The Burma Legislature was the legislative body of British Burma from 1936 to 1947. As an elected body, the Legislature of Burma was a bicameral legislature consisting of the 36-seat Senate and the 132-seat House of Representatives.

Establishment

The Government of Burma Act 1935 separated Burma from

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

as of 1 April 1937,"The New Constitution: Separation from India", ''The Times'', 20 April 1937, p36, Issue 47663 and created a 36-seat Senate and a 132-seat House of Representatives."Legislature and Electors Burma at the Polls", The Times, 20 April 1937, p37, Issue 47663

Presidents of the Senate

Speakers of the House of Representatives

Notable legislation

In 1938, the Legislature of Burma attempted to remedy the dispossession of rural Burmese farmers who were displaced by Indians, in particular, the Chettiars, by passing the Tenancy Act, Land Purchase Act, and Land Alienation Act. The Tenancy Act intended to safeguard tenants from eviction and to fix fair rents, while the Land Purchase Act allowed the government to purchase large swathes of land owned by non-agriculturalists to be resold on a tenancy basis to genuine farmers. In 1938, the Legislature passed into law the progressive University Act.

References

{{Legislatures of Burma Legislatures of Myanmar History of Myanmar Organizations established in 1936 Imperial Legislative Council of India Defunct bicameral legislatures 1936 establishments in Burma Organizations disestablished in 1947 1947 disestablishments in Asia