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Tuesday, 4 February 2014 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
On 18 June 1947, the British Governor, Sir Henry Monk Mason Moore made a statement at a special session of the State Council that “early steps will be taken by His Majesty’s Government as soon as the necessary arrangements are negotiated with the new Ceylon Government to confer upon this country fully responsible status within the British Commonwealth of Nations.”
On 19 December 1947Ceylon Independence (Commencement) Order in Council, 1947 was released “At the Court at Buckingham Palace” declaring that “the appointed day for the purpose of the Ceylon Independence Act shall be the fourth day of February 1948”. Present was “The King’s Most Excellent Majesty in Council”.
“Birth of New Dominion of Ceylon” read the headline in the Ceylon Daily News of Wednesday 4 February. “Today is the appointed day and the new Dominion of Ceylon was born shortly after midnight the day being observed as a public holiday,” the frit paragraph of the page one lead story said.
It continued: “From today his Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom will have no responsibility for the Government of Ceylon, and Ceylon will be included in the definition of ‘Dominion’ in Para (23) of Section 190 of the Army Act and the Air Force Act.
“The Colonial Laws Validity Act, 1805 will not apply to any law made after today by the Parliament of Ceylon, and no law or any provision of any law made after today by the Parliament of Ceylon will be void or inoperative on the ground that it is repugnant to the law of England, or to the provisions of any existing or any future Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom.
“Ceylon will now be able to apply to in the U.N.O for membership and its application will have the support of the U.K. She will be able to appoint her own diplomatic representatives or to use those of the U.K if she offers to do so.
“In short, today Ceylon will enter the portals of independent dominions of the British Empire as the youngest member of the great Family of Nations.”
Ringing of temple and church bells sharp at 12 midnight along with the sounds of sirens from ships berthed in the Colombo harbour heralded the birth of Independence. Citizens throughout the country joined in religious observances in temples, kovils, churches and mosques.
The island-wide celebrations for Independence Day included the heralding of the Lion Flag, children’s sports, feeding of the poor, public meetings and planting of commemorative trees.
One thousand eight hundred and eight six prisoners were granted amnesty to mark the achievement of Independence. A large number of remissions of sentences were also done. Nine persons who had been sentenced to death had their executions stayed and imprisonment substituted instead.
There was pomp and pageantry to mark Independence Day and over fifty special trains operated from several parts of the country for the people to commute to see the decorations in Colombo.
Under Dominion Status, the British monarch continued to be the Head of State. However, the Governor who earlier exercised his powers on behalf of the Monarch and acted on the instructions of the British Government was replaced by the Governor-General who was now responsible not to London but to the Parliament of Ceylon.
Sir Monk-Mason Moore was the last British Governor and at 7.30 in the morning of 4 February 1948, he was sworn in as Governor-General of Independent Ceylon. Sir Henry and Lady Moore left Ceylon the following year and the Chief Justice, Sir Arthur Wijeyewardene acted as Governor-General until the arrival of his successor, Viscount Lord Herweld Ramsbotham Soulbury, architect of the Constitution adopted by free Ceylon.
Lord Soulbury was the Chairman of the Commission appointed by the British Government in 1944 to report and advice on constitutional reforms. The new Constitution was based on the Westminster model and a Parliament art system of government was established in Ceylon. The bi-cameral legislature replaced the State Council.
The first parliamentary election was held in August 1947 and the Parliament elected then continued after Ceylon gained Independence. As leader of the party with the largest number of seats in the House of Representatives, the United National party (UNP) with 42 seats (the total number of seats was 131), Don Stephen Senanayake was elected Prime Minister. The first Cabinet consisted of 14 ministers.
The celebrations continued for a week reaching the climax with the ceremonial opening of the first Parliament of Independent Ceylon on 10 February by the Duke of Gloucester representing King George VI.
