require to be specified; and one single instance, of no distant date, will be acknowledged to include every thing which is barbarous and unprincipled in public rule, and to pourtray the last stage of individual depravity and wickedness, the obliteration of every trace of conscience, and the complete extinction of human feeling. In the deplorable fate of the wife and children of Eheylapola Adikar, these assertions are fully substantiated, in which was exhibited the savage scene of four infant children, the youngest torn from the mother's breast, cruelly butchered, and their heads bruised in a mortar by the hands of their parent, succeeded by the execution of the woman herself, and three females more, whose limbs being bound, and a heavy stone tied round the neck of each, they were thrown into a lake and drowned. It is not, however, that under an absolute Government, unproved suspicion must usurp the place of fair trial, and the fiat of the ruler stand instead of the decision of justice; it is not that a rash, violent, or unjust decree, or a revolting mode of execution, is here brought to view, not the innocent suffering under the groundless imputation of guilt: but a bold contempt of every principle of justice, setting at nought all known grounds of punishment, dispensing with the necessity of accusation, and choosing for its victims helpless females uncharged with any offence, and infants incapable of a crime. Contemplating these atrocities, the impossibility of establishing with such a man, any civilised relations either of peace or war, ceases to be a subject of regret; since his Majesty's arms, hitherto employed in the generous purpose of relieving the oppressed, would be tarnished and disgraced, by being instrumental to the restoration of a dominion, exercised in a perpetual outrage to every thing which is sacred in the constitution or functions of a legitimate Govern ment. On these grounds his Excellency the Governor has acceded to the wishes of the Chiefs and people of the Candian provinces, and a Convention has in consequence been held, the result of which the fol lowing public act is destined to record and proclaim :— PROCLAMATION. At a Convention held on the 2d day of March, in the year of Christ, 1815, and in the Cingalese year, 1736, at the palace, in the city of Candy, between his Excellency Lieut. General Robert Brownrigg, Governor and Commander in Chief in and over the British settlements and territories in the island of Ceylon, on the one part, and the Adikars, Dessaves, and other principal Chiefs of the Candian provinces, on behalf of the inhabitants, and in the presence of the Mohottales, Coraals, Vidaans, and other subordinate Headmen from the several provinces, and of the people then and there assembled on the other part, it is agreed and established as follows: 1st. That the cruelties and oppressions of the Malabar Ruler in the arbitrary and unjust infliction of bodily tortures and the pains of death without trial, and sometimes without an accusation, or the possibility of a crime, and in the general contempt and contravention of all civil rights, have become flagrant, flagrant, enormous, and intolerable, the acts and maxims of his Government being equally and entirely devoid of that justice which should secure the safety of his subjects, and of that good faith which might obtain a beneficial intercourse with his neighbouring settlements. 2d. That the Rajah Sri Wikreme Rajah Sinha, by the habitual violation of the chief and most sacred duties of a Sovereign, has forfeited all claims to that title or the powers annexed to the same, and is declared fallen and deposed from the office of King. His family and relatives, whether in the ascending, descending, or collateral line, and whether by affinity or blood, are also for ever excluded from the Throne; and all claim and title of the Malabar race to the dominion of the Candian provinces is abolished and extinguished. 3d. That all male persons being or pretending to be the relations of the late Rajah Sri Wikreme Rajah Sinha, either by affinity or blood, and whether in the ascending, descending, or collateral line, are hereby declared enemies to the Government of the Candian provinces, and excluded and prohibited from entering these provinces on any pretence whatever, without a written permission for that purpose, by the authority of the British Government, under the pains and penalties of martial law. 4th. The dominion of the Candian provinces is vested in the Sovereign of the British empire, and to be exercised through the Governors or Lieutenant-Governors of Ceylon for the time being. 5th. The religion of Boodhe, professed by the chiefs and inhabitants of these provinces, is declared inviolable; and its rites, ministers, and places of worship, are to be maintained and protected. 6th. Every species of bodily torture, and all mutilation of limb, member, or organ, are prohibited and abolished. 7th. No sentence of death can be carried into execution against any inhabitant, except by the written warrant of the British Governor. GOD SAVE THE KING. By his Excellency's command, WAR DEPARTMENT. Downing-street, Aug. 1. A dispatch, of which the following is a copy, was this day received by Earl Bathurst, from Major-Gen. Sir Hudson Lowe. Cujes, July 24, 1815. My Lord, I have the honour to inform your lordship, that the forts and ships in Toulon have this day hoisted the white flag, and that Marshal Brune, and all the generals and admirals in that place, have signed their acts of submission to the King. The circumstances which led to this event, so far as in any way connected with the operations of the force under my orders, have been as follows: On the first appearance of the fleet and transports, under Lord Exmouth, off the coast of France, Marshal Marshal Brune, who was opposite to Nice with a body of about 5000 infantry, and 300 cavalry, called the corps of observation of the Var, made immediate proposition for an armistice with the commander of the Piedmontese force at Nice, in which object he succeeded, and then marched directly to the relief of Toulon. On the 14th of July, the day on which the troops landed at Marseilles, he caused a letter to be addressed to the admiral, Lord Exmouth, enclosing a copy of the armistice signed at Paris, and demanding an extension of it to the British force in this country, which was immediately rejected. He then addressed LieutenantGen. the Marquis de Riviere, exercising the King's authority in Provence, stating his desire to send two officers to Paris, to offer the submission of Toulon, and saying he should refrain from hostilities during the ten days neeessary for his communication. This proposition was also object ed to, and the marshal was informed he must resign his authority to the officer who governed Toulon before Buonaparte's invasion, hoist the white flag, and suffer the garrison of Toulon to be composed of national guards and royalists, in as large proportion as the troops of the line. On the same day his letter was reeeived by the Marquis de Riviere, information was had that he was marching towards Aix, on which I immediately ordered the whole of the British troops out of Marseilles, to take up such a position as might menace Toulon, watch him, and secure Marseilles itself against attack; but the report of his march on Aix gave way to that of his concentring near Toulon, when the following dispositions were made by me:-I directed the troops to move forward in two columns, one on the high road to Toulon, by Aubagne, Gemenos, and Cujes, and the other by the coast to Cassis and Ciotat, in which latter place I stationed a small garrison, and afterwards moved the column to Leques and Saint Cyr, having an advance at Bandol. My own head-quarters were at Cujes, having an advance at St. Anne's, with very strong ground both to my front and rear, and the power of collecting my force to act along the coast, or on the high road, as circumstances might best point out. The national guards and royalists occupied Beausset, Castelet, La Cadiere, and other strong points in my immediate front or flank. Admiral Lord Exmouth had, in the mean time, detached one line of battle ship to Ciotat, and another to Bandol. The enemy's advanced posts were on the outside of the pass of Ollioules. It was whilst the troops were in this position that the Marquis de Riviere and Marshal Brune carried on their negociations, through the means of Admiral Ganteaume, who, on the day after the marshal's first proposition was made, was received in Toulon as the King's commissioner. Various propositions were made, all with the view of gaining time. The two following were immediately rejected-that of acknowledging the King's authority, but retaining the tri-coloured flag, and that of requiring that the British British troops should retire, and promise not to attack Toulon; on which no assurance would be given. Whilst these points were discussing, a party of the national guards having moved to St. Nazaire, had thus turned the pass of Ollioules, which caused so much agitation, as having occurred whilst Admiral Ganteaume was treating, that Marquis de Riviere thought proper to withdraw it, whilst I collected my left column and pushed forward an advance to support him, should the circumstance have brought forth an attack. Finally, yesterday, the submission of Marshal Brune and his generals was received, but the regiments still refused to wear the white cockade; and it was only this day, whilst at Ollioules with Admiral Lord Exmouth, the submission of the whole was notified, and consent given to the royalists and national guards occupying the forts, in conjunction with a portion only of the regular troops. The garrison of Toulon consisted of six regiments of the line, a regiment of marines, a detachment of three hundred cavalry, artillery, veterans, &c. battalion of half-pay officers and federalists, called "Le Battalion Sacre," most of whom, with Marshal Murat, and some of his adherents, were suffered to quit Toulon, and absconded, it is not known where, on the eve of the resolution being taken for hoisting the white flag. The nature of the operation in which I have been engaged, has * 9th, 13th, 14th; 16th, 35th, 166th, veterans. been such as to afford little or no opportunity of distinction for the officers and men under my orders, yet I cannot avoid expressing my sense of the zeal which animated all ranks, nor my obligations to the officers in command of brigades, Col. Burrows and Col. Burke, and the officers of the staff, for their assistance to me in all preparatory arrangements, particularly Major Sir Thomas Reade, Assistant Adjutant General, Major Pratt, Assistant Quarter Master General, Major Gamble, Royal Artillery, Major Gorreyner, Military Secretary, Mr. Cummings, of the Commissariat, and Doctor Porteus. Lieutenant Colonel Faverges, of the Italian Levy, who commanded the advance, merits likewise my best thanks, as also Major Andreis, of the staff, and Lieutenant Smith, of the Royal Engineers, by whom the duties of reconnoissance were principally exercised, and who executed them with an activity and intelligence that left me nothing to desire. I can never sufficiently express my obligations and gratitude to Lord Exmouth and the navy in general, for the cordial assistance they have shown themselves disposed to render on every occasion, and for the aid in particular which I received from the marines, of which a battalion was formed, under the command of Major Cox, and placed at my disposition. Accounts have been received that Antibes has hoisted the white flag, so that there is now no declared enemy in the south of France. This report will be delivered to your lordship by the honourable Captain Captain Arden, Deputy Assistant Quarter Master General, who has been very zealous and active in his assistance to me, and who can bring me the honour of any commands your lordship may have for my further proceedings. marines were landed and took I have the honour to be, &c. ADMIRALTY-OFFICE, AUG. 12. Dispatches, of which the following are copies and extracts, have been received at this office, addressed by Admiral Lord Exmouth to John Wilson Croker, Esq. His Majesty's Ship Boyne, 1815. My letter of the 12th instant will have informed their Lordships of my movements up to that date, and the arrangements I had made with Lord William Bentinck, and the forces from Sicily, to co-operate with the Allied army upon Naples in continuation I beg to acquaint you, for their Lordships' further information, that I arrived off Civita Vecchia on the evening of the 18th, where learning from Mr. Cook (who came from Rome expressly for the purpose) the rapid approach of the Austrians towards Naples, I continued my voyage, without delay, for that place. I reached Naples on the 20th, finding the Tremendous and Alcmene at anchor close to the Mole, and the two line of battle ships hauled out alongside of them. On the 21st in the morning, the It is my intention to put the government of King Ferdinand the Fourth, on his arrival, in immediate possession of the naval arsenal, with the Vesuvius of eighty guns, building at Castellamare, and also of all the gunboats, stores, &c. in the arsenal of Naples, which I think are absolutely necessary for conducting the affairs of government, until the pleasure of their Lordships shall be known. The two ships of the line, Joachim and Capri, which were entirely abandoned to Capt. Campbell by the late government, I have ordered to proceed to Malta, manned and conducted by the Alcmene, there to wait their Lordships' instructions. |