Funday Times

Gaveshaka continues to record significant events ...
More events in March
First signs of representative government
March 19, 1833 signifies the first signs of representative government in Sri Lanka, then known as Ceylon. It was on this day that two councils - the Legislative Council and the Executive Council - were established. The Governor at the time was Sir Robert Wilmot Horton (1831-37).

Prior to the establishment of the Councils, it was the Governor who administered the country. The two Councils were set up on the recommendation of the Colebrooke-Cameron Commission appointed by the British Government to examine how the country was being governed and suggest any changes.

The Legislative Council was intended to make laws and consisted of 16 members. Of them, ten were officials including the Governor who presided. Six were unofficial members who were to speak and act on behalf of the people. Three of them were to represent the British residents and the other three, the Burghers, Sinhalese and Tamils.

However, Governor Horton did not appoint the unofficial members till some months after the official members had been appointed. This led to a lot of agitation against the Governor. Although the Council had the power to make laws, the unofficial members could not initiate legislation. They could only discuss. Over the years, the number of unofficial members in the Legislative Council was increased.

The Executive Council consisted of senior British officials and its function was to see that the laws were carried out. In effect, the Councils acted in an advisory capacity to the Governor.
This system was in operation until 1931 when the State Council was created as a legislative body also exercising executive powers.

Kandy becomes a municipality
March 20, 1866 marks the day of the establishment of the Kandy Municipal Council, exactly four months after the Colombo Municipal Council was established. The population in the Kandy municipal council area was a little over 15,000 at that time.

The Municipalities Ordinance had been passed in 1865 giving Municipal Councils to Colombo, Kandy and Galle. In the early days, members to the Municipal Council were nominated by the government. It was the Government Agent, the principal government official in the area who presided over the council. Fully elected councils began to function only from the 1930s.

With the increase in population and the expansion of cities, municipal status was given to them. Today there are 14 municipal councils in the island. They are (in alphabetical order) Badulla, Batticaloa, Colombo, Dehiwela-Mount Lavinia, Galle, Jaffna, Kandy, Kotte, Kurunegala, Matale, Moratuwa, Negombo, Nuwara-Eliya and Ratnapura.

Saradiel is caught
March 22, 1864 has been recorded as the day Sri Lanka's Robin Hood, Saradiel, the highwayman of the mid-19th Century was arrested. Many are the stories told of this colourful character. He was known to have used the vantage point of Utuwankanda close to Mawanella on the Colombo-Kandy highway. He is supposed to have watched the movements of the carriages from the hilltop and then descended with his gang to rob the rich travellers. The story goes that he distributed a good part of the spoils to the poor.
Sardiel who is supposed to have killed at least 18 men was hanged on May 7, 1864.

Colombo clock tower
The Colombo clock tower was completed on March 5, 1857. It was only ten years later that a beacon was added to the structure so that it could serve as a lighthouse too. Earlier, a handsome classical building served as Colombo's lighthouse. It was demolished when the Fort ramparts were removed in 1869.

A symbol of the British colonial era, the clock tower remains the best known landmark in Fort to this day. The original design was by Lady Ward, wife of Governor Sir Henry Ward (1855-60).

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