133
Enclosure in No. 76.
•
535
Electoral District.
Number of voters registered.
C. 83230/2/31 [No. 4].
1. Colombo North
(No. 466.) MY LORD,
No. 76.
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
(Received 29th June, 1931.)
Queen's House, Colombo, 10th June, 1931.
I HAVE the honour to enclose, for Your Lordship's information, a table showing (a) the total number of male and female voters registered under the new franchise,
Indians.' (b) the approximate number of these voters who can be classed as
+
2. The total number of voters registered is probably about 60 per cent. of the total adult population, about 45 per cent. of adult females having been registered. The number of Indians registered is probably only about 21 per cent. of the total adult Indian population. It is, however, impossible to say what proportion of that population possess the minimum domiciliary qualification of five years' residence, and the percentage of Indians registered to the total number entitled to claim the franchise is very much higher than 21, although it is impossible to say how far, if at all, it falls short of the percentage of qualified Ceylonese who actually found a place on the register. The number of Indians registered would have been higher had not Indian labourers on some estates been intimidated against applying for registration by the circulation among them of misleading pamphlets, some of which were traceable to Indian sources. It is, however, gratifying to note that the number of Indians now registered in territorial electorates, viz.,100,574 (excluding Indians in Tamil districts who cannot be identified) represents an increase of 708 per cent, on the number of Indians registered in the Indian electorates for the Legislative Council. This increase compares not unfavourably with the increase of 770 per cent. in the total number of voters on the State Council register as compared with the total number on the Legislative Council register.
3. It may further be of interest to Your Lordship to learn that the few objections which were made to applications for registration by Indians were all disallowed, and that the large majority of Indians registered claimed the qualification of domicile and did not apply for a certificate of permanent settlement. The few who did apply for such certificates were mostly resident in Colombo, and therefore had no privileges to lose.
4. I am causing a copy of this despatch to be sent to the Agent to the Govern- ment of India in Kandy.
14. Matugama 15. Matale 16. Galagedera 17. Kandy 18. Dumbara 19. Gampola
20. Hatton 21. Talawakele
22. Nuwara Eliya 23. Balapitiya 24. Udugama 25. Galle
26. Weligama
27. Morawaka
28. Matara
20, Hambantota
30. Kayls
31. Kankesanturai
32. Jaffna
33. Point Pedro
34. Mannar-Mullaittivu 35. Batticaloa South 36. Trincomalee-
37. Puttalam
2. Colombo Central 3. Colombo South
4. Minuwangoda
5. Negombo
C. Gampaha
7. Kelaniya
Males. Females. 11,024 32,943
52,325 12,228 41,026 11,299 11,593 24,923
36,516 18,918 14,858 33,776 22,222
41,520 19,304 21,241 15,878 37,119 19,413 13,469 32,882
Total. 43,967
REGISTERED VOTERS FOR STATE COUNCIL ELECTIONS.
Approximate number of voters
commonly classed as Indians," including immi- grants and non-immigrants, &c.
Males. Females. Total.
10,511 1,356
11,867
851
13,079
4,863
493
5,356
39
5
44
365
79
441
808
48
856
26
1
27
8. Meyangoda
18,349
14,241
32,590
43
2
45
9. Avissawella
20,940 12,796
33,736
166
97
263
10. Moratuwa
23,534 18,506
42,040
304
77
381
11. Runadure
23,030 20,886
43,916
265
2-1
289
12. Kalutara
19,074 14,680
33,754
458
120
578
13. Horana
22,998 14,089
37,087
949
369
1,318
15,619 8,094
23,713
628
139
767
15,797
6,928
21,725
1,630
553
2,183
14,937 6,870
21,807
480
87
567
24,106 12,497
36,603
2,822
740
3,562
19,706 8,750
28,456
3,827
1,407
5,294
12,514
18,436 5,922
1,208
190
1,398
20,654
30,409 9,755
12,769
7,105 19,874
13,099
5,479 18,578
7,374
2,773
10,147
13,398
5,439
18,837
4,457
1,521
5,978
21,479 21,601
43,080
119
27
146
23,690 19,446
43,136
1,331
916
2,247
18,890 14,838
33,734
68
5
73
21,686
20,646
42,332
5
5
19,829 11,604
31,433
353
132
485
19,633 17,062 36,695 21,987
35,636 13,649 17,895 15,950 33,845 16,226 11,823 28,049 21,565 9,813 31,378 16,275 12,555 28,830
22
7
29
6,633 9,843 19,481 18,449 37,930
16,476
Batticaloa
20,251 11,502 31,753
20,405 9,287
29,692
623
335
38. Kurunegala
24,331
14,757
39,088
1,215
756
958 1,971
39. Narammala
17,095 6,866
23,961
62
4
66
I have, &c.,
GRAEME THOMSON,
40. Katugampola 41. Chilaw
21,777 11,738
33,515
176
82
258
27,749
18,732
46,481
1,754
598
2,352
Governor.
42. Anuradhapura 43. Bandarawela
14,668 2,919
17,587
13,736
7.885
21,621
2,211
378
2,589
44. Badulla
9,780 5,984 15,764
431
200
631
45. Bibile
46. Kegalla
8,153 2,940
11,093
35
h
41
25,724
17,189
42,913
799
188
987
47. Dedigama.
15,658 10,710
26,368
443
67
510
48. Ruwanwella
19,574
11.988
31.562
1,027
231
1,258
49. Ratnapura............ 50. Balangoda...
17,667
7,193
24,860
355
81
436
15,054
4,268
19,322
1,009
206
1,215
Total ...
978,548 599,384 1,577,932
78,258 22,316 100,574
NOTE.-In Tamil districts it was impossible to ascertain from the registers which of Indians."
the registered voters were
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
www.
Reference :-
C.O.882/11
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON