September, 1911.] 



229 



Edible Products. 



lector of making advances of various 

 kinds with a view to increase cultiv- 

 ation." . . . They were urged to make at 

 least one circuit each year, and, if possi- 

 ble two, so a.« to settle disputes iu the 

 villages and to make arrangements with 

 the cultivators for supplying them 

 with seed, grain, "clothing" and agri- 

 cultural tools, and, as far as may be 

 possible, relieving them from the 

 vexatious of a tax gatherer by letting 

 to the cultivators the tithes of their 

 villages. The advances were of course 

 to be repaid in grain or money after the 

 crops were reaped. Mr. Swettenham, 

 writing in 1888, records that " though 

 under this system losses were incurred, 

 they were amply covered by the insur- 

 ance of 20 % charged upon the loan by 

 the Executive Council." He adds : 



" The happiest consequences of this 

 liberal policy which Government antici- 

 pated, appear to have followed, Mr. 

 George Tumour senior being specially 

 successful iu the Wanny, where he so 

 increased cultivation that the Govern- 

 ment share of the crops rose to 40 

 thousand parahs in 1810 as against 9,000 

 in 1806," Mr. Sawer's administration of 

 Batticaloa up to 1817 (says Mr. Swetten- 

 ham) was equally successful, and in the 

 districts which now constitute the 

 Northern and Eastern Provinces, the 

 Government share had increased to 

 191,000 bushels, "indicating a gross crop 

 of say two millions." 



Under this policy the total revenue 

 raised from paddy, according to Berto- 

 lacci, who was at the time Civil Auditor- 



General, was as under — 



1811, 1812. 



Collected direct by officers 



of Government. R. Dollars ... 172,401 230,178 



Farmed out to renters ,, ' ...259,744 23s,491 



432,145, 468,6ti9 

 Annual average, say £33,766. 



A portion of this high revenue was 

 doubtless due to the great increase in 

 the price of rice which the same author- 

 ity states doubled in price between 1800 

 and 1812, But from his remarks there 

 appears to have been a good time all 

 round, " an increase in the population 

 as evidenced by the number of children 

 that are now seen in the families of the 

 Ceylonese," and " no rise in the price of 

 labour." But considering the tax was 

 drawn only from the maritime districts 

 and when paddy was much cheaper, 

 these figures point to crops which were 

 unequalled until towards the end of 

 the Century.* 



* General Maitland is said to have made a 

 fortune of £100,000 as Commander-in-Chief in 

 Ceylon. General Brownrigg, who succeeded 

 him, has given up a situation of more power at 

 home for one of more emolument abroad." 

 [Morning Post of 1811, recently reproduced.) 



Sir Thomas Maitland just stayed long 

 enough to see the success of his policy 

 and was succeeded by another General, 

 Sir Robert Brownrigg, Bai t., G.C.B., in 

 March, 1812. Shortly after which there 

 arose much distress, especially in the 

 " Northern parts of the island and 

 Matara" (which the map iu Bertolacci 

 shows included the Hambantota dis- 

 trict) at the end of 1812 and continued 

 throughout 1813 and 1814, "consequent 

 on repeated drought at the seasons when 

 rain might naturally be expected, which 

 is indispensable to the cultivation of 

 Rice." (B p. 70.) So ... . grain had to be 

 imported from India, while " a very large 

 supply was derived from the Caudian 

 Country which produced large supplies." 



Considering the large contribution 

 to the general revenue from grain, it is 

 under these circumstances not surprising 

 the new Governor of the Colony found 

 the finances of the Colony iu a most 

 deplorable state. For some years the 

 revenue had decreased considerably and 

 uot covered the expenditure, necessi- 

 tating application to the Home Govern- 

 ment far assistance, which appears 

 to have been given from the " secret 

 service funds." 



No figures are available for some 

 years, nor is their absence material for 

 purpose of comparison, as a very con- 

 siderable area of paddy land was added 

 to the British possessions by the annex- 

 ation of the Kandyan Provinces during 

 General Brownrigg's tenure of office 

 (1812-20). The administration of this 

 newly-acquired territory was for all 

 purposes vested in a Board consisting 

 of a Resident, the Officer Commanding 

 the Troops, and two other Commissioners 

 for Revenue and Judicial business. Sir 

 John O'Oyly was the first Resident and 

 held the position until his death on 

 24th May, 1824, Mr. Simon Sawers was 

 the first Revenue and then Judicial 

 Commissioner from 1816-27. 



In 182S Mr. George Tumour, who 

 entered the Civil Service in November, 

 1820, and was for some years in charge 

 of Sabaragamuvva was appointed to the 

 Board as Revenue Commissioner. There 

 were also two Secretaries, one at Colombo 

 (Mr. James Sutherland) to the Govern- 

 ment and another (Mr. George Lusignan) 

 to the Board. Subordinate to the Board, 

 there were at first Agents of Govern- 

 ment only in Uva (Mr. Wilson who was 

 killed in a rising in 1827,) Sabaragamuwa 

 and the Three Korales, and the civil 

 authority was exercised as before by 

 the native Disavas and Ratemahat- 

 mayas. " But after the rising in 1818 

 with a view of destroying the para- 

 mount influence of the Chiefs, British 



