1st State Council of Ceylon

The 1st State Council of Ceylon was a meeting of the State Council of Ceylon, with the membership determined by the results of the 1931 state council election held between 13 and 20 June 1931. The parliament met for the first time on 7 July 1931 and was dissolved on 7 December 1935.

1st State Council of Ceylon
2nd→
Overview
Legislative bodyState Council of Ceylon
Meeting placeOld Parliament Building
Term7 July 1931 (1931-07-07) – 7 December 1935 (1935-12-07)
Election13–20 June 1931
Government1st Board
Websiteparliament.lk
State Councillors
Members58
SpeakerA. F. Molamure (1931–34)
F. A. Obeysekera (1934–35)
Deputy Speaker and
Chairman of Committees		F. A. Obeysekera (1931–34)
Susantha de Fonseka (1934–35)
Deputy Chairman of CommitteesM. M. Subramaniam
Leader of the HouseD. B. Jayatilaka

Election

The 1st state council election was held between 13 and 20 June 1931 in 37 of the 50 constituencies.[1] No nominations were received in four constituencies in the north of the country due to a boycott organised by the Jaffna Youth Congress.[1] The remaining nine constituencies only had a single nomination each and consequently the candidates were elected without a vote.[1] The remaining nine constituencies only had a single nomination each and consequently the candidates were elected without a vote.[1] In addition the Governor nominated eight additional members, John William Oldfield, Maurice John Cary, I. X. Pereira, M. K. Saldin, V. R. S. Schokman, Evelyn Charles Villiers, Thomas Lister Villiers and Stewart Schneider.

The new state council met for the first time on 7 July 1931 and elected A. F. Molamure, F. A. Obeysekera and M. M. Subramaniam as Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees and Deputy Chairman of Committees respectively.[2] The seven chairman of the State Council's executive committees, who were members of the Board of Ministers, were also appointed.[2] The State Council was ceremonially opened on 10 July 1931.[2]

Following the end of the boycott in the north of the country by-elections were held in the four constituencies in early July 1934.[1] The newly elected members entered the state council on 17 July 1934.[1]

Members

Deaths, resignations and removals

The 1st state council saw the following deaths, resignations and removals from office:

List
Name Appointed/
Elected		 Constituency Votes Majority Took office Left office Notes Refs.
E. W. AbeygunasekeraElectedNuwara Eliya6,9423,13619311935[4]
H. W. AmarasuriyaElectedUdugama1931[5]
D. D. AthulathmudaliElectedMatugama16 June 19311935[6]
S. W. R. D. BandaranaikeElectedVeyangoda--4 May 1931[7]
Charles BatuwantudaweElectedKalutara1931Minister of Local Administration (1931–35).[4]
Maurice John CaryAppointedEuropean8 October 1935[4]
Claude CoreaElectedChilaw20 June 1931[4]
S. W. DassenaikeElectedColombo South1931[8]
Susantha de FonsekaElectedPanadura20 June 1931Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees (1934–35).[4]
Henry De MelElectedPuttalam18 June 1931[4]
George E. de SilvaElectedKandy20 June 1931[4]
W. A. de SilvaElectedMoratuwa17 June 1931[2]
G. R. de ZoysaElectedBalapitiya21 September 1935[4]
A. Fellowes-GordonElectedBandarawela9,09713 June 1931[9]
H. R. FreemanElectedAnuradhapura8,31113 June 1931[9]
A. E. GoonesinhaElectedColombo Central13 June 1931[1]
Godfrey Edward MadawalaElectedNarammala13 June 1931September 1932
W. H. de S. JayasundaraElectedNarammala14 January 1933[4]
D. P. JayasuriyaElectedGampaha13 June 1931[4]
D. B. JayatilakaElectedKelaniya--1931Leader of the House (1931–35). Minister of Home Affairs (1931–35).[10]
T. G. JayewardeneElectedBalangoda14 October 19331935Succeeds Cudah Ratwatte.[11]
W. T. B. KaraliaddaElectedMatale12 June 1931[2]
C. W. W. KannangaraElectedGalle1931Minister of Education (1931–35).[12]
D. H. KotelawalaElectedBadulla--4 May 1931[9]
John KotelawalaElectedKurunegala13 June 1931[13]
Arunachalam MahadevaElectedJaffna9 July 19341935[1][14][15]
A. H. Macan MarkarElectedBatticaloa South1931Minister of Communications and Works (1931–35).[16]
Adeline MolamureElectedRuwanwella14 November 1931[17]
A. F. MolamureElectedDedigama19311934Speaker (1931–34).[4]
S. NatesanElectedKankesanthurai4 May 19341935[16][18]
F. A. ObeysekeraElectedAvissawella7,4241931Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees (1931–34). Speaker (1934–35).[9]
T. B. PanabokkeElectedGampola1931Minister of Health (1931–35).[4]
I. X. PereiraAppointedIndian Tamils--26 June 1931[1]
E. W. PereraElectedHorana1931[19]
G. K. W. PereraElectedMatara[4]
G. G. PonnambalamElectedPoint Pedro19341935[1][20]
G. C. RambukpothaElectedBibile--1931[9]
A. E. RajapakseElectedNegombo[4]
Abeyratne RatnayakaElectedDumbara[4]
Cudah RatwatteElectedBalangoda19311 August 1933Resigned due to ill-health. Succeeded by T. G. Jayewardene.[4][11]
M. K. SaldinAppointedMalays--26 June 19311935[1][21]
Naysum SaravanamuttuElectedColombo North1931Succeeds Ratnasothy Saravanamuttu.[3]
Ratnasothy SaravanamuttuElectedColombo North19311931Unseated. Succeeded by Naysum Saravanamuttu.[3][16]
Stewart SchneiderAppointedBurghers--26 June 1931[2]
V. R. S. SchokmanAppointedBurghers26 June 1931[4]
M. A. SeemanpillaiElectedMannar-Mullaitivu1931[1][16]
Nevins SelvaduraiElectedKayts19341935[1][16][22]
D. S. SenanayakeElectedMinuwangoda--1931Minister of Agriculture and Lands (1931–35).[23]
G. K. StewartAppointed[4]
D. C. Stewart-SmithAppointed6 November 1934[4]
Thomas Lister VilliersAppointed1932[4]
M. M. SubramaniamElectedTrincomalee-Batticaloa19311935Deputy Chairman of Committees (1931–35).[1][24]
Peri SundaramElectedHatton--1931Minister of Labour, Industry and Commerce (1931–35).[25]
R. S. TennekoonElectedKatugampola19311935[26]
Evelyn Charles VilliersAppointedEuropean8 January 1935[4]
S. P. VythilingamElectedTalawakele1931[1]
David WanigasekeraElectedWeligama[4]
S. A. WickremasingheElectedMorawaka1931[17]
V. S. de S. WikramanayakeElectedHambantota15,3841931[27]
Edwin WijeyeratneElectedKegalle19311935[28]
D. J. WimalasurendraElectedRatnapura1931[4]

References
  1. Rajasingham, K. T. "Chapter 7: State Councils – elections and boycotts". Sri Lanka: The Untold Story.
  2. "First State Council begins". The Sunday Times. Colombo, Sri Lanka. 8 July 2007. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  3. Arumugam, S. (1997). Dictionary of Biography of the Tamils of Ceylon (PDF). pp. 181–182.
  4. Ferguson's Ceylon Directory 1933. Colombo, Ceylon: Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited. 1933. pp. 210–211.
  5. Extracts from 'Nobodies to Somebodies – The Rise of the Colonial Bourgeoisie in Sri Lanka'
  6. Members of the Legislatures of Ceylon: 1931–1972. National State Assembly Library. 1972. p. 13.
  7. Wijenayake, Walter (26 September 2008). "S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike- trail-blazing leader". The Island. Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  8. Goonesinha, Ananda E. (22 April 2007). "Traversed new paths making History". Sunday Island. Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  9. Munasinghe, M. Sarath K. (31 March 2004). "Political clergymen of the past". The Island. Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  10. Jayaweera, Stanley (18 July 2001). "Dharmaraja College Founder's Day Oration: Sir Don Baron Jayatilaka — a great legacy". The Island. Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  11. Jiggins, Janice (1979). Caste and Family Politics of the Sinhalese 1947–1976. Cambridge University Press. p. 99. ISBN 9780521220699.
  12. Wijenayaka, Walter (24 September 2003). "C.W.W. Kannangara: Father of free education". Daily News. Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  13. Fernando, Shemal. "Sir John Lionel Kotelawala". Lanka Library.
  14. Arumugam, S. (1997). Dictionary of Biography of the Tamils of Ceylon (PDF). pp. 94–95.
  15. Muttucumaraswamy, V. (1992). Some Eminent Tamils (PDF). Department of Hindu Religious and Cultural Affairs, Sri Lanka. p. 148.
  16. Dissanayake, T. D. S. A. "Chapter 1: Was early universal franchise a disaster?". War or Peace... Ilankai Tamil Sangam.
  17. Wijenayake, Walter (20 December 2008). "Lanka Sama Samaja Party, 73 not out". The Island. Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  18. Arumugam, S. (1997). Dictionary of Biography of the Tamils of Ceylon (PDF). p. 118.
  19. "Gaveshaka begins a new series on patriots of Sri Lanka: Vital document hidden in a shoe". The Sunday Times. Colombo, Sri Lanka. 25 January 2004. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  20. Arumugam, S. (1997). Dictionary of Biography of the Tamils of Ceylon (PDF). p. 141.
  21. "Sri Lankan Malays Fight For Parliament Representation". Colombo Telegraph. 1 March 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  22. Arumugam, S. (1997). Dictionary of Biography of the Tamils of Ceylon (PDF). pp. 188–189.
  23. Samarasinghe, L. M. (14 November 2002). "Book on "Agriculture and patriotism"". Daily News. Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  24. Arumugam, S. (1997). Dictionary of Biography of the Tamils of Ceylon (PDF). pp. 212–213.
  25. Rajasingham, K. T. "Chapter 8: Pan Sinhalese board of ministers – A Sinhalese ploy". Sri Lanka: The Untold Story.
  26. Members of the Legislatures of Ceylon: 1931–1972. National State Assembly Library. 1972. p. 159.
  27. Wijesinghe, Sam (25 December 2005). "D. A. Rajapaksa Memorial Oration delivered by Sam Wijesinghe: People and State Power". Sunday Observer. Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  28. Gurudeniya, Thushara (20 October 2007). "An illustrious son of Sabaragamuwa". Daily News. Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
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