INDIAN REFORM

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 17 November 1927, Page 3

INDIAN REFORM

SETTING UP OF COMMISSION BILL IN HOUSE OF LORDS. READ THE SECOND TIME. Rugby, Nov. 15. Lord Birkenhead, in the House of Lords, moved the second reading ot a bill setting up the India Statutory Commission. He reminded the House that it was originally contemplated that at a period of 10 years there should be appointed a commission to examine the progress which had been made, and to report to Parliament upon the existing situation. There was no special magic in the period of 10 years. They might assume that it was adopted as a convenient period, affording sufficient time for the instruction of those whose duty it might be to re-examine the whole situation. Since his accession to the office of Secretary for India he had been greatly pressed in many quarters to accelerate the appointment of the commission. It had npt seemed to him and his responsible advisers in India that the atmosphere at the moment when those appeals, he might almort say demands, were put forward was such as to afford much encouragement to those who were invited to make a change, but there was never any strong view that the period so fixed had necessarily to receive pedantic adherence. CHANGE OF TONE & TEMPER. “I do not wish,’’ said Lord Birkenhead, “to underrate such encouraging tendencies as have manifested themselves in India in the course of the last two or three years. Such tendencies there have been. There has been a growing realisation, in my judgmkent, that the policy of non-co-operation was not in itself very happily conceived, nor likely to create in this country a general impression that those who were unwilling to co-operate in the working of the existing constitution had fully established their case for acceleration of the moment when that constitution was to be re-examined. There has been unquestionably, in the last two or three years, a change of tone and temper in India, and the changes have nearly all been in the direction of improved relationship.” Continuing, Lord Birkenhead said it was his duty, very carefully and without heat or resentment, but equally without exaggeration, to examine closely the opinion which was entertained in India in relation to the present proposals of the Government, an ( ] to appraise their value and importance, but to-day he wished merely to justify. the view taken by the Government, that the moment had arrived at which .the appointment of this commission might suitably, without danger. to the public interest, be accelerated. Lord Birkenhead believed that all three parties in the House were agreed about that. The moment had arrived when we might usefully approach the greatest constitutional problem which had faced the statesmen of this country for many generations. LABOUR'S SUPPORT. Lord Olivier, former Labour Secretary for India, said the Labour party fully supported the hill, while reserving themselves in regard to the procedure and constitution of the commission. Lord Reading. ex-Viceroy of India, said the Liberal party approved the bill. The Government had acted wisely and had really shown a desire to consult the views of Indian politicians and generally to give effect to the earlier date for the statutory period, it was solely in the public interest of India that the Government had determined to curtail the time. When the Indians fully understood the views of the Government and tlie opportunities that would be given them to make their case heard, there would be much less tendency to take an adverse view of the appointment of the commission.