355
48
committee, and I understand that seven elected members, who had previously approved of the appointment of the Committee, have declined to serve on it, giving as their reason the absence of information as to the future composition of the remainder of the Council. The Governor informs me that the Committee is now sitting, and that there is no ground for the statement that there is any strong feeling in Ceylon in the matter.
32299
No. 21.
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 2.40 p.m., 4th July, 1922.)
TELEGRAM.
4TH JULY. At request of Tamil Mahajana Sabai Committee, I forward following resolution unanimously passed 3rd July
*
Begins: Mahajana Sabai Committee prays that His Excellency will be pleased to inform Secretary of State that, in the opinion of this Committee, the statement made by Congress Committee that there is intense feeling against appointment Allocation Committee is altogether unfounded. Congress does not represent the people of Ceylon. Ends. -MANNING.
49
Council, explains fully the history of the cleavages and how a small section of extremists among the Singhalese are pretending to speak for all Ceylon. It is not true that moderates and loyal Ceylonese are exasperated by the course of events In this matter it is only the extremists in the Singhalese Congress who are dis- appointed at the disruption of the forces that stood together in the hope of safe government. The moderate Singhalese party are not in opposition to the Govern- ment. It is comic to speak of extremists as moderates; it is not right to say that the proposals of these extremists were turned down by the "official majority," for officials do not make a majority in the present Council, nor are the reasons given by the extremists for refusing to sit on the Allocation Committee considered here to be reasonable. There is no fear whatever that the present situation will turn out to be as bad as India. This is a false cry, the people here are like spectators watching an interesting game. As Colonel Wedgwood seems to think that Sir Graeme Thomson should be consulted, it is desirable that the contents of this telegram be made known to him. Ends. In my opinion this is an accurate state- ment of the position of affairs.-MANNING.
34593
No. 23.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
LITT
CO. 882/10
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
i
33376
No. 22.
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 3.10 p.m., 9th July, 1922.)
TELEGRAM.
9TH JULY. At the request of the signatories to the Joint Memorandum* I forward the following: Begins: The following Unofficial Members of the Legis- lative Council of Ceylon, Sir James Broom, Sir P. Ramanathan, and Messrs. Philpott, Wright, Drieberg, Abdul Cader and Adamaly, together with the Presidents of the European Association, The Burgher Electorate Association, Ceylon Muslim Association, Moors Union, The Mohammedan Association, the Tamil Mahajana Sabha and Jaffna Association, who submitted in March last to His Excellency the Governor a joint memorandum regarding the state of political feeling in the Island and the subject of reform of the Legislative Council, beg to state that a telegraphic communication was published yesterday in the Ceylon Daily News, as from its London correspondent, to the effect that Colonel Wedgwood stated in the House of Commons (1) that Governor Manning had exasperated most loyal subjects by wilfully delaying the introduction of reforms, (2) that he voted down proposals by the official majority, (3) that the reasons fote [for] the refusal of the Elected Territorial Members to sit on the Allocation and Distribution Com- mittee of the Council appealed to every reasonable man, (4) that the moderate Singhalese element was in opposition to the Government, (5) that the present situation of public feeling might turn out as bad as India, and (8) that the Secretary of State should be guided by Sir Graeme Thomson's advice as to the true political situation and needs of Ceylon, it is submitted that none of the first five statements is justified by the actual facts of the case. In recent debates in the Legislative Council it was conclusively shown that the delay in reforms was due to the vacilla- tion and obstructiveness of certain Congress Singhalese members, and that owing to disagreement between them and other sections of the National Congress, it was impossible to come to a peaceful settlement on many vital points. The late President of the Congress, Sir P. Arunachalam, publicly admitted in The Times of Ceylon in December last, that the power and prestige of that body had been wrecked and that it now represented merely a section of the Singhalese community. This state of affairs has been deplored by most of the newspapers in the Island. The joint memorandum of the five Communities out of the six represented in
* Enclosure in No. 8.
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 1.25 p.m., 15th July, 1922.) TELEGRAM.
(Paraphrase.)
THE Committee of Legislative Council on allocation and distribution of terri- torial seats composed of four territorial elected members (that is, two Sinhalese and two Tamil) and five members of community have now reported. The report will be tabled at meeting of Legislative Council, probably 20th July, and shortly after I propose to submit my despatch on its recommendations, which though by no means unanimous yet give me some guidance. I had intended that the Committee as originally nominated by me 6th May should have a majority of one for territorial elected members, but owing to refusal of seven of these to serve this was not possible. -MANNING.
34573
No. 24.
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 9.12 a.m.. 17th July, 1922.) TELEGRAM.
17TH JULY. Your telegram 12th July. Following is extract from letter of 7th December, 1918.
Begins: We are prepared to pledge ourselves actively to support provision for the reservation of a seat to the Tamils in the Western Province as long as electorate remains territorial. Ends. Copy of letter follows by post.-MANNING.
36688
No. 25.
HOUSE OF COMMONS
(1st August, 1922.)
CEYLON (CONSTITUTION).
COLONEL Wedgwood asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies
(1) Whether to avoid delay and further controversy,, he will lay down for the guidance of the Ceylon Constitution Committee the scope of its powers, especially
R
* 19071; not printed.