81
445
11790
(No. 295.)
SIR,
No. 70.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNOR.
Downing Street, 22nd May, 1924.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge receipt of your telegram of the 11th March,* transmitting a message from the Executive Committee of the Ceylon National Congress urging publication of your proposals regarding the reform of the Executive Council prior to the election of the new Legislative Council.
2. I see no reason to accede to the Committee's request, and I am content to leave the date of publication of your proposals to your discretion.
24970
(No. 301.) 8IB,
No. 71.
I have, &c.,
J. H. THOMAS.
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 28th May, 1924.)
Ceylon, 80th April, 1924. I HAVE the honour to transmit a copy of the proceedings of a meeting of the Committee Members of the Malay Political Association held on the 28th February last, and to invite reference in this connexion to my despatch No. 627 of the 14th September, 1923, † relative to the arrangements for the representation of the Mohammedan community in the reformed Legislative Council. That despatch deals fully with the matter, and I have nothing further to add in respect of the proceedings now forwarded.
I have, &c.,
himself as a candidate for the Mohammedan Electorate he does so as a Mohammedan and not as a Malay having national aspirations."
Mr. J. A. Cuttilan seconded.-Carried.
Mr. Deen Juncos moved :-"That if His Excellency the Governor may be pleased to nominate a Malay to a seat in the Legislative Council the Malay Political Association respectfully begs to submit that the Association is prepared to submit suitable names for His Excellency's selection and the names so submitted will be the choice of the meeting duly convened by this Association.
Mr. C. H. Mantara seconded. He moved :-"That the proceedings of this meeting be submitted to Government and the Colonial Office."
Mr. B. S. Ahmat seconded and the meeting terminated with a vote of thanks to the Chair.
26226
(No. 312.)
SIR,
No. 72,
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE, (Received 2nd June, 1924.) [Answered by No, 73.]
I HAVE the honour to transmit a copy of a letter dated 21st March, 1924,
Ceylon, 8th May, 1924. which has been received from the President of the Ceylon Indian Electorate Association, together with copies of three Resolutions passed at a public meeting of Indians in Colombo on 16th March, and of the reply which, after discussion in Executive Council, I caused to be sent to the Association.
I have, &c.,
W. H. MANNING,
Governor, &c.
Enclosure in No. 71.
W. H. MANNING.
Governor, &c.
SIR,
PROCEEDINGS OF A COMMITTEE Merting OF THE MALAY POLITICAL ASSOCIATION.
THE President moved :-"That the Malay Political Association notes with regret that the aims and aspirations of the community for an elected seat in the Legislative Council was not acceded to by His Excellency the Governor and his advisors and the Association hopes that His Excellency may be pleased to alter his views and represent matters to the Secretary of State for the Colonies."
Mr. A. Sappeedin seconded and said that the Order in Council was an incon- sistent representation. He moved :-"That the sympathy of the members of the Legislative Council be enlisted to further represent our aspirations.”
Mr. M. T. Amir seconded.
1
Mr. Z. H. Mantara moved" That the members of the Malay Political Association register themselves in the Territorial Electorate and not in the Moham- medan Electorate." He said that most of the Mohammedans known as Coast Moors were Indian Mohammedans and they should be included in the Indian Register and those known as Ceylon Moors who claim to be Arab descendants could not be more than a couple of thousands. A Committee should be appointed by Government to ascertain their antecedents before the Electorate formed. Religious representation in political affairs was obsolete. Even Turkey to-day was disassociating religion from politics in the great Khilafat question.
Mr. B. H. Sourjah seconded.
Mr. T. A. A. Raheem moved an amendment :-"That the members of the Malay Political Association register themselves in the Mohammedan and Territorial Electorates as Mohammedans and not as Malays and that if a Malay puts forward
* No. 59. + No. 40.
Enclosure I in No. 72.
THE CEYLON INDIAN ELECtorate AssocIATION,
Colombo, 21st March, 1924.
SINCE by your letter No. 5135 dated the 12th of this month you intimated to us that the Governor in Council has no power to add Guzerati, etc., to the list of languages mentioned in Article XXVI (1) (d), the above Association was obliged to call a Public Meeting of Indians, which was held in Colombo on the 18th of this month, to further ascertain the public feeling on the matter. Copy of the resolu- tions passed at the meeting are herewith forwarded for being placed before His Excellency the Governor. There was strong discontent at the meeting in regard to the attitude of non-possumus assumed by Government in the matter of extension of literacy qualification to all Indian languages as is evidenced by the passing of Resolution II. The Association, while admitting the powerlessness of the Govern- ment to grant our request on their own responsibility do not think that it will greatly inconvenience Government to get an amended order from the Secretary of State for the Colonies. Within the time between the last day for receiving claims under Rule 1 of Schedule 1 to the Order in Council, and the date that may be fixed for receiving further claims under Rule 6 of Schedule 1 to the said order, it 18 possible to obtain an amended order to meet our purpose without prejudice to the elections taking place according to the preconceived plans of Government. The benefit of the said Rule 6 could be specially extended to non-Tamil Indians. needless to reiterate that this matter affects adversely among other sections, the sections of Guzeraties and Malayalees who count among them a very large number of influential merchants otherwise qualified to be voters.
It is
The Resolution No. II has been cabled to the Right Hon. the Secretary of State for the Colonies with an appeal that he be pleased to grant the request forth- with, and it is the earnest hope of the Association that if His Excellency the
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