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| Sunday, 22 August 2004 |
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Salt & spice Colonial Governor on circuit by Rohan Jayetilleke On 16th of February 1796, Colombo surrendered to the British forces. After the capitulation Ceylon was placed under the Government of Madras and its administration entrusted to a Major-General, commanding the forces, assisted by three officers stationed at Colombo, Galle and Jaffna. The 'dubashes' brought from Madras for the purpose of collecting revenue, were very harsh in their methods of taxing and collection of taxes. This led to an insurrection in several of the Korales (administrative areas) in 1797. Consequently the control of Ceylon by the Madras Government was withdrawn and the transfer of the Island to the Crown Colony under the King of England and the appointment of Fredrick North as the first Governor took place on October 12, 1798. On February 18 the next year at a 'convention' held in Kandy, the Kandyan chiefs, acting on behalf of the inhabitants, ceded the Kandyan provinces to the British Crown, subject to a treaty signed by both parties. Thus the entire country came under British rule. In 1833 a Legislative Council was established comprising fifteen members, nine official and six unofficials, to be picked by Governor (Sir Robert Horton) from the 'principal merchants' and the higher classes of the Natives' of which the Governor was the president. The first unofficial members were G. Phillipse Panditeratne, J. G. Hildebrand and A. Coomaraswamy Pulle. The Governor was the 'de facto' government, all powerful, wielding more power than the King within his small Crown Colony of Ceylon. He did not only reign but also ruled with all the trappings of Royalty with residences in Colombo, Nuwara Eliya, Kandy and Jaffna. In this capacity he had to tour the colony periodically. His occasional trips to Jaffna were as imposing as the Kaiser's trip to Jerusalem. The Assistant Government Agent and the Kachcheri Office Assistants were dwarfed, when he toured and had to take a back seat. His circuits would be heralded in the daily press. The Assistant Government Agent would lay a special brand of champagne or Cape Hock, and commission an able cook. On his directives the Mudliyar had to put up many arches of pandals. The Mudliyar would pass on the order to the Muhandiram; the Muhandiram to Vidane Arachchies, and the Vidane Arachchies to the Vidanes. The villagers would be ordered to provide the paraphanelia to erect the pandals. The roads through which the Governor passed would be spruced up by the PWD. The houses beside the road would be whitewashed. Kachcheri would be cleaned up as well as the Jail Police uniforms brushed and buttons polished and rehearsals held to acquaint them with the presentation of arms. The town and village would be in intense excitement and decision would be taken as to who should read the address to the Governor. The native chiefs, headmen and other members of the establishment would be present in their colourful uniforms. The next day the Governor would visit the Kachcheri the Court House, the Jail and would be satisfied with the state of things. He would plant a tree somewhere ceremoniously and the Local Board would tend it until the next visit. The Colombo editors would go to town with congratulating the colony on possessing a Governor, who saw things for himself of the wants of the people, and applaud him for his energy and braving all the discomforts and perils of this arduous journey. They would also mention by name in their news reports as to who shook hands with the Governor and who were on the platform with him. The local elite would preserve these newspapers as family heirlooms to be passed on to posterity. At the end, somebody would be made a Justice of the Peace and some lawyers Justices of the Peace and Unofficial Magistrates. The ordinary village who provided the paraphanelia for the pandals were neither blessed to sight the Governor nor even thanked for their labours. The Governor was also the Commander-of-the-Forces. His batta was fixed at Rs. 80 a day and he enjoyed liberal allowances for entertainment. Above all, he was also the President of the Legislative Council, and, unlike the Speaker of the House of Commons, who never speaks, he would be up every debate, whether wholesome or unwholesome. The blighting presence of the Governor in the Legislative Council paralysed that independence which should be predominant feature in every law making body, be it a legislative body. This caravan moved on and till February 4, 1948. |
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