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6. I shall be glad to learn your views on the points raised in this despatch, after you have given the matter further consideration, but I do not propose to proceed further with any scheme for the establishment of an Executive Committee until I can be assured that it will be regarded without serious disfavour by, at any rate, the more moderate sections of opinion in the Legislative Council.

I have, &c.,

55814

No. 50.

DEVONSHIRE.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 19th November, 1923.)

(Confidential.)

- MY LORD DUKE,

The Queen's House, Colombo, 31st October, 1923. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of Your Grace's Confidential despatches of 25th September, together with a draft Scheme for the formation of an Executive Committee in Ceylon. These despatches have crossed a despatch from myself of 24th September,f enclosing proposals on the same subject, and outline a scheme in substance very similar to that which I have submitted, the differences being :-

PERSONS.

That in Your Grace's draft Scheme, the Executive Committee members are to be appointed "during pleasure," and at the opening of each session, whereas in the scheme I have set out it was intended that the tenure of office should be for the term of the Legislative Council, and until its dissolution (probably five years). I have not, however, made provision for appointment" during pleasure," which I agree is very necessary. I would suggest that the appointments to the Executive Committee should be made after each General Election for the Legislative Council to be held "during pleasure," and this would give an opportunity for fresh appointments at any time which might be rendered necessary by resignations or for other The sensitiveness of the Ceylonese to anything that can be distorted into a personal slight is very marked, and if appointments to the Committee were made merely sessional, it is more than possible that there would be dissatisfaction if some of the members were re-appointed and others removed; such a course, furthermore, would give the Committee a somewhat ephemeral character which, I feel, is undesirable, particularly since, should that Committee work satisfactorily, it may gradually develop, and the scope of its activities may even extend to the supersession of the Executive Council in many of its functions. And though I agree that this consummation is desirable, I feel that it would be highly impolitic to eccentuate that possibility by the publication of any statement as to what the course of events has been in Barbados until much greater experience of the working of the Executive Committee had been obtained in Ceylon.

2. I have made provision for a President to be nominated by the Governor from amongst the members of the Executive Committee while preserving the right of the Governor to preside when he considers it desirable. My reasons for this provision are that I think discussion, at first at any rate, is likely to be freer and more unrestrained if the Governor is not present, and arguments would be adduced for and against measures which might not be brought forward if the Governor were in the chair. Thus views, which otherwise might possibly make their first appearance in debate in Legislative Council, would have a greater chance of being more fully presented in Executive Committee, and I feel this is a most important point if the aim of endeavouring to gain protagonists for Government measures by free and full discussion in Executive Committee is to be given a fair chance of success.

9. I do not propose that the actual preparation of the Estimates should be left to the Executive Committee, since that would hardly be feasible in a Colony so large as Ceylon as compared with Barbados; but that it should discuss all matters

No. 87 and 38.

† No. 46.

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connected with the Budget before its submission to Legislative Council, which I think will in effect have a similar result; since the members of Executive Committee will be closely in touch with the financial views of Government, having had full opportunity for the discussion of all the items of the Estimates.

4. I have already endeavoured to explain the functions of the Finance Committee and its relationship to Legislative Council and Executive Council in the enclosure to my despatch of 24th September and from a perusal of that document, I trust that it will be evident to you that, since the annual Estimates as prepared by Government are referred to the Finance Committee as a Select Committee of Legislative Council, the members of Executive Committee would, in that Select Committee, be in a position to explain and support Government proposals from their intimate knowledge of the matter gained by discussion in Executive Committee. As regards Supplementary Estimates, in such cases as it was

convenient and desirable they would be similarly discussed.

5. I agree that Finance Committee in its present form would be an unwieldy body in the reformed Council, but I should propose to do as I did when the present Council was inaugurated; that is, to leave it to the Council to decide after experience of Finance Committee whether it would not be desirable to modify its composition by reducing the number of its members.

Though in the present Council that suggestion did not find favour, it is more than probable that in the new Council it may do so.

6. I am of opinion that if this scheme were honestly worked it would develop in time into a most valuable institution, but time must be given for its development; and in that interim, I do not think it would be advisable to modify in any way the composition of the Executive Council.

7. I would again most respectfully urge that the scheme be not discussed in Legislative Council for the reasons I have already set out, and I am convinced that beyond an exacerbated debate, nothing whatever is likely to ensue from such deliberation; on the other hand, it is indeed even possible that the scheme will be fully accepted as Your Grace's final decision and also as a considerable advance in political progress.

I have, &c.,

57906

No. 51.

W. H. MANNING,

Governor.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 26th November, 1923.)

(Confidential.) MY LORD DUKE,

The Queen's House, Colombo, 5th November, 1923. I HAVE the honour to state that, after further consideration of the enclosure to my Confidential despatch of 24th September, 1923, namely, "Proposals to establish an Executive Committee in Ceylon," I consider it advisable, with regard to paragraph 4, sub-section 2, that, instead of the Executive Committee being presided over by one of its members to be nominated by the Governor, it should be presided over by the senior official member of the Committee, at first certainly, should the Governor not be present.

It might be possible, when the Committee has proved its value, to reconsider this question; but I feel that in the early days of the Committee, it would be advisable to appoint the senior official member to be President. I have, &c.,

* No. 46.

W. H. MANNING,

Governor.

CITIT T

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 882/10

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, CONDON

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