§ *LORD STANMORErose to move for correspondence between the Colonial Office and the Governor of Ceylon on the subject of irrigation works in that island. The noble Lord said: My Lords, I understand that my noble friend the Secretary of State for the Colonies is willing to give the Papers which I have asked for, and therefore it is not necessary 325 for me to do more than explain in a few words why I wish to have them.
The great irrigation works which prevailed in Ceylon in ancient times fell into disuse, and when England succeeded to the possession of Ceylon very little attention was paid to them. They were, however, still maintained in a fashion until the year 1833, when a Commission was sent out from England to make recommendations with regard to the government of that island, and among other things they made an unfortunate recommendation which completely upset the whole of the native regulations with regard to irrigation at that time. The Government did not become aware for a long time afterwards of the mischief they had done, but when they did become alive to it they at once set to work to remedy the evil. The work initiated by Sir H. Ward was continued by Sir W. Gregory, and in 1887 a Board was instituted which it was supposed would get rid of all the evils that existed, and the Board has done a great deal of good work during the last twenty years. The Board has now been abolished or is about to be abolished, and I have grave apprehensions that its abolition will restore many of the evils which its establishment was intended to remedy. I therefore beg to move for these Papers, and if they justify the opinion I have expressed I shall take further action in the matter at some subsequent date.
Moved, "That an humble Address be presented to His Majesty for correspondence between the Colonial Office and the Governor of Ceylon on the subject of irrigation works in that island."—(Lord Stanmore.)
*THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (The Earl of ELGIN)My Lords, in replying to the noble Lord I have to say that there is no disposition either in the Colony or in the Colonial Office to overlook the great services which he performed for irrigation during his administration of the affairs of Ceylon. The noble Lord took the matter up at a time when the finances of Ceylon were in a very different state from what they are now, and carried out his policy with a courage which we do not forget.
326 The real reason for the change which has taken place in recent times is that the state of the Colony now, especially in the matter of finance, is very different from what it was then. I believe that the noble Lord at the time would have been very glad if he could have established a department for the management of this matter, but, even if that is not so, at any rate that is what has been done now, and the only reason for the dissolution of the Board which he quite proper established to carry out the work at the, time when he was Governor is that it is now possible to make this an ordinary part of the management of government in the usual way. There is no disposition whatever to do other than carry on the work of irrigation, and the Governor has every expectation that by the present arrangements he will be able to do so. I will not detain your Lordships further, as the noble Lord has stated that when he gets the Papers he may return to the matter later on. I propose to lay a very exhaustive Report on irrigation in the library, and I shall be quite willing to present to Parliament the latest Ordinance on the subject and any despatches bearing upon it.
§ On Question, Motion agreed, to and ordered accordingly.