distributions 

 took place. It may give an idea of the size of these mills, 

 which were built under Mr. Wall's direction, when we say that 

 there were daily employed there at that time upwards of six 

 hundred hands. 



It is not generally remembered that Colombo owes its 

 Breakwater in a great measure to him. It was, we believe, 

 intended to build the Breakwater at Galle, but, mainly 

 through Mr. Wall's opposition, it was eventually constructed 

 here. In the agitation for a Northern Arm and Dry Dock, 

 Mr. Wall's powerful pen had doubtless very great weight with 

 Government. 



In the matter of the Paddy Tax he laboured long, and with 

 the most conspicuous success. Thanks to the warm advocacy 

 of Sir Arthur Havelock, Mr. Wall's arguments were favourably 

 listened to, and the poor goiyas and villagers of Ceylon have 

 much reason to be proud of him who pleaded their cause so 

 well, not only in Ceylon, but in England, and who, alas, has 

 lived only to see the fulfilment of his wishes, and but little of 

 the benefits which the welcome abolition is destined to bring 



