NO. 47. — 1896.] EARLY LEGISLATION. 



97 



The Proclamation of September 23, 1799, might have 

 been issued by Cromwell, except for the fact that he was 

 dead at the time. It runs : — 



And we do hereby allow liberty of conscience and the free exercise 

 of religious worship to all persons who inhabit and frequent 

 the said settlements of the Island of Ceylon, provided always that 

 they peaceably and quietly enjoy the same without offence and 

 scandal to Government ; but we command and ordain that no new 

 place of religious worship be established without our license or autho- 

 rity first had and obtained. And we do hereby command that no 

 person shall be allowed to keep a school in any of the said settlements 

 of the Island of Ceylon without our license first had and obtained, 

 in granting of which we shall pay the most particular attention to the 

 morals and proper qualification of the persons applying for the same. 

 And we do hereby, in His Majesty's name, require and command all 

 officers, civil and military, and all other inhabitants of the said settle- 

 ments, that in the execution of the several powers, jurisdictions, and 

 authorities hereby and by His Majesty's command erected, created, and 

 made or revised and enforced, they be aiding, and assisting, and 

 obedient in all things, as they will answer the contrary at their peril. 



In 1801 appeared the following piece of strictly domestic 

 legislation : — 



Whereas we have reason to believe that the domestic slaves in 

 many families within this city and its neighbourhood have lately shown 

 a disposition to mutiny and disobedience of the just authority of their 

 masters and mistresses, we hereby make known and declare that all 

 such slaves as bring false and frivolous complaints to us or to the 

 Magistrates under us will be summarily and severely punished, and we 

 at the same time enjoin all masters and mistresses to be particularly 

 careful not to detain slaves for whom they have no sufficient title, and 

 to restrain the correction of their slaves within the limit of the law 

 and the bounds which are necessary for the preservation of good order 

 within their families. 



This reminds one of Isaak Walton's exhortation to the 

 angler when baiting his hook, " to treat the worm tenderly 

 as if he loved him." 



While on the subject of slaves it is curious to note that 

 against decisions regarding the ownership of slaves the 

 Regulation No. 7 of 1806 enacted that there should be an 

 appeal, provided the value of the slave was of an appealable 

 nature. 



