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Appendix A.

EXTRACTS FROM THE Memorials of the NationAL ASSOCIATION AND THE Jaffna

ASSOCIATION.

Extracts from the National Association Memorial.

12. The Legislative Council of Ceylon, established in 1883, was to be a pattern to the rest of His Majesty's Eastern Dominions. Similar Councils came into exist- ence in India in 1881. They were liberalized and placed largely on an elective basis in 1892, and they are about to be expanded and conceded liberties and privileges wider still, while no change in the Constitution bas taken place in Ceylon during the last seventy-five years.

13. The hope expressed by the Royal Commission thus remains unrealized, and Ceylon, the premier Crown Colony, far from setting an example to India in the working of freer and more liberal Councils, has been allowed to recede far behind, being outstripped even by smaller, less prosperous, and less important possessions like Jamaica, Mauritius, British Guiana, Cyprus, and other Colonies, which have now larger concessions of political freedom; and this for no lack of merit and claims on the part of the inhabitants of this Colony.

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14. The table given in paragraph 7 shows immense strides the country has made in advancement in every direction, and bears testimony to the great moral and material progress of the people, and of their fitness to be entrusted with a Consti- tution as liberal as that granted to India.

15. In all the qualifications of good citizenship the people of Ceylon are ahead of that of India.

The last Census returns show that literate males numbered 350 per 1,000 of the population, as against 98 of India, and females 70 per 1,000 as against 7 in India.

Nowhere in the whole British Empire are there more loyal and devoted subjects of His Majesty than in Ceylon, and successive Governors and Secretaries of State have acknowledged this unshaken loyalty and attachment to the Throne of the people of this Island.

16. Wherefore your memorialists pray that Your Lordship may be pleased to direct that such measures be taken as to place the Legislative Council of Ceylon on an elective basis, and to include in the Executive Council at least two unofficial members, to be selected by the elected members of the Legislative Council.

19th April, 1909.

Signed on behalf of the Ceylon National Association,

ARTHUR ALVIS,

President.

A. ST. V. JAYEWARDENE,

Hon. Secretary. FREDERICK J. DE MEL,

Assistant Hon. Secretary,

Extracts from the Jaffna Association Memorial.

12. Your memorialists have stated the foregoing facts to show to Your Lord- ship that a desire for a change in the present state of things is not a matter of yesterday, nor a sentiment confined to the Ceylonese. They now feel that the time has arrived for the people of Ceylon, who are conscious of having arrived at adolescence, to be released from a state of pupilage. that their unswerving loyalty entitles them to a more generous treatment than in the past, and that real efficiency of administration is, in the present advanced state of the Island, only possible with the cordial co-operation of the people at every step.

19. Your memorialists therefore respectfully pray that Your Lordship will be pleased to sanction such changes in the constitution and working of the Legislative and Executive Councils of Ceylon as are likely to satisfy public feeling. They respectfully beg leave to submit the following suggestions for Your Lordship's favourable consideration :-

First, as regards the Legislative Council, that (1), except two or three seats that may be reserved for nomination by the Governor for the representation of minorities, all the unofficial seats be filled up by popular election; (2) that provincial be substi- tuted for racial representation; (3) that regularly constituted hodies otherwise unrepresented, such as the Planters' Association and the Chamber of Commerce representing particular interests, and recognized as such by Government by definite

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regulations, be granted the right of electing their own representatives; (4) that the unofficial and the official element be equalized; (5) that the unofficial members be granted the right of initiating proposals involving expenditure of public money within prescribed limits. Next, as regards the Executive Council, that Sir West Ridgeway's recommendations in 1903 for the addition to the Executive Council of two Unofficial Members of the Legislative Council be now sanctioned and given effect to.

14. These reforms, in the humble opinion of your memorialists, would be in accordance with the progressive tendencies of the times all over the world, and strengthen the foundations of British rule in this Island, placing them securely on the broad basis of the people's will.

10th April, 1909.

President.

(Signed) J. M. HENSMAN,

A. SABAPATHY, M. A. ARUL ANANDAN,

Secretaries.

Appendix B.

Proceedings of the Conference between His Excellency the Governor and some leading members of Congress.

On Monday, 20th November, 1920. His Excellency the Governor received a deputation consisting of Messrs. James Pieris, E. W. Jayawardene, E. J. Samara- wickreme, D. B. Jayatilaka, and G. A. Wille at Queen's House.

There were also present the Honourable the Colonial Secretary and the Honourable the Attorney-General.

The deputation was introduced by Mr. James Pieris, who asked His Excellency for a pronouncement on certain points which he understood had been submitted to him by the Attorney-General: and his Excellency was pleased to communicate to the deputation the following decisions.

I. His Excellency expressed his intention of appointing a Committee of the new Council, soon after its first meeting, to consider the standing orders in Schedule III to the Order in Council. In particular His Excellency gave an assurance to the deputation that the matter of the standing orders dealing with the limitation of speeches and of the time allowed for discussion would be left to the decision of the Unofficial side of the Council.

II.

With respect to the representations made by the deputation as to the residential qualification for candidates, His Excellency stated:-

III.

(a) He gave the assurance that he was prepared to recommend that the Order in Council should be amended so as to allow of candidates resid- ing in any portion of the Western Province being eligible for any of the constituencies included within that Province.

(b) As regards providing for a property qualification as an alternative to residence, he was prepared to submit the views of the deputation, and those of the supporters of residential qualification, to the Secretary of State, for his decision.

As regards Clause 51 of the Order in Council, His Excellency explained that its provisions were only intended to be applied in time of grave urgency, and that therefore it was improbable that these provisions would be ever brought into operation in Ceylon; but as they were regarded as a slur on the loyalty of the colony, he was prepared to recommend to the Secretary of State the elimination of that Clause, provided that it was clearly understood that, if experience in the future proved that it was required, Government would be free to take measures for its

re-enactment.

IV. His Excellency stated that, as soon as the amending Order in Council required to give effect to the amendments above referred to was passed, the first Reformed Council should be dissolved, and a general election under the new con ditions should take place.

V. The steps for procuring the making of the amendments above referred to would be taken after the Order in Council had been given a fair trial, say, one year from the first meeting of the Council. It was clearly understood that all motions

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