§ MR. BAILLIEsaid, that on referring to the papers connected with Ceylon, that had been laid on the table of the House, he found that a despatch had been received at the Colonial Office on the 31st October, 1848, communicating the important fact that certain executions under martial law had taken place in the island; and he also found that these papers contained no despatch from Earl Grey to Viscount Torrington of a later date than the 24th of October, 1848, or one week previous to the receipt of the former despatch. The question which he wished to ask was, whether any despatch, of a later date than the 24th of October, had been sent out from the Colonial Office to Viscount Torrington, either approving or disapproving of these executions under martial law; and if so, whether there was any objection to lay them on the table before the Motion which was fixed for Tuesday next should come on.
§ MR. HAWESsaid, the latest despatch from Earl Grey to Viscount Torrington, in the papers that had been laid before the House, bore date, if he recollected rightly, on the 24th October. The latest despatches to which answers had been received were on the table. One of them was a general despatch from Earl Grey containing his entire approval of the measures 759 that had been adopted by Viscount Torrington for the suppression of the rebellion. That approval was full, entire, and explicit. There was a despatch subsequent to that, but it was of a strictly formal nature. He had no intention to lay any farther papers on the table at present.
§ MR. HUMEwished to know, whether there was any objection to lay on the table the instructions of Earl Grey, in which he approved of the withdrawal of the taxes which had been the cause of the rebellion. The newspapers of the day contained an account of his entire approval of what had occurred; so it was to be hoped that the House would be put in possession of the despatch containing such approval.
§ MR. BAILLIEsaid, he did not think the hon. Gentleman (Mr. Hawes) appeared to understand the question which he had put. He had asked whether any approval had been sent out by Earl Grey, in answer to that despatch of Viscount Torrington in which the fact was announced that certain executions had taken place under martial law? The hon. Gentleman had merely alluded to a despatch of Earl Grey, which bore date before the receipt of that despatch.
§ MR. HAWESI stated that there is a despatch generally approving of the measures which Viscount Torrington adopted for the suppression of the insurrection, which includes both the trials by court-martial and the trials before the Supreme Court; but there is no special despatch approving of the executions which followed.