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20. In view of the proposed revision of the present constitution in the near future, the Ceylon National Congress Committee appointed by the Congress of December, 1920, considered an enlarged scheme of allocation and distribution of Seats to be submitted to Government. The Singhalese majority in that Committee, including the gentlemen who gave the pledge above referred to in paragraph 11 of this Memorial, and thereby secured the co-operation of the Tamils, refused to carry out that pledge, especially in regard to "a Reserved Seat to the Tamils in the Western Province." The Tamils, therefore, decided to secede from the Congress, and take independent action to secure adequate representation of their interests in the Legislative Council when the Constitution is revised.
21. In pursuance of that decision, the Tamil Mahajana Sabhai, which was formed in August, 1921, to represent the interests of the Tamils of the whole Island, addressed a Memorial to His Excellency the Governor, dated 13th November, 1921, praying for the restoration of Tamil representation in the Legislative Council to the proportion which had existed between the Singhalese and Tamil representation. The Memorialists venture to believe that the sentiments contained in that Memorial are known to you. As pointed out in that Memorial, the Tamils urged on the Gov- ernment not only the justice of restoring Tamil representation to its former propor- tion, but also the expediency and necessity of not allowing the Members belonging to any single community to have a predominant voice in the Legislature as against unofficial Members of all other communities combined.
22. The Memorialists further humbly submit that not only for proper alloca- tion of Seats to maintain the proportion asked for, but also for adequate represen tation of Tamil interests, Reserved Seats for them in the Western Province and the Central Provinces are necessary-places which contain a prosperous permanent Tamil population.
23. The Western Province contains a Tamil population of more than 110,000 of whom about 30,000 are Ceylon Tamils, among whom are to be found in the City of Colombo some of the most distinguished, influential and wealthy Tamils, as Landed Proprietors, Merchants, Government Officers, Lawyers, Medical men, Brokers, Shroffs, and in various other capacities, including the Members of the Colombo Chetty community who are the descendants of Tamils settled in the Western Province some centuries ago, and have been holding high and responsible positions under Government. It is a
striking fact that the Cashiers or Shroffs of the seven English Banking Corporations and their Assistants are all Ceylon Tamila, as is the case in the Ceylon Government Railway. His Majesty's Customs, the Treasury and the Public Works Department in Colombo, besides other Government Departments. In almost all the leading European Firms in Colombo, their Brokers and their Assistants are also Ceylon Tamils.
24. The Memorialiata respectfully point out, that while all other communities in the Metropolis of the Island-Europeans, Burghers, Singhalese, Mohammedans and Indians are sure to be represented in the Legislature by territorial or com- munal representatives, the Tamils alone should not be left to the chance of one of them being elected by the Singhalese majority, which cannot in the existing circum- stances, and in view of recent experience of territorial elections, be depended upon to choose a Tamil in preference to a Singhalese candidate.
25 The Tamils are, therefore, very earnest and keen in asking for a Seat reserved for them at least in Colombo, as otherwise there may be occasions when there would be no resident Tamil Member in the Metropolis to represent and safeguard the interests of the community there, after a session of the Council is adjourned wine dis, and the Provincial Tamil Members had returned to their Provinces which are far distant from the seat of Government. At times the Council stands ad- journed for several months. It is worthy of remark that since the establishment of the Legislative Council in the thirties of the last century. Colombo had a Tamil Member always resident therein, till the introduction of unqualified territorial representation, which resulted last year in depriving Colombo of Tamil represen- tation.
28. The Memorialista further submit that the Cevlon National Congress was always prepared to place the Northern Province in regard to the number of territorial seats on account of its importance and special claims on a par with the Western Province, whose greater importance will not be affected by that arrangement, as the latter will have, in addition to territorial seats allotted to it, other seats filled by communal representatives, elected and nominated, representing the Europeans, the
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Burghers, the Mohammedans and the Indians, not to mention the Chamber of Com- merce and the Low Country Products Association Seats, which the Memorialists think should be abolished, besides the Official Members, most of whom will be residents of the Metropolis. It should also be pointed out that in view of the early extension of Railway to Batticaloa and Trincomalee and the improvement of Trincomalie as a port, the Eastern Province also is entitled, not only as a Tamil Province, but also on account of its growing importance, to larger representation than it now enjoys.
27. Finding that the Sinhalese majority of the Ceylon National Congress, after violating the pledge given to the Tamils, referred to in paragraph 11 of this Memorial, were determined to use that body for the domination of the Sinhalese over all other communities in the Island, every public body representing Tamil interests the Tamil Mahajana Sabhai, the Jaffna Association, the Colombo Tamil Association and other Associations in the Island, passed Resolutions refusing to participate in the proceedings of the last Congress held in December, 1921, which became practically a Singhalese Congress, with no claim to represent any other communities. It may be mentioned that at its last session there were present only a very insignificant number of persons belonging to other Ceylonese communities, who had no right or mandate to speak on behalf of their communities.
28. The Congress shorn of its strength and influence by the secession of the Tamile, was unable to do any useful work at its last session, and adjourned sine die, without even adopting a scheme of allocation and redistribution of Legislative Council Seats to be submitted to Government. The Sinhalese leaders of the Con- gress spoke of meeting in Congress early this year to complete the work left undone at its last session. It is now reported that the Committee of the Congress as it is now constituted, without a mandate from the Congress, has submitted a Scheme to you which will have the effect of Singhalese Members of the Legislative Council being in a decided majority over the Members representing all other communities.
29.
The Tamils having seceded from the Congress for the reasons stated above, have now allied themselves with the other minorities in Ceylon on the question of allocation of Legislative Council Seats. At a Conference of leaders of minority communities held in Colombo on the 9th February, 1922. a scheme of re-distribution of Legislative Council Seats was adopted and submitted to His Excellency the Governor, by a Deputation on the 21st February last, which the Memorialists believe he has forwarded to you.
30. The Committee of this Association at a meeting held on the 20th February last, unanimously accepted that Scheme. as, in its opinion under existing circum stances, it is a practicable and workable one, till all communities agree on a wider and more democratic scheme. The Memorialists beg to point out that even in this scheme, it will be desirable to further reduce the official Seats and to strengthen the unofficial majority.
31. The Memorialists need hardly urge on your kind attention the special olaims of the Ceylon Tamils already stated above for being represented in the Legislative Council, at least in the proportion provided for in the Minorities Scheme in question, with a Reserved Seat for them in the Metropolis of the Island, on which they set great value. It is hardly necessary to state precedents for such concessions being made to safeguard the interest of important minorities, seeing that His Majesty's Government have always safeguarded the interests of minorities in all parts of the British Empire in granting constitutional reforms, without allowing one community to dominate over the rest. Suffice it to say that the Ceylon Tamils are entitled at least to as much safeguards as under the recent reforms provided for the prevention of the Mohammedan minority of India from being swamped by the Hindu majority, or to such safeguards as have been provided in the interests of minorities in Ireland.
32. The Memorialists respectfully further point out that the Tamils are anxious that constitutional reforms of a liberal character should be granted to Ceylon, and would gladly welcome such a constitution with provision to safeguard the interest of minorities. In their opinion, Ceylon, the loyalty of whose inhabitants to the Crown is beyond question, is entitled to as liberal constitution as has been granted to India or even to Burma.
33.
The Memorialists, therefore, humbly pray that His Majesty's Government, taking into consideration all the facts and circumstances stated above, will be graciously pleased to restore Tamil representation in the Legislative Council to the proportion which had existed between Tamil and Singhalese representation till the