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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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TINC.O. 882

CEYLON.

CORRESPONDENCE

RELATING TO THE

EXCISE ORDINANCE,

20352

No. 1.

1912.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE.

(Received 1 July, 1912.)

(No. 333. Miscellaneous.) SIR,

[Answered by No. 2.]

The Queen's House, Colombo, Ceylon, 13th June, 1912. I HAVE the honour to enclose, for your information, six copies of the Ordi- nanec to provide for the introduction of an excise system, which was passed by the Legislative Council by a unanimous vote on Friday, 31st May; six copies of the local Hansard "for April 15th and April 16th,* which contain, respectively, the statement of the Colonial Secretary explanatory of the Government's Excise proposals on the occasion of the second reading and the debate which followed; and also six copies of the Report of the Select Committee of the Legislative Council which, under the Chairmanship of the Colonial Secretary, was appointed to consider the details of the Bill.

2. The report of the Select Committee was adopted by the Legislative Council on May 31st, and, after some trifling verbal amendments had been made in Com- mittee of the whole Council, the Bill was read a third time and passed unanimously. 3. In accordance with the Royal Instructions, a suspending clause has been inserted in the Ordinance, since it provides for the formation of an Excise Depart- ment, and therefore falls within the category of measures to which the Governor is not empowered to assent until the pleasure of His Majesty be known.

4. I also enclose a report by the Attorney-General showing that the Ordinance is one to which assent can properly be given.

5. The original draft of the Ordinance was adapted from the model Bill which has been adopted by the Government of British India; and it has undergone some amendments in Committee with a view to fitting it more nearly to local require- ments. A reference to the Report of the Select Committee will show the amend- ments actually made and the recommendations which its members have recorded. The amendments have been adopted by the Council, and I think the Government may safely accept the recommendations contained in the report.

6. During the debate on the third reading of which I enclose a newspaper report, the official "Hansard " not yet being available—the Honourable the Ceylonese Member, speaking as one of the Select Committee, expressed himself as thoroughly satisfied with the manner in which Government had endeavoured to meet the objections raised by Unofficial Members.

7. Before the Ordinance had been read a first time, and before any statement as to the actual policy which the Government intended to follow in the matter was before the public, a virulent opposition to the measure had shown itself in certain quarters. All concerned professed themselves anxious to see the use and abuse of intoxicants checked throughout Ceylon; but, while clamouring to have the con- sumption of intoxicants diminished, many showed themselves disposed to resist any attempt to regulate the manufacture, distribution, and sale of intoxicating liquors, which must be recognised as the first steps in the direction of obtaining an ultimate control over consumption. There has also been evinced a strong dis- inclination to recognise the fact that both arrack and toddy-but especially the latter are now manufactured and consumed in large quantities illicitly; and great confusion of mind has apparently prevailed in certain quarters between the esta- blishment of a licensed place in localities where an illicit supply at present exists and the provision of new facilities for obtaining liquor.

8. Even since the passing of the Ordinance an organised agitation has been carried on with a view:-

(a) To preventing the separation of the vend of arrack and toddy; and (b) To prevent the establishment of licensed places at which fermented toddy

may be sold.

Extracts only reprinted.

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