INDIAN AFFAIRS.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 October 1931, Page 5

INDIAN AFFAIRS.

BENGAL PROVINCE CONDITIONS. (United Press Association.—By Electric telegraph.—Co ‘yrighL.; CALCUTTA, October 21. Dr. Sengupta, the former -Mayor of Calcutta, and the Leader of the congress i/arty m iscngal, interviewed on tile eve of ms sailing for itng.anc! with nis English wife, spoke or u com.ng war bet.ret'n Erituin and India, and oi a renewed Indian boycott of everything British, and he boasted that Bengal would prove to India t-h-t selfgovernment was not even a question of months or of weeks, but of hours. FINANCE AND COURTS. PROGRESS AT CONFERENCE. RUGBY, October 21. Finaii/"ial aspects of the [lndian Federation were again considered today by the Federal Structure Cmnnttee at the Indian Round-Table Conference. A short adjournment was arranged to enable a formula to be produced on behalf of His Majesty’s Government, which, it is believed will reconcile minor d flerences that have been expressed by the delegate of the Native States, and British India and by other States. Lord Sarikey, who presided, said that the discussion ihdiented an ateeptahee, subject to certain exceptions, of the underlying principles of the Finance Sub-Committee’s report as those upon which that part of the Federal Constitution should be drafted.

Consideration was then begun of a proposal for the establishing of a Fedeal Court, an exhaustive momoranda, prepared by Lord Sankey, being the basis of tire discussion.

Sir Muhammad Shafi, in opening the debate, said that there now was practical unanimity among all the schools of political thought in favour of the early establishment of a Supreme Court, which was an essential feature in all Federations. The Reigning Princes, lie said showed some nervousness about their position, but he thought that their confidence would be secured when the Constitution was at work. A Court consisting of a Chief Justice, with five or seven judges, should be urged, to have jurisdiction, original and appellate, in reward not only to constitutional matters, but also for other matters, civil and criminal.