§ 12 and 13. Colonel WEDGWOODasked the Secretary of State for the. Colonies (1) whether, to avoid delay and further controversy, he will lay down for the guidance of the Ceylon Constitution Committee the scope of its powers, especially in reference to the number of members of which the reformed Council is to be composed; the number of official members; the number to be elected by territorial electorates; the number to be elected by committees or interests, if any; the number of unofficial members to be nominated, if any;
(2) whether he is aware that., owing to the opposition in Ceylon to the reforms promulgated in 1920, the Governor promised the Singalese to forward to the Secretary of State within a year from the first sitting of the new Council, i.e., June, 1921, his recommendations on such amendments to the Constitution as might be brought forward by Motion in Council, giving due weight in his recommendations to the views and votes of the elected members; whether this has been done; and, if not, whether he can state the reason:
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the COLONIES (Mr. Churchill)Resolutions regarding the further reform of the Constitution were brought forward in the Legislative Council in December last, and fully debated. The Governor forwarded to me the report of the Debate, with an analysis of the voting on each Resolution, and his remarks thereon. One of the Resolutions, which was carried without a Division, ran as follows:
That a scheme for the allocation and distribution of seats in territorial electorate; should be made on the recommendations of a Committee of this Council appointed for the purpose.I approved of the appointment of this Committee, which has, I understand, now completed its report, which I am awaiting.1239 It would clearly be premature to come to any decision as to the numbers of the several classes of members indicated by the hon. Member before the report of the Committee is in my hands.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODAre we to understand that this Committee has merely to report the percentage of each of the different interests, and not the exact numbers?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThat is my recollection.