341
. PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
www.dfi.C.O.882/11
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON! | ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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seem to me essential to go through the formality of repealing and re-enacting the whole of Article 17 as was contemplated in the draft Order in Council enclosed in your despatch under reply. I enclose one sealed copy and six plain copies of an Order in Council passed on the 1st of November to indemnify and relieve the Editor of the Sinhalese Etymological Dictionary from such penal consequences as he may have incurred or suffered by sitting and voting in the Council as an Elected Member.
4. You will no doubt consider whether it is desirable for the Cevlon Government to take any steps in the matter of the costs of the action brought against Mr. Jayatilaka.
I have, &c.,
C. 53429/28/8 [No. 5].
No. 28.
L. S. AMERY.
COLONIAL OFFICE to CHAMBER OF SHIPPING OF THE UNITED KINGDOM.
[Answered by No. 29.]
Downing Street, 23rd November, 1928.
SIB,
IN continuation of the letter from this Department of the 23rd October,* I am directed by Mr. Secretary Amery to inform you that he has now obtained the views of the Board of Trade on the recommendations of the Special Commission on the Constitution of Ceylon in so far as they have bearing on the position of trade harbours and shipping in the Colony. Mr. Amery concurs with the Board that there is not sufficient ground for any material amendment of the recommendations of the Special Commission in this regard. In this connection it may be pointed out that the pro- visions suggested on page 74 of the Special Commission's Report are not in substitu- tion for, but in addition to the provisions already existing in the Royal Instructions.
I am, &c.,
No. 29
H. R COWELL..
C. 53429/28/8 [No. 7].
CHAMBER OF SHIPPING OF THE UNITED KINGDOM
DEAR SIR,
to
COLONIAL OFFICE.
28, St. Mary Axe,
London, E.C.3, 26th November, 1928.
British Shipping and Ceylon.
I AM directed to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 23rd instant† in reply to my letter of the 4th Ocbber, 1928.‡
My Chamber note that your Department and the Board of Trade at present feel that there are not sufficient grounds for material amendment of the recommendations of the special Commission in regard to the position of trade, barbours and shipping under the proposed Constitution. It is urged that the amendments suggested by the Chamber might be regarded as alterations in the form rather than in the substance of the proposed Constitution and they earnestly desire that an opportunity be given to the Chamber and other representatives of Shipping and Commerce to confer with you upon the matter.
In this same connection I am desired to invite your attention to a further point in the Report of the Special Commission which is of the utmost importance to the economic well-being of the trade of Ceylon and to the defence of the Ísland.
£4
According to the Commission's Report, on pages 49 and 50, under the heading
of Ports and Harbours," the ports and harbours of Ceylon are to be placed under This is a drastic departure from the the Department of Public Communications. existing system of government. It is understood that the proposal involves the vesting of most of the legislative and executive powers in a Council to be elected territorially
↑ No. 12.
* Xo. 15.
+ No. 28.
57
on a wide grant of male and female suffrage, and that this Council will be divided into Committees each dealing with one of the ten Departments into which the affairs of the Island are to be grouped, each Department being presided over by a Minister and that of these Ministries three only are reserved for officers of State. The other seven Ministers are, it is understood, to be appointed from the Elected Members of the Council, and in particular the Minister of Public Communications is to be so appointed to administer Railways, Posts and Telegraphs and Ports and Harbours. If this proposal is confirmed, the port of Colombo, its shipping, coal, oil, arrangements for loading and discharging of cargo, &c., and, so far as they exist, the other ports in the Island will come under an elected Minister of the Council who, in view of the trifling percentage of European voters, must of necessity be either a Ceylonese or an Indian gentleman. British shipowners, and indeed all British interests concerned, regard this proposal with the gravest misgiving because :—
(1) There is little doubt that a Minister so elected would be subject to local political and even to racial pressure which would not be to the general economic good of the Island itself nor conduce to the efficiency of the Port of Colombo.
(2) Such a Minister, however capable he may be, is unlikely to have any sub- stantial experience of the needs and methods of administration of Port Authorities, the Shipping Industry or the interests connected with cargoes handled in the ports. The amount of shipping using the port of Colombo for the last five years has been as follows:-
1923
1924
1925
1926
1927
Net Tons. 9,006,640
No.
2,563
2,773
10,013,951
2.958
10,858,324
2,082
11,054,248
2.777
11,631,245
The above figures show the needs for which the Port has to cater.
(3) There is reason to fear that such an appointment is calculated to lead to dis- criminatory legislation against British interests, for the Minister will have to rely upon the votes of the electorate, and the latter, if political experience of the East in the last five years is a criterion, will not be pro-British, and Colombo is essentially a port whose users are predominantly British.
(4) In the interests of Imperial defence it is highly desirable that the power of control over the port of Colombo, and of the shipping and trade of the Empire using it, should be definitely outside the influence of local politics. It is noted that the defence of the Island will be entrusted to the Chief Secretary's Department and it would seem essential that Colombo and the ports and harbours of Ceylon should also be placed under the control of this Officer, for the efficiency of the ports, and in particular Colombo is a sine qua non to effective defence, whether it be local or Imperial. Further, the geographical position of Colombo makes it a link in Imperial Defence communications, which my Council consider, places it indubitably beyond merely local considerations.
I have, therefore, to ask that His Majesty's Government will use their influence to secure the amendment of any proposals in this connection which may be brought forward to give effect to the Commission's Report so as to secure that the ports and harhours of Ceylon will not be withdrawn from the direct control of a British Officer of State, and that they be placed beyond the power of harm by local politicians.
In conclusion, I am desired to ask that you will be so good as to receive a deputation on both this subject and that of my letter of the 4th October.* ·
C. 53429/28/1 [No. 18].
No. 30.
Yours, &c.,
H. M. CLEMINSON,
General Manager
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 9.50 a.m., 28th November, 1928.)
TELEGRAM
28TH NOVEMBER, Confidential. My telegram of 16th November, Con- fidential, † Donoughmore Report. Several members belonging, I think, mainly or
* No. 12.
† No. 26.