INDIA AND BRITAIN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 7 January 1931, Page 6

INDIA AND BRITAIN

PLEA FOR MUTUAL TRUST Armuitl: OF I.HIEIMI.S Official Wireless) RUGBY, sth January. Lord Reading, former Viceroy of India, delivered an important speech this afternoon at the Federal Structure Sub-Committee. The speech amounts to a declaration of the attitude of the Liberal section of the British delegation on the main question before the SubCommittee. He associated himself warmly with the opinion, expressed by Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru on Friday that the only cure for distrust was trust, and he made the plea for mutual trust between India and Brittiin. The question of responsibility and the settlement of the Hindu-Moslem controversy were the most important matters before the Conference. Regarding the latter, he expressed the earnest hope that, when it came up again, it would be found Lo have been settled amicably. He devoted his speech solely to the question of responsibility. Since the Princes had declared their intention of joining in a Federal Constitution for all India, a new situation was created and, as the Prime Minister had said the declaration had revolutionised the whole aspect of the matters before them. The Liberal section of the British delegation approached the subject of the responsibility of the Federal Executive and the Federal Legislature with a genuine desire to give effect, as far as they legitimately could, to the views of the British Indian, delegation, provided that adequate safeguards and reservations were introduced, enabling the Government of India to be carried on with reasonable security and protection lo all ini crests, and that the new constitution would he fairly workable. That was the recommendation the Liberal section would make to their party in Parliament.

SAFEGUARDS AND RESERVATIONS The necessary safeguards and reservations were, in fact, very little in advance of those which, it already has been admitted, must he made. In setting up a federal system, it was inevitable that they should meet complications and difficulties. It was idle to refuse to recognise that at this stage there must he some form of dual Government. Questions like defence, army foreign relations, international obligations, and obligations already undertaken, must he regarded as outside the region of controversy and as reserved subjects. The Viceroy or Gov-ernor-General must be responsible to some authority. They could not have an autocrat at the head.. The relations with Princes in dynastic matters and questions generally referred to in connection with pariunountcy would. also he included among reserved subjects. Regarding the proposals of Sir T. B. Sapru, to whose courage and statesmanship he paid a warm tribute, Lord Reading said that lie broadly approved of the setting up of a Cabinet of seven or eight Ministers in charge of various Departments, and that the Cabinet should have collective responsibility. Although at first he hesitated to accept the proposal that two or three Ministers as advisers in reserved matters should sit with the Cabinet, on reflection lie concluded that it was a good proposal and should be caretuly considered. The great advantage would be that all Ministers participating m Cabinet discussions would get to understand each other, and the system would be of considerable benefit in securing unity in Government. Undoubtedly, the Governor-General must be President of the Council, although he need not always preside. Ho thought that all were too apt to think of past instead of future. After listening to arguments, lie was looking forward to the time when the Council met when there would not he. opposition between Cabinet and Ministry or Legislature and Viceroy, and when the whole of the Ministry would he giving the best of their ability to give effect to the. views of the Legislature and explaining to the Legislature why a particular decision was necessary, in those circumstances many of the safeguaitls and reservations, now being introduced because they had to prepare for all eventualities, would, in all probability, never be brought into play. ~ He agreed that no Ministry should be turned out unless there was twothirds or perhaps a threequarters majority, but that could he left for the present. Power must be inherent m the Viceroy to dismiss the Ministry it he thought it had lost the confidence ol the House. . , . . , • As to representatives taking part in matters said to he of purely British Indian‘interest, he thought there would be very few subjects in which they had no such interest, either direct or indirect. Reserved and unreserved subjects and questions would be discussed in Cabinet, but on reserved points Cabinet would not vote, and on unreserved points the Viceroys MiniSidia would not vote. FINANCE QUESTIONS Lord Reading dealt at length with finance questions, and urged great care in exchange and currency matters, me control of which must, pending me establishment of a reserve bank, be Jelt. with the Viceroy. Although law and order were to he transferred to the provinces, the overriding power must be left with the Viceroy to act m cases where disorder covered a wider area. Assuming the Federal Constitution came into existence, and they carried out what they had been discussing, India would have made an immense constitutional advance. He did not think it was entirely without risk, hut he was prepared to face that risk. CONSTITUTIONAL QUESTION When the discussion on the constitutional question was resumed a Moslem delegate criticised in detail the present system of administration. Speaking ol the future he urged that the new system should provide adequate safeguards for minorities. Lord Sankey tentatively suggested to the Sub-Committee that in the im- w form of Viceroy’s Cabinet portfolios might possibly be allotted as follows. (1 Finance; ‘(2) Law: (3) Railways, Posts and Telegraphs: (4) Education, Health, and Lands; (5) Industries; (6) Commerce; (7) Revenue subjects, tor example the administration of Customs, opium, and salt; (0) Minor Departments, for example, botanical, and geological surveys; (9) Minister in Charge of Minor Administrations. At present the Cabinet consists ot eleven members, including the Com-mander-in-Cliief.