CONSERVATIVES IN DOUBT

Hokitika Guardian, 9 January 1931, Page 2

CONSERVATIVES IN DOUBT

INDIAN GOVERNMENT.

t V»; CABINET RESPONSIBILITY. QUESTIONED. #' (Official Wireless.) RUGBY, January 6. . u£. Acceptance of the principle of re\sponsibility of the executive to the Legislature as the centre, which was announced yesterday by Lord Reading on behalf of the Liberal delegation to the Indian Conference, is generally regarded as a highly important development. The newspapers state that the Government section of the delegation is alpreparing to adopt this principle. A „ 'more hopeful view is also taken re- , -'garding the efforts to reach agreeon the Hindu-Moslem differences. MMf The Aga Khan (the Moslem leader) returned from Paris last night, and two hours after his arrival, following rr;*_ ft n informal conversation with some of his fellow Moslem delegates, a joint meeting of the Hindu, Liberal and Moslem delegates was held at his "« hotel. The meeting lasted until nearly midnight, and was engaged on exploring the possibilities of settlement on the lines indicated in the offer of Sir Chimanial Setalvnd (Indian Liberal) last week. The Aga Khan is not yet fully recovered from his indisposition.

CONSERVATIVE VIEWPOINT

The Conservative attitude toward In. dian claims to responsibility,, with due safeguards at the Federal centre, was stated at a meeting of the Federal Structure Sub-Committee by Sir Samuel Hoar© (formerly Air Minister). He pointed out that none of the conditions which were associated with the idea of responsible Government in Great Britain appeared to exist at present in India. An Indian Cabinet would not be unitary in the British sense. The more he thought of the difference between the Indian position and the British, the more formidable became his doubts. He might have exaggerated the difficulties, but he was certain that the construction suggested by Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru' Wbtild be so '“"complicated and vulnerable to criticism that it would he workable only on the basis of wide acceptance and goodwill in India itself, and they had no evidence at present that such would he forthcoming.' He doubted the wisdom of attempting to apply the British House of Commons system to an All-India Federation. He tras against setting up a jk big popular assembly on the lines of Ythe House of Commons and direct election, because the hugh size of India and the conditions of its population would make any imitation of the British political system impracticable, danger of experiment, He questioned the wisdom of attempting to impose the British theory of Cabinet responsibility upon a Government that would differ in all respects from the British Government, He feared it would end in blurring responsibility, in weakening the Viceroy’s position, and in making the Central Government of the great continent, in which there was much inflammable material, unstable at the very moment when they were introducing the two great experiments of an All-India Fed. eration and provincial autonomy. They had been appealed to by Sir Tej Bebadur Sapru not to adopt a nonpossumus attitude. He responded to that appeal; but, because of his doubts, he was bound to adopt a non-commital attitude to the question of responsibility at the centre. Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru then asked • Did Sir Samuel Ilonre contemplate federation without responsibility at the centre P

Sir Samuel Hoaro replied that lie 5>- wished to see the completed picture be. pj? fore answering, and the chairman said h\ the committee must now start and fill -fl in the picture. ft MOSLEM AND HINDU & DIFFERENCES. y ‘ v „. When the Minorities Sub-Comnuttee again this? afternoon Sir Muham- ” ' iiiad Sliafi made an offer on behalf of ' the Moslems to forgo separate electorates, but attached to it conditions which Dr. Moonji declared were not acceptable. Sir Muhammad Shaft said that although an overwhelming majority of Moslems still insisted on the retention of separate electorates, the Moslem dele, -—gates would accept joint electorates provided the Hindus were willing to concede, through joint electorates, to tho Moslems of Bengal and the Punjab, representation in both Houses or the Legislative Councils, in proportion to their population in those two provinces. That offer he described as the rreducible in ini muin. 0 Dr Moonje said ho was unable to Sir Muhammad Shaft’s condijjjyfcion and pointed out that if all the & claims all the minorities had made were added up the Hindus “majority” would actually bo in a minority of > about thirty-five per cent r.f the seats. During the debate Dr Moonje was invited to make proposals himself and it was indicated also that further suggestions might come from the Moslems. The Prime Minister (Mr Ramsay MacDonald) said he was still hopeful of a settlement, and proposed that he, as, chairman, should summarise the opposing claims in the form of a draft report, on which the discussion might be resumed. He urged them meanwhile t to continue the private conversations.

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