CO885-11 — Page 540

531

.PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

ग

Reference :-

C.O.882/11

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

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

130

and the Western Province. The' officer in charge of the election, while unable, of course, to make any accurate prognostication as to the number of applications which will be rejected as duplicates, or as the result of objections, anticipates that the final number of voters on the register will not fall far short of a million and a half.

5. This figure is of great interest in view of the observations of the Special Commissioners on pages 87 to 89 of their report. The passage to which I would draw Your Lordship's particular attention is that at the bottom of page 87 and the top of page 88, in which the Special Commissioners attach great importance to the desirability of subjecting the voting strength of the electorate to a gradual instead of an immediate increase to the maximum. This object they hoped to attain by laying down that registration should not be compulsory or automatic. Had their desire that only those who actively desired to exercise their privileges should be registered as voters been realized, I venture to express the opinion that the number of voters on the new register would have exceeded by but little, if at all, the total number eligible under the old franchise. In actual fact the exertions of candidates and their agents have frustrated the hopes of the Commission, and the final register will probably contain the names of about 75 per cent. of those now eligible. How many of those registered will be persuaded to vote is another matter, in regard to which I venture no prophecy. But the fact remains that (quite apart from the increase in the electorate owing to the reduction of the age limit for women voters from 30 to 21, an increase which must be to a small extent discounted by the effect of the alteration in the qualifications for Indian voters) the number of voters on the first register will be greater than was either anticipated or desired by the Commission. Whether this enormous increase in the electorate will result in substantial representation in the State Council of classes or interests now unrepresented remains to be seen.

I have, &c.,

NUWARA ELITA DISTRICT

21. Talawakelle 22. Nuwara Eliya GALLE DISTRICT 23. Balapitiya 24. Udugama 25. Galle

MATARA DISTRICT

26. WELIGAMA

28. Matara

24. Hambantota JAFFNA DISTRICT

30. Kayts

31. Kankesanturai

32. Jaffna

33. Point Pedro

MANNAR DISTRICT

34. Mannar-Mullaittivu

BATTICALOA DISTRICT

131

Number of Applications.

Electoral District.

Received.

Men.

Women.

Total.

Number Per Rejected. cent.

13,442 5,612 13,890 5,595

19,054 19,485

41 0.23 213 1.00

22,034 22,236 44,270 24,347

194

0.44

19,835 44,182

274

0.62

19,290

15,008

34,298

297

0.87

21,454 22,065

43,519

388

0.89

27. Morawaka

21,112 11,876

32,988

442

1.34

19,970 17,581

37,551

338

0.9

HAMBANTOTA DISTRICT

22,584

14,025

36,609

266

0.72

18,110 16,089

34,199

82

0.24

11,887 16,666 21,938 9,967 31,905 16,534 12,580 29,114

28,553

18

0.06

49

0.15

83 0.28

H. J. STANLEY,

Governor.

9,891

6,643

16,534

35. Batticaloa South

19,856 18,835 38,691

36. Trincomalee-Batticaloa

20,938

12,122

33,060

Enclosure in No. 75.

AND NUMBER REJECTED.

PUTTALAM DISTRICT

NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS RECEIVED FOR REGISTRATION AS VOTERS

Number of Applications.

37. Puttalam

20,542

9,336 29,887

125

KURUNEGALA DISTRICT

38. Kurunegala

24,926

15,014

39. Narammala

17,243

Electoral District.

Received.

Men.

Il'omen.

COLOMBÓ MUNICIPALITY

1. Colombo North

34,663

2. Colombo Central

3. Colombo South

Total.

11,514 46,177 42,345 11,727 54,072 25,618 11,794 37,412

Number Per Rejected. cent

40. Katugampola'

21,971

11,815

39,940 6,898. 24,141 33,786

PUTTALAM-CHILAW DISTRICT

41. Chilaw

27,898

18,789 46,687

2222 222 2

35 0.21

332 0.85

0.35

0.42

123 0.31

123

0.51

132

0.39.

0.06

686 1.49 656 1.21 475

ANURADHAPURA DISTRICT

1.27

42. Anuradhapura

15,966

2,980 18,946 1,396

7.36

COLOMBO DISTRICT

BADULLA DISTRICT

4. Minuwangoda

5. Negombo

6. Gampaha

7. Kelaniya

19,160 14,966 34,126 22,682 19,414 42,096 21,685 16,151 37,836

187

0.55

43. Bandarawela

13,979

140

0.33

295 0.78

44. Badulla ... 45. Bibile

8,002 21,981 9,956 6,064 16,020 11,232 8,279 2,953

267

1.21

161

1,0

91

0.81

19,934 13,773

33,707

133

0.39

8. Veyangoda

18,564

14,369

32,933

KEGALLA DIStrict

122

0.37

9. Avissawella

21,362

13,136

34,498

219

0.63

46. Kegalla..

26,917

10. Moratuwa

24,914

19,465

44,379

315

0.71

47. Dedigama

15,666

17,725 44,642 10,691

278

0.62

26,357

48. Ruwanwella

20,165 12,048

32,213

88 312

0.33

0.97

KALUTARA DISTRICT

11. Panadure

23,797

21,286 45,083

$3

0.18

RATNAPURA DISTRICT

12. Kalutara

19,757

14,924

34,681

114

0.33

49. Ratnapura

18,008

7,338

25,346

336

1.32

13. Horana

23,898 14,645

38,543

14. Matugama

15,873 8,169

24,042

111 0.29 105 0.44

50. Balangoda

15,777

4,776

20,553

391

1.9

1,006,475

612,518 1,618,993

12,457

0.77

MATALE DISTRICT

15. Matale

16,607

6,191

22,798

243 1.07

KANDY DISTRICT

16. Galagedera

15,417

6,785

22,202

143 0.64

17. Kandy

26,410

12,822

38,238

327 0.86

18. Dumbara

20,084

8,790 28,874

19. Gampola

12,737

20. Hatton

22,613

5,946 18,683 10,267 32,880

260 0.9 287 1.54

534 1.62