CO882-10 — Page 368

32143

47

No. 18.

354

(Secret.)

THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNOR.

[Answered by No. 27.]

SIR,

Downing Street, 13th June, 1922. In connexion with the consideration of the Ceylon Constitution, my attention has been drawn to the existing composition of the Executive Council on its official side. As at present constituted, the Executive Council contains besides the Governor only four official members, three of whom, the Colonial Secretary, the Attorney-General, and the Colonial Treasurer, are likely in normal circumstances to have been promoted from other Colonies and to have had but brief experience of Ceylon. I think it highly desirable that the senior members of the Civil Service, who, from their long experience, are more fully in touch with local opinion throughout the Colony, should be more fully represented in the Executive Council.

I understand that the present limitation of numbers is due to a misapprehension of the conversations which took place between yourself and my predecessor in connexion with the preparation of the Order-in-Council of 1920. I do not think that it was the considered opinion of Lord Milner that the official side of the Executive Council should be so materially reduced when unofficial members were appointed, and it will be seen that the Royal Instructions of the 11th September, 1920, do not lay down any limit of the numbers of the Executive Council.

I ahall be glad if you will consider, when a suitable opportunity occurs, whether it is not desirable to appoint one or more additional official members of the Council from amongst the senior members of the Civil Service.

30994

No. 16.

I have, &c.,

WINSTON S. CHURCHILL.

THE SECRETARIES, CONGRESS COMMITTEE, COLOMBO, to THE

SECRETARY OF STATE.

(Received 1.30 p.m., 27th June, 1922.)

TELEGRAM.

27TH JUNE. Congress Committee passed the following resolution on 24th June: This Committee is of opinion that appointment of Committee Legislative Council for allocation and distribution of territorial seats can serve no useful purpose and that proceeding can only delay reform of constitution. It deprecates adoption by Legislative Council on 10th December last of resolution for appointment of such Committee and approves action of those elected members who have refused to serve on that Committee. Intense feeling in country that appointment of Committee is an attempt by Government go back on their promise to help to secure further reformas Memorial followe. CONGRESS SECRETARIES.

32110

No. 17.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 7.31 p.m., 3rd July, 1922.)

TELEGRAM.

3RD JULY. Following telegram is sent at request of persons named :—

Telegram begins: We, the undersigned elected members of the Ceylon Legislative Council, beg to protest against action of Governor in deprecating our decision to exercise our undoubted constitutional right of declining to serve on a Committee in which we were strongly of opinion that, in the absence of certain information which the Government was not prepared to give, we could not perform duties which he sought to entrust to us. Letter giving fuller information follows.-Peiris. Perera, Wijeyekoon, Krisnaratne Kota- lawala, Botejue Rajapakse. Telegram ends.

---MANNING.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 2.30 p.m. 3rd July, 1922.)

(Paraphrase.)

TELEGRAM.

3RD JULY. I have sent a telegram* to you to-day, at the request of the. Ceylon National Congress, with reference to the Committee of the Legislative Council for the allocation and distribution of the seats for the territorial electorates. Statement that there is intense feeling in the Colony is entirely untrue. If there is any at

all it is directed against the conduct of those members of the Legislative Council who, after agreeing to the Committee, refused' to sit on it. The Committee is now sitting and will report shortly.---MANNING.

32144

No. 19.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 10.26 a.m., 3rd July, 1922.)

(Paraphrase.)

TELEGRAM.

3RD JULY, With reference to my telegram of 3rd July,* regarding protest signed by seven Sinhalese elected members of the Legislative Council against my alleged deprecation of their action in refusing to serve on a committee to recommend the allocation and distribution of the seats in the territorial electorates. These members agreed to the formation of this Committee in the debate of 10th September, 1921; but when asked by me to serve upon it at the meeting of the Legislative Council, 22nd June, refused to do so, giving as their reason that, until they knew the composition of the remainder of the Council, they could not make any recommenda- tione as to adequate representation for the territorial electorate. In my opinion their action is unreasonable and unwarranted, since, as I pointed out, such sufficient representation does not depend on seats allotted to Communities and the number of nominated and unofficial members. Moreover, no such stipulation that this information was necessary was made when the (1)resolution was agreed to by the Legislative Council in December last, and had it then been suggested. I should not have agreed to it.-MANNING.

31608

No. 20.

HOUSE OF COMMONS. (4th July, 1922.)

CEYLON (REFORMs Committee).

COLONEL Wedgwood asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Singhalese members of the Ceylon Legislative Council have declined to serve on the Reforms Committee on the ground that the Committee is only intended to delay the promised reform of the Constitution; whether he is aware that the Ceylon National Congress has approved of the action of the members of the Legislature: will he state the grounds on which the Government acted; and whether the Colonial Office were aware of the Singhalese attitude when the Committee was set up!

Mr. Wood: The information at my disposal is not yet complete, but it does not bear out the honourable and gallant Member's suggestion. The resolution in favour of the appointment of a Committee of the Legislative Council to discuss the alloca- tion and distribution of seats in territorial electorates was proposed by the leader of the elected members of the Council, and was carried without a division. I am aware that the National Congress is opposed to the policy of the appointment of a

* No. 17.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 882/10

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

1