45
No. 12.
353
No. 10.
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
(Paraphrase.)
(Received 11.17 p.m., 12th May. 1922.)
TELEGRAM.
[Answered by No. 12.]
12TH MAY. Your Confidential despatch of 19th April. I did not intend my Confidential despatch of 1st Marcht to be a final statement of political situation in Ceylon, but merely sent it in fulfilment of a promise to submit suggestions in favour of amendment of existing constitution as moved by Representatives of National Con- gress which is mouthpiece of Singhalese element of the community alone. While the Representatives in Legislative Council of other communities criticized suggestions adversely they failed to put forward themselves any considered proposals. They have since done so, and I forwarded their proposals to you in my despatch of 1st April. These proposals will be supported in Legislative Council by the repre- sentatives of most important elements in community, and I consider that they deserve your most favourable consideration. As I have stated in my despatch they deal with facts as they exist, and, in my opinion, are a very valuable contribution to solution of an extremely difficult and complex problem. I fear that the publication at present time of your despatch, which deals with only one phase of question, would revive old controversies and disappoint every section of the community, and I am afraid would have the effect of driving the minor communities into arms of the so-called National Congress, and of creating a situation in which non-co-operation would again be advocated. In view of these considerations I would most earnestly urge that publi- cation should be withheld pending your consideration of the views of the other communities. I would add that the Attorney-General is in possession of my views on the whole question, and leaves for England on 4th June. I would most strongly urge that you should discuss the situation with him before any definite step is taken. -MANNING.
24602
No. 11.
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 11.28 a.m., 17th May, 1922.)
(Paraphrase.)
TELEGRAM.
[Answered by No. 12.]
t
17TH MAY. In continuation of my telegram of 12th May§ 1 should be very glad if, at the opening of the Legislative Connoil, you would allow me to announce that you have approved of the appointment of a Committee of the Legislative Council to consider and report on the allocation and distribution of seats in the Legislative Council. My announcement would be limited to this state- ment, and I am confident that it would ease an otherwise difficult situation. It does not bind you to anything, but will give Legislative Council something to get to work upon pending further consideration of the whole question. By including word "allocation" in addition to words "distribution of "
you obtain the views
may of the Legislative Council as to the numbers they suggest, on which point at present there has not been any very definite pronouncement.—MANNING.
* No. 7.
I No. 8.
↑ No. 8.
§ No. 10.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNOR.
(Paraphrase.)
(Sent 12.30 p.m., 20th May, 1922 ) TELEGRAM.
Your telegram of 12th May,* no objection to postponement of publication of my despatch of 19th April. I do not clearly understand in what way views expressed in my despatch prejudice consideration of proposals of minorities for- warded in your despatch of 1st April. It will be seen that limitation of number of territorial members to which I was prepared to agree would preclude complete domi- nation of Council by one section. Your telegram of 17th May, no objection to announcement as to approval of appointment of Committee of Council. Will take no further steps pending discussion with Attorney-General.-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES.
19062
SIR.
(No. 300.)
No. 13.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNOR.
Downing Street, 23rd May, 1922.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch No. 159 of the 1st April, enclosing a memorial addressed to me by the Executive Committee of the Ceylon National Congress, on the subject of constitutional reform in Ceylon.
2. I shall be obliged if you will cause the National Congress to be informed that their views will receive all due consideration.
19071
No. 14.
I have, &c..
WINSTON S. CHURCHILL.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNOR. [Answered by No. 38.]
(Confidential.)
SIB,
Downing Street, 23rd May, 1922.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch of the 1st April enclosing a copy of a memorandum from the communities represented in the Legislative Council other than the Singhalese, Low Country and Kandyan communi- ties, on the subject of the allocation and distribution of seats in the Legislative Council.
2. I shall be obliged if you will inform the signatories of this joint memo- randum that their views will receive my careful consideration.
3. I do not propose to form any final opinion on the subject of the territorial distribution of seats in the Legislative Council pending the discussion of the matter by the Committee of the Council which you are proposing to appoint. I observe. however, that the joint memorandum contains a recommendation in favour of the creation of a communal seat for the Tamils in the Western Province. I shall be glad if you will furnish me with your considered views on this proposal. I should naturally be somewhat reluctant to extend the communal principle of election any further than at present, if it can be avoided.
4. It would be convenient if you could furnish me, for the general considera- tion of this question, with a return showing the number of registered voters in each Province of Ceylon, showing with as close an approximation as is possible, the division of the numbers amongst the principal races of the Colony. As far as con- cerns the total population, such figures can be extracted from the Census Return, but I cannot trace any reliable estimate of the numbers of registered voters in each community in the separate constituencies.
I have, &c..
WINSTON S. CHURCHILL.
* No. 10.
† No. 7.
‡ No. 8.
§ No. 11.
|| No. 9.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
ILL CO. 882/10
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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