INDIAN CONFERENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 6 December 1932, Page 5

INDIAN CONFERENCE

DISCUSSION ENDS

STATEMENT WELL RECEIVED.

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, December 4. There ha& been a four days’ discussion at the Indian Conference on the special powers and responsibilities ol the Governor-General, and the Governnor under the proposed Federal Constitution. The discussion ended with a statement of the British Government’s views, made by Sir S. Hoare (Secretary for India).

He gave an assurance that the special responsibilities of the GovernorGeneral would be strictly limited, and would be carried out in a, commonsense way. The actual field would include finance, commercial discrimination, the Minorities and the protection of the services. Paramountcy, he said, stood outside of the Federal Constitution, as it was a matter of direct relations between the Crown and the Princes. In the Federal field recourse would be had to the Federal Courts. Regarding the Governor-General’s power to safeguard imperial relations, he said, the British Government would be prepared to look into this matter again in view of the apprehension that had been expressed. In the sphere of the reserved departments, although the matter of external relations would include political relations trith outside countries,, commercial, economic and other non-poli-tical relations would fall within the transferred or Ministerial sphere. The matter of defence would be discussed later.

The statement of Sir S. Hoare was well received.