§ 61. Mr. Manderasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the reasons for the resignation of the Governor's nominees from the Ceylon State Council; and whether it is proposed to publish the Report of the Bribery Commission?
§ Colonel StanleyThe Report has been published in Ceylon, and the Governor is being asked to despatch a small number of copies by the quickest route. As soon as copies are received I will arrange for one to be placed in the Library of the House for Members' convenience. The 1739 Commission found that three European-nominated members of the State Council came within the purview of its terms of reference because they had been remunerated by the Associations which recommended their nomination. This arrangement was publicly known arid had in fact been suggested by a previous Governor in order to make it possible for the best representatives to serve in the Council. The Governor, in requesting these members to send in their resignations as a result of the Constitutional irregularity disclosed, made it clear to them that no opprobrium whatsoever attaches either to them or to the Associations concerned.