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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

C.O.

Reference :---

882 /10

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

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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And the following members, not being territorially-elected members, also consented to serve, as representing their respective Communities :—

Sir J. T. Broom, European Commercial Member.

Mr. A. Drieberg, Burgher Member.

Mr. N. H. M. Abdul Cader, Mohammedan Member.

Mr. T. B. Panabokke, Kandyan Member.

I nominated Mr. F. A. Stockdale, Director of Agriculture, as Chairman.

The territorially-elected members, in consequence of the refusal of seven of their number to sit on the Committee, found themselves in a minority of one on that Com mittee instead of a majority of one as had been intended.

4. The reason put forward for the inability of these seven members to sit would appear to be that since they had no guidance as to the number of which the whole Council was to be composed, they were unable to agree to sit until they had such information. I replied that no such stipulation had been mentioned when the Committee was originally proposed, and even had it been I could not have agreed to it, since I had stated that I should look to the recommendations of the Committee for guidance as to what should be regarded as adequate representation of the territorial electorates, a matter which had no connexion with the numbers of the remainder of the Council, and I defined what I considered to be adequate represen- tation in the following words :-

"Our object must be to endeavour to guarantee that the people of all parts of the Island shall have fair and reasonable representation; neither over-representation nor under-representation, but such representation as will give those who send their representatives to the Council a voice in its proceed- ings commensurate with their interests."

5. Turning now to the report of the Committee, though I regret that there was lack of unanimity as to the allocation of seats in their proceedings as a whole, a certain degreee of unanimity may be said to have been attained as regards the following four Provinces:-

1. North Central Province, one seat.

2. Uva Province, one seat.

3. Sabaragamuwa Province, two seats.

4. North Western Province, two seats.

I consider this allocation reasonable, and I desire to support it.

Central Province.-It is clear from the proceedings of the Committee that for this Province one Urban seat is desirable, and that there is practical unanimity on this point, in which I concur.

As regards the Rural seats there is some considerable divergence of opinion, but I think that one seat is sufficient for the Rural electorate.

Eastern Province.-Much difference of opinion also occurs here, but I consider

that the Province will be adequately represented by two seats.

Southern Province. There is a lack of agreement as regards this province also, but I feel that the opinion of those members of the Committee should be accepted who consider that the Province will be adequately represented by two seats.

Northern Province. Similar divergence of opinion is shewn here, but I feel that by reason of the importance of the Northern Province it should be given, if possible, five seats; but the majority of the members of the Committee consider that it would be adequately represented by four seats. In this connexion I enclose the copy of a letter from the sitting member for the Province, together with a sketch map showing the proposed method of representation, with areas and population, the numbers of registered voters in each area for four and five seats respectively. I should like to recommend five seats.

Western Province.-(a) Town of Colombo. Practical unanimity exists as to the allocation of two seats, and I consider that this opinion should be accepted.

(b) Western Province. excluding the Municipality of Colombo. Con- siderable difference of opinion is again expressed here, but I think that three seats will give adequate representation.

*Not reproduced,

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I append a summary of my recommendations :—

1. North Central Province

2. Uva Province

3. Sabaragamuwa Province

4. North Western Province

5. Central Province

6. Eastern Province

7. Southern Province

8. Northern Province

9. Western Province

1 seat.

1 seat.

2 seats.

2 seats.

2 seats.

2 seats.

2 seats.

5 seats.

5 seats.

A total of 22 seats, of which one in the Western Province, Colombo Town, would be

a communally-elected Tamil seat, thus giving 21 territorially-elected seats.

6. As regards the distribution of seats, accepting numbers for allocation as 23 seats, the Committee's recommendations give me some guidance, which, with certain modifications that I suggest, I desire to support.

F2

1. North Central Province.-The whole Province.

2. Uva Province.-The whole Province.

3. Sabaragamuwa Province.-One seat for the Kegalle Revenue Dis- trict, one for the Ratnapura Revenue District.

4. North Western Province.-One seat for the West or Chilaw and Puttalan Revenue District, except Demala Hatpattu: one for the East, or Kurunegala Revenue District with the Demala Hatpattu of the Putta-Dis- trict, to be defined as the North Western Province, West Division and East Division respectively.

5. Eastern Province. should be divided into Eastern Province North, one seat. Trincomalie I am inclined to the proposal that the Province Revenue District. Eastern Province South, One seat, Batticaloa Revenue District, and recommend it. Since the southern portion of the Batticaloa District is almost entirely inhabited by Ceylon Moors, it is possible that one of the seats to be reserved for Mohammedans may be given to this District.

6. Central Province.-Urban. The electorate to include the Muni- cipality of Kandy, all Local Board towns, towns under Urban District Councils, the Board of Improvement Nuwara Eliya, and Sanitary Board towns.

Rural. The reat of the Province, excluding the above.

I concur in this recommendation. I have learnt that the proposal to make the Urban seat include the various bodies mentioned is due to the surmise that in the towns the possibility is that the Tamil and Singhalese Low-Country would predominate, leading to a probable return of a member of one or other of these communities, whereas in the country districts the Kandyang will have the predominant vote.

7. Southern Province.-Urban.

ing the Municipality of Galle.

One seat for the Galle district, includ-

Rural. One seat for the Matara and Hambantota Revenue Districts. I concur in this distribution.

8. Northern Province.--If the recommendation for five seats is accepted,

I am of opinion that the distribution as set out in the report requires modifica- tion, since, as has been pointed out, the Mullaitivu and Mannar Revenue Districts, though large, contain under 500 registered voters. sitting member for his views on this point, and I enclose a letter from him I asked the with two sketch maps,* in which he puts forward proposals for five divisions and four divisions, shewing the areas, population and registered voters. is a very useful guide to the situation, and if five seats are accepted the This divisions might be. Central, Northern, Western, Eastern, Southern; and if four seats, then, Northern. Western, Eastern, Southern. electoral divisions as set out in the attached list need not be exactly defined The details of the in the Order-in-Council, but could be named as suggested above. The detailed boundaries of the divisions could be published in Ceylon on the lines of the proposals enclosed, which might later require some further modifica- tions.

"

9. Western Province.-Urban. The Municipality of Colombo to return one member for the Singhalese electorate as now provided and one member for the Tamil community in the Western Province, including the Colombo Municipality,

*No reproduced.