437
64
Committee should be appointed for the purpose of allocating and distributing the seats for the territorial electorate under the new Constitution, the territorially- elected members, with the exception of four of their number, when called upon to serve on that Committee, refused to do so.
7. I most respectfully urge that the proposals for this Executive Committee be not placed before the Legislative Council for its discussion; but that this proposal, after it may have been modified by you, should be communicated by you as your final decision. My reasons for this attitude are that if this proposal, as I have pointed out, is debated in the Legislative Council I anticipate that it will, as I have stated, be rejected. In such circumstances, I deem it possible that the following situation may arise. Members of the House of Commons who may be stated to be in sympathy with Ceylonese aspirations in regard to the reform of -the Constitution of the Executive Council of Ceylon will be pressed by the so- called Ceylon National Congress to raise the question that, since this proposal now before you had been rejected by a majority of the unofficial members of the Legislative Council of Ceylon, it would appear that the Secretary of State had acted in a high-handed manner in seeking to enforce upon them something which they had definitely rejected. If I may say so, a position would be created which it would be difficult to explain. On the other hand, if you inform the Legislative Council that an Executive Committee, such as I have adumbrated, is your final decision on this subject, the Secretary of State would be able to point out that it was a reasonable solution of a problem which the territorially-elected members had undertaken and failed to solve, and was the only reasonable alternative to the grant of responsible government.
Moreover, with this defence available, attacks made by the opposition in the House of Commons could be more easily met.
8. The proposals that make in this despatch do not mean that I have in any way altered the opinions expressed in my Confidential despatch of the 19th July. The dangers to which I have called attention in that despatch, as arising from the lack of public courage amongst the Ceylonese, would apply to the Executive Committee whose constitution have suggested-but in a modified form. Frequent resignations from the Executive Council would tend seriously to impair the position of Government, whilst resignations from the Executive Committee would tend to diminish its value without affecting the mechanism of Government.
9. As regards the constitution of this Executive Committee, I think the members representing the Executive Council should be:----
I. The Colonial Secretary.
II. The Attorney-General.
III. The Treasurer.
IV. One Unofficial Member.
As representing the Legislative Council;—
8 Sinhalese.
65
And it is
proposals amongst the unofficial members of the Legislative Council. hoped that it may be possible to delegate to unofficial members of the Executive Committee the duties of introducing into the Legislative Council Bills and measures on behalf of Government.
11. It seems to me that there is some misapprehension with regard to the functions of the Finance Committee. That Committee consists of three official members of the Legislative Council and all the unofficial members of that Council. It is appointed annually as a Select Committee of the Legislative Council to examine the Estimates and the Supply Bill, and duly reports, as in the case of any other Bill, to the Legislative Council. expenditure not provided for in the Estimates; but such proposals, when passed by It further has submitted to it proposals for the Finance Committee, are placed before the Legislative Council for confirmation by that body. It does not appear that the Executive Committee will be brought into relations with the Finance Committee, because the examination of the Budget by the former will be on a reference made to it by the Executive Council and not by the Legislative Council.
12. As regards the functions of the proposed Executive Committee, it is true that certain of the subjects which might be placed before it, are likewise those which might, as a preliminary, be discussed in Executive Council, and later referred to the Executive Committee; but there will be matters generally of a very important nature with which the Executive Committee will be concerned, dealing more directly with subjects which, in due course, would have to be more fully debated in the Legislative Council; and I cannot help feeling that the Executive Committee might, in time, develop into a very valuable and important body, and one which would be regarded as occupying a very high status in the scheme of Government, provided that the functions allotted to it are exercised with the sincere intention of proving their value.
13. I have not referred this to the Executive Council, as I do not feel that it would be advisable to do so until I receive some intimation from you that these proposals meet with your general approval. I have, however, submitted them to my advisers, and they are of opinion that, in the circumstances, they are the best solution that can be suggested of a most difficult and complicated problem.
50681
No. 47.
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 9.32 a.m., 17th October, 1923.)
TELEGRAM.
17TH OCTOBER. Your telegram 11th October.*
Political reform. Consider
it will be sufficient to retain Clause 21, draft Order in Council. †-MANNING.
2 Tamils.
1 Kandyan.
1 Burgher.
1 Mohammedan.
1 Indian.
1 European.
10. This number-14-would admit of the establishment of Sub-Committees to deal with questions connected with each of the Departments set out above. Further, it might be desirable to establish another Sub-Committee of the Executive Committee for dealing with all matters connected with legislation, in order that the Executive Committee might, if they so desired, refer such matters to that Sub-Committee. With reference to your telegram in which you ask that the relations between the Executive Council, the Executive Committee, the Legislative Council and the Finance Committee shall be fully examined, I have endeavoured to show that, as regards the relations between the Executive Council and the Executive Committee, the latter Committee would deal with such subjects as the Executive Council might refer to them for advice. The Executive Council could not be bound by any decision of the Executive Committee, since it must be understood that the latter body is to be advisory or In regard to the relations between the Executive Committee and the Legislative Council, I have already set out what I consider these relations should be viz. that the object of Government is to endeavour to gain support for its
consultative.
61293
No. 48.
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 22nd October, 1923.)
(No. 655.) MY LORD DUKE,
WITH reference to my despatch No. 557 of the 14th August, 1923,‡ relative
Ceylon, 30th September, 1923. to the seat to be allotted in the new Legislative Council to the Tamils of Colombo, I have the honour to transmit a copy of a letter, dated 11th September, 1923, which has been received from the Honorary Secretaries of the Ceylon Tamil League, together with a copy of a report§ read at the general meeting of the League held on the 15th September.
I have, &c.,
W. H. MANNING.
Governor, &c.
* No. 42.
↑ Appendix 1.
¡No. 82.
§ Not reprinted.
T
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
C.O.
Reference :--
882/10
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
BE
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON