embarked already for Ceylon. I am fure fuch fupply is neceffary for the fecurity of the colony, but I ask the House if they will permit the country to make fo important a facrifice, without a full and moft minute inquiry into what has caufed the neceffity for fo unfortunate a measure? Sir, there is another most dreadful confequence of this war. After the little difcretion our Government has hitherto fhewn in going to war for apparently fo trifling an object, I am afraid, when the paffions and refentment of our countrymen are routed by the recollection of what has lately paffed at Candy, I am afraid that any profpect of peace with thefe Candians is very remote; I am afraid we are doomed to eternal war with this race of people, and that Ceylon, inftead of being the valuable acquifition it is fo naturally made for, will prove only to be the grave of our armies. I do hope, Sir, that Minifters, in their difnatches to the Governor, will not fail to remind and to prefs upon him the past experience of this ifland. I hope, Sir, they will remind him of that great leffon for all Europeans, the late fate of St. Domingo. As long, Sir, as the natives of Candia or St. Domingo thall poffefs the local advantages they now do, as long as the inhabitants of Europe fhall be fubject to the difeafes they now are, I believe, Sir, that all our attempts to fubdue the natives of thefe countries, must prove not only fruitless but fatal to ourselves. I think, Sir, if this war fhail appear to have been as rafh and impolitic in its origin and commencement, and as calamitous in its confequences as I have ftated it to be, I think the opinion of this Houfe will be, that there is abundant matter for inquiry into this fubject: there are too, Sir, tranfactions of this war that I have touched upon before, which I apprehend the House muft likewife think calls for particular inquiry. I allude to our interference in the politics of Candy, to our dethroning and making of Princes and new forms of Government in that country. If, Sir, we are really in carnest when we profefs our refpect for established governments, and our abhorrence of all ufurpation; if we really with for any character of confifiency in the eyes of Europe upon this important fubject, it is high time that we beftow fome criticifm upon thefe very fingular tranfactions of our colonial governors. I am not aware, Sir, of any other reason I can adduce in fupport of the inquiry I wish to be inftituted; but before I conclude, Sir, I beg to advert to a very cruel and unfeeling account that has lately been published by his Majetty's Minifters, purporting to be a dispatch from the Government of Ceylon, and giving an account of the number

of

of our garrifon at Candy. This letter, Sir, is an attempt to account for the final difafters of this war, and which reft entirely with the Governor, by infinuations the most fatal to the honour and character of a British officer, who has fought, and who has perished in the service of his country; and this, Sir, in the abfence of any fpecies of teftimony on which fuch infinuation could be founded. I do entreat this Houfe, on behalf of the character of this most unfortunate officer, to recollect how he was fituated; there were only 200 British troops, 160 of these were fick in their beds; the remaining 40 I prefume were not very healthy, they were furrounded by at least 10,000 Candians, they were cut off from provifions, and they were 60 miles from our nearest settlement: in this fituation they were ordered by our new ally, the first Adigar, to lay down their arms, and they were deferted by the Malays in our fervice. Does any man believe it to be phyfically poffible, that thefe 40 men fo unhappily circum ftanced, could have cut their way through all these difficulties? Of this, at leaft, we may be certain, that had they attempted fo to do, the 160 who were fick would have been murdered. I contend then, that if in the abfence of all teftimony respecting the conduct of this unfortunate officer, we allow ourselves to fpeculate upon his motives; we are bound in goodness to believe, that he was influenced by a very natural and generous fympathy for this great majority of his fick and helplefs fellow-foldiers, and that in acting as he did, he confulted what he conceived to be the best, not for himself alone, but for the whole garrifon of Candy. Mr. Creevey concluded by moving for

Copies of all papers, letters, and difpatches, from his Majefty's Governor of Ceylon, to the Government of Candia in that island, and from the Candian Government to his Majefty's Governor, refpecting the cause or origin of the war in Ceylon.

Copies of all correfpondence between his Majesty's Governor of Ceylon, and officers commanding his Majesty's troops in that ifland, during the war in Ceylon.

"Copies of all treaties entered into between his Majesty's Governor of Ceylon and the Candian Government.

"All the returns of his Majefty's forces in Ceylon, from the first of January 1803, to the present time.”

On the first motion being put,

Lord Caftlereagh said, he should trouble the Houfe with as few words as poflible, as, when the papers were laid before

the

the House, they would have an opportunity of forming an opinion upon the fubject. He affented to the general principle, that when a war was entered into in any part of our colonial poffeffions, unless Government could state some reafon of expediency for not producing fuch information, Parliament had a right to poffefs itself of full information with refpect to the origin and caufes of that war. To this point the prefent motion went, and fo far he had no objection; but he should certainly object to any motion which went to produce information as to the ftate of our force in Ceylon, as that would be fhewing the enemy the number of troops we had in the island to defend it, and might tend to invite an attack. It might be alfo inexpedient to difclose the state of any negociation carrying on in the island by the Governor. He only wished that no prejudicial impreffion might remain in the minds of Gentlemen. The hon. Gentleman (Mr. Creevey) had stated the war to have originated in a dispute about property to the amount of only 300l. but the value was of little confequence; the Candian Government had long demonftrated an hoftile mind towards us, and the detention of property, about which the firft difpute took place, was only one of the fymptoms of that hoftile difpofition. The form of the motion was, he said, not accurate, as Cey lon formed no part of the dominions of the Eaft-India Company, but was annexed to the Crown; he had therefore framed a motion which he would make, if the hon. Gentle man would confent to withdraw his. He concluded by reading his motion, "That an humble addrefs be prefented to, his Majefty, praying that his Majefty would be graciously, pleafed to order to be laid before the Houfe, copies or extracts of fuch letters and papers as had been received from the hon. Frederic North, Governor of Ceylon, relative to the caufes of the hoftilities which had taken place between his Majefty's Government and the King of Candy."

Mr. Creevey having confented to withdraw his motion, that of Lord Caftlereagh was agreed to.

Mr. Creevey then moved for copies of all difpatches and letters from the Governor of Ceylon to the British officers employed there, and from the latter to the former.

Lord Caftlereagh objected to this motion, as calling for information which it would be inexpedient to produce at prefent, and therefore moved the previous question.

Mr. Fox was utterly aftonished at the language held by the noble Lord as to the production of this paper. The VOL. II. 1803-4.

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[COMMON, noble Lord had afferted that the time would come when no objection could exift to the production of the paper; but had he afforded any argument against its production at the prefent moment? Had he offered a fingle reafon to prove that the prefent time was not the fit moment for its being laid before Parliament? Was it a matter undeferving of inftant inquiry, that a part of our force in Ceylon had fuftained not only difafter but difgrace; that blame bad been thrown on the conduct of the officer who commanded that party of troops by the Governor of the fettlement; and that no document was before Parliament, to enable them to afcertain whether fuch an imputation was or was not well founded? He could not conceive a stronger ground of parliamentary inquiry than that laid down by his hon. Friend. It was really extraordinary to hear Minifters refifting the production of information on a fubject where the neceffity of information was admitted by every defcription of mankind who chose for a moment to exercise their judgment. If this was not the moment for inquiry, he wished to know when that moment would arrive? Did the noble Lord mean to fay that no inquiry fhould be made till the conclusion of the war? If that was to be the cafe, the grand object of the motion would be loft. Nothing could then be gained but the punishment of the criminal party. But the great object was, to prevent the continuance of exifting difafters. Viewing the motion as founded on the cleareft grounds, it had his cordial fupport.

General Maitland thought that the hon. Member who spoke laft had not fully understood the force of the noble Lord's obfervations. To him it appeared, that from the noble Lord's statement the production of the paper in queftion, would be. attended with inconvenience, and this was a fair parliamentary ground for refufing its production. If the state of Cey-, lon was fuch as the hon. Mover defcribed it, he thought that the paper relative to this matter ought not to be produced. It could only have the effect of conveying dangerous inform-, ation to the enemy. The fift paper contained every thing now wanted. A time for the production of the others without inconvenience would arrive, and he trufted that this period was not very remote.

Mr. G. Johnstone was of opinion that any argument drawn. from the impolicy of giving information to the enemy was quite inapplicable. If we looked to the fituation of Ceylon,

it

it was evident that before this time, the war must have come to a crifis. Our troops muft either have prevailed, or been expelled from the fettlement, or deftroyed. Under exifting circumftances, befides, it could not be conceived for a moment that the French Government would entertain the project of fending fuch a body of troops to India as would endanger our eastern poffeffions. He was therefore decidedly for the inquiry. The noble Lord had said that Government was in poffeffion of very fcanty information. This was a general complaint against the Governors of all our foreign poffeffions. They gave fuch unfatisfactory details relative to the most important events, that neither Parliament nor the Public were able to form correct opinions on the fubject. The motion was calculated to procure more information, and the hon. Member who introduced it, deferved the thanks of the House and the Public. He was entitled to thanks both for the motion and the ability with which he had defended it.

Lord Caftlereagh, in explanation, stated, that when he spoke of the fcanty information of Government, he only alluded to the unfortunate maffacre of the garrifon of Candy.

Sir W. Geary fupported the motion; and Mr. Wallace oppofed it.

Colonel Calcraft was aftonished at the argument of an hon. General on the other fide of the Houle. That hon. Gentleman had refifted the motion on a ground which he himself did not allow to be well founded. His argument was, that as Ceylon was in a state of weaknefs, it would be improper to produce documents to eftablish the existence of this weaknefs. But even while using this argument he had denied the existence of the cafe on which it was founded. He himself was decidedly for the inquiry.

General Maitland denied that he had ufed any fuch argu.

ment as that now alluded to.

Lord Henry Petty stated the grounds of his vote for the mo tion. He was aftonithed at the fort of argument fet up by Minifters against the motion. It would be a very curious fort of argument for thofe entrusted with the management of a ship on a voyage, when a propofition was made to examine her timbers or general ftate, to fay, that fuch an inquiry would come much better after the veffel got into pòrt, But this was precifely the argument of Ministers on the prefent occafion. His Lordship declared that he doubted much whether there exifted incans of effectually carrying on with

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