CO882-10 — Page 362

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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C.O.

Reference :-

882/10

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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more especially in view of the powers of veto and certification vested in the Governor, yet, when the elected members formulated the popular demands in Council-abating them to some extent upon their own responsibility-the official spokesman, the Attorney-General, manifested a desire to keep the popular will under official control, or at any rate under the joint control of official and minority representatives.

5. It is submitted that progress towards Responsible Government or towards British Parliamentary institutions, upon which the people of this country hope to model their own, can only be reached by the increase of territorial representation. The minorities have realized that their interests are in no way different from those of the general electorate, and have fallen readily into line with the suggestion of the Congress that they should come into the general electorate. (Vide the voting on this point in the Reform Debate, Appendix D, page 867.)

6. The popular view, the official attitude, the non-popular character of the nominated representation, are all reflected in the voting in the Legislative Council on this question. All the officials opposed a proposal for the increase of the Council to one of about 45 members with a two-thirds majority of territorially elected members. All the nominated members as distinguished from the communal representatives also voted against it. The representatives of special interests were equally divided, one voting for and one against the proposal. Of the communal representatives, 5 repre- senting the Indian population of 806,000 and 287,000 others, opposed the proposal, while 2 representing 1,088,000 supported it. Nine of the territorially elected repre- sentatives representing about 1,989,000 voted for and two representing about 453,000 voted against it; but these two made it clear that they were not opposed either to the enlargement of the Council or to the territorially elected majority asked for, but they wanted the extent of the representation of their provinces settled at the same time. These were the Northern and Eastern Provinces which are inhabited mainly by the Tamils of Ceylon.

7. The inequality and the unfairness of the allocation of seats by the last Order in Council were responsible for the manifestation of a racial feeling as regards representation in Council on the part of a section of the Tamil community. The Northern Province, which is perhaps the most industrious province in the Island, with a population of 374,828 and a voting strength of 13,917, was given one seat and put on a par with the North-Central Province with a population of 98,525 and a voting strength of 385.

8. The memorialists annex hereto a tabular statement showing how the seats have been allocated by the last Order in Council. (Vide Appendix E.) They do not feel called upon to formulate a scheme of their own for the division of the country into electorates and the allocation and distribution of seats; but in view of the schemes already proposed by certain members of the Legislative Council previous to, and in the course of, the Reform Debate, and also of some other schemes which the memorialists understand have been submitted for consideration by certain members of some of the communities in the Taland, they would wish to submit a scheme for territorial repre- sentation which they consider to be fair and reasonable, having regard to population, literacy, voting strength, commercial and industrial importance and similar con- siderations. The memorialists base their scheme (vide Appendix F) on the latest Census returns published in the Government Gazette, Part 1, No. 7214, of the 30th September, 1921. The division of the country adopted for the purposes of the Census would, in their opinion, suit its electoral requirements.

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9. Taking the divisions as given in the Census returns, it will be seen that the Western Province is divided into the Municipality of Colombo and Colombo and Kalutara Districts. The total population of this Province is given as 1,246,898. Of these the male literates are 376,295, the female 182,405. The male English literates total 52,796 and the female 20.774. The Census returns (vide Appendix G) show that the population is composed of members of practically all the different races inhabiting the Island, viz., Singhalese (Low Country and Kandyan), Tamils (Ceylon and Indian), Moors (Ceylon and Indian). Europeans, Burghers and Eurasians, and Malays. Considering that Colombo, the capital city of the Island, is in the Western Province, and that it is the seat of the most important educational institutions the centre of all trade and commerce and industrial development, the memorialists consider that the Western Province is entitled to the largest repre- sentation in Council. In their scheme, therefore, they propose that the Municipality of Colombo should be given 3 seats, Colombo District (excluding the Municipality) 3 seats, and Kalutara District 1 seat, making a total of 7 seats.

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10. Next in point of numbers is the Central Province with a total population of 717,695. Of these the male literates are 150,720 and the female 82,816. The English male literates are 16,937 and female 6,001. The population of this Province is mostly Kandyan Singhalese, but, as in the case of the Western Province, there is a very fair proportion of other races, particularly of the Indian Tamils, who number 284,251. In this Province is the ancient capital of Ceylon, Kandy, and although from an educational, commercial and industrial point of view, it is not so advanced as the Western Province and cannot compare favourably even with the Northern Province, the memorialists consider that the representation given by the last Order in Council, viz., one member for the whole Province, is wholly inadequate. In view of the fact that the electorates as proposed by the memorialists are to be thrown open to all persons otherwise qualified irrespective of race or creed, they would suggest that the Kandy Municipality be given one seat, Kandy District one seat, Matale District one seat, and the Nuwera Eliya District one seat, making in all four seats. 11. The next Province in the order dealt with in the Census returns is the Northern Province. In regard to this Province the memorialists find the present registered voting strength is 18,917 out of a total male population of 187,221. In regard to literacy the Northern Province claims 102,581 male literates and 39,503 female literates, i.e., more than one-third of the whole population. There are 9,961 male English literates, and 2,487 female English literates. therefore, the Northern Province compares very favourably with the Central and is In point of literacy, second only to the Western Province. It is also the centre of important educational institutions, and in commerce and industry, it is well-known that the inhabitants are most progressive. Under the existing scheme the whole of the Province has been given only one seat. It is true that the population is almost entirely composed of one race, but that is no reason why fair and equitable treatment should not be accorded to its inhabitants in the matter of electoral rights. The memorialists would therefore give the Jaffna District, which includes the important town of Jaffna, 3 seats, Mannar District 1 seat, and Mullaitivu District 1 seat, making a total of 5 seats, to which the memorialists think the Province is fairly entitled.

12. The next in point of order is the Southern Province. The population of the Province is 871,205. The male literates are 159,913 and the male English literates are 9,700. This Province is almost on a par with the Central Province in point of literacy, population, educational and industrial importance. The memorialists propose to allocate a seat each to the Galle Municipality and the Galle District (exclusive of the Municipality), and a seat each to the Matara District and the Hambantota District.

13. The Eastern Province has a population of 192,848 with 37,563 male literates, and although great agricultural development is expected to result from the opening of the Railway now under construction, the memorialists think that under present conditions a seat each to the Batticaloa and Trincomalee Districts would be adequate.

14. In the North-Western Province out of a total population of 492,089, the male literates are 149,500. The present representation of this Province is wholly inadequate. The memorialists would therefore allocate a seat to each of its Dis- tricts (Kurunegalle, Puttalam and Chilaw).

15. In regard to the North-Central Province and the Uva Province, the memorialists would retain their present representation.

16. The last in point of order is the Sabaragamuwa Province with a total population of 471,813. The male literates are 109,547. The memorialists would allocate a seat to each of its Districts (Kegalle and Ratnapura).

17. The Congress has in deference to local demands for safeguarding the minorities and as a concession to sentiment more than to the actual necessities of the case, agreed to the minorities being represented in Council to a limited extent. The memorialists do not propose, nor do they think it desirable, to make any suggestions with regard to the number of such representatives or the means by which they are to be chosen. For similar reasons they do not desire to make suggestions in regard to the number of official representatives. The Congress has invited the minorities to enter the general territorial electorates while retaining at the same time their special representation, and the minorities can in several electoral districts play no unimportant part in influencing the general territorial elections. The Congress, however, demands as the most fundamental principle of all reform that the terri- torially elected members shall, in any scheme of reform that may be adopted, be in a substantial majority.

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