342
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| PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
PERC.O. 882/11
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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entirely to Sinhalese so-called Congress party have intimated wish to discuss position with me probably on Saturday. They seem anxious to devise solution which will not involve complete rejection of scheme. Provided that enfranchisement of large number of Indian immigrants can be prevented by test either of literacy or domicile my in- pression is that the only other crucial difficulty would be in regard to Committee system. They would probably accept Advisory Committee, and they profess readiness to swallow executive functions of State Council though not, I fear, in really effective form. I am more hopeful of possibility of adjustment on other points. I will, of course, report further.
C. 53429/28/1 [No. 19.]
No. 31.
THE GOVERNOR to TRE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 1.32 p.m., 28th November, 1928.) TELEGRAM.
28TH NOVEMBER. My telegram of 16th November,* Donoughmore Report in Legislative Council. Most important decision last week was rejection of two motions and one amendment all advocating preservation of communal representation. Amend- ment rejected without division, the two motions each by seventeen to twelve. Majority in each case consisted of eleven Sinhalese, two Tamils, four Europeans, including one Territorially Elected. Minority consisted of five Tamils, three Muslims, two Indians, one Sinhalese, one Burgher.
Motion that numerical strength of next Council need not exceed fifty was adopted by eleven to ten. Motion that provision for Ministry should be such as not to involve increased taxation was adopted without division. Motion that salaries of Ministers and of Speaker should be reduced to 18,000 rupees adopted by seventeen to four. Motion that proposed increase in the number of Territorial Members to sixty-five was excessive adopted by ten to nine. Motion that Council regard scheme proposed in regard to constitution of Ministries and of State Council as unduly burdensome to the Colony rejected by ten to nine. Motion for reduction of duration of State Council to three years was not seconded, motion for increase from four years to five rejected by fourteen to ten. Motion requesting you to advise His Majesty to include in the next Order in Council for a new Constitution a provision indicating a period within or at the expiration ofwhich full responsible Government would be granted was adopted by fourteen to ten.
Remaining motions likely to be disposed of this week with possible exception of motion by Ramanathan for appointment of Select Committee to consider Commission's recommendations and report whether suitable to conditions of Ceylon and if suitable whether workable, and if not to devise and report upon a scheme that is suitable and workable. This motion is believed to have no chance of acceptance.
59
compensation for loss of career being extended to Ceylonese Officers.-Ends. Majority consisted of 11 Sinhalese, 6 Tamils, 2 Muslims, 2 Indians, and 1 Burgher. Minority 3 Europeans, 1 Burgher. One Territorial-Elected European declined to vote.
Duraiswamy's motion under the samne head was amended by substitution of ** New Council" for "State Council" and adopted without division. Motion that regis- tration of voters should be undertaken by the Government and not restricted only to those who apply adopted by 21 to 5. Minority consisted of 4 Europeans and 1 Burgher. Motion that in re-arrangement and re-distribution of territorial electoral areas every revenue district, though not possessing a population of 50,000, should form a unit for election of a member and similarly any area which by reason of economic or social affinities might with advantage be constituted an electoral unit was adopted by 16 to 9. Motion as to Chief Secretary under head X was amended as follows:-" This Council records its opinion that the office of Chief Secretary should not be confined to local Civil Service
Intention of
Adopted by 11 to 10, there appears to have been some confusion. minority probably was to deprecate appointment of local Civil Servant rather than to confine appointment to local Service.
Motion as to title "Honourable "under head XI adopted by 14 to 10. Motion that this Council resolves that the present financial and other powers and privileges enjoyed by the Legislative Council of Ceylon should not in any way he abridged or taken away was adopted by 22 to 2.
Motion that qualification for exercising franchise and for Membership of the new Council and of Municipal Councils and other Local Government Institutions should be the same for women as for men was adopted without division.
Ramanathan's motion for select Committee was withdrawn by him to-day. Council has now adjourned till the middle of January.
C. 52429 28/10 [No. 4].
SIK,
(No. 834.)
No. 33.
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 3rd December. 1929.)
[Answered by No. 44.]
Queen's House, Colombo, 12th November, 1928.
Wrru reference to my despatch No. 833 of the 12th November, 1928,* I have the honour to transmit a niemorial addressed to you by the Chiefs of the Central Province, regarding the recommendations of the Special Coinmission on the Constitution. 2. I also enclose a copy of a letter (with enclosure) received from the Honorary Secretary of the Kandyan National Assembly. You will observe from the second paragraph of this letter that the writer also requests that the resolutions be forwarded to His Majesty the King.
I have, &c.,
C. 53429/28/1 [No. 21.]
No. 32.
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 10 p.m., 30th November, 1928.)
TELEGRAM.
[Answered by No. 37.]
30TH NOVEMBER. My telegram of 28th October ( November), † Donoughmore Report in the Legislative Council.
Kannangara's motion on Public Following decisions recorded 29th November. Service(s), for the terms of which please see enclosure to my despatch of 22nd October, No. 768, under head No. IX, adopted by 22 to 4 with the following addition. Begins: This Council disapproves of the right to retire on proportionate pension with
* No. 26.
+ No. 31.
No. 21.
Subject:-
SIR,
H. J. STANLEY,
Governor.
Enclosure 1 in No. 33.
Kandy, Ceylon, October, 1928.
The Report of the Donoughmore Commission as Affecting the Kandyan Community.
THE Chiefs of the Central Province humbly submit their view of the Donough- more Report in respect of the recommendations concerning the headman system and
* C. 53429/28/6: not printed.