MUTUAL TRUST.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 4, 6 January 1931, Page 7

MUTUAL TRUST.

INDIA AND BRITAIN.

Lord Reading Speaks for Liberal Delegates.

APPEAL FOR CONFIDENCE.

(British Official Wireless.)

(.Received 1 p.m./ RUGBY, January 5. Lord Kcading, speaking before the Federal Structure Sub-Committee, associated himself warmly with the opinion expressed by Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, that the only cure for distrust "was trust, and made a plea for mutual trust between India and Britain. „ 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 to have been settled amicably. Lord Reading devoted his speech solely to the question of responsibility. Since the Princes had declared their intention of joining 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 Federal Legislature with a genuine desire to give effect, as far as thev legitimately could, to the views of the BritishIndian delegation, provided adequate safeguards and reservations were introduced enabling the Government of India to be carried on with reasonable security and protection to all interests, and that a new constitution would he fairly workable. That was the recommendation the Liberal section would make to their patty in Parliament. The necessary safeguards and reservations were, in fact, very little in advance of those which it had already been admitted must be made. In setting up a Federal system it was inevitable Chat they should meet complications and difficulties. It was idle to refuse to recognise that at this stage there must be some form of dual government. Beyond Controversy. Questions like defence, Army, foreign relations, international obligations, and obligations already undertaken, Lord Reading said, must be regarded as outside the region of controversy and as reserved subjects. The Viceroy or Governor-General must be responsible to some authority. They could not have an autocrat at the head. Relations with the princes in dynastic matters and questions of. paramountcy would also be included among the reserved subjects. Regarding the proposals of Sir Tej Sapru, to whose courage and statesmanship he paid a warm tribute, Lord Readin" said he broadly, apprdved of the setting up of a Cabinet of seven or eig 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 he concluded it was a good proposal and should be carefully considered. Its great advantage would be that all Ministers participating in 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. He thought all were too apt to think of the past instead of the future. He, after listen* ing to the arguments, was looking forward to the time when the Council met and when there would not he opposition between the Cabinet and Ministry or the Legislature and Viceroy, and when the whole Ministry would be giving to 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 safeguards and reservations now being introduced because they had to prepare for all eventualities would in all probability never be brought into playSafeguarding Majority. Lord Reading agreed that no Ministry should be -turned out unless there was a two-thirds or perhaps three-quarters majority, but that could be left for the present. Power must be inherent in the Viceroy to dismiss the "Ministry if he thought it had lost the confidence of the House. As to representatives taking part in matters said to be of purely British-Indian interest, he thought there would he Very few subjects wherein they had no such interest, either direct or "indirect. Reserved and unreserved subjects and questions would be dis-. cussed in Cabinet, but on reserved points Cabinet would not vote, and on unreserved points Viceroys and Ministers would not vote. Lordisßeading dealt with finance questions a"nd urged great care in exchange and currency matters, the control of which must, pending the establishment of a Reserve Bank, be left with the Viceroy. Although law and order were to be transferred to the Provinces, overriding power must be left with the Viceroy to act in cases where disorder covered a wider area. Assuming that a Federal Constitution came into existence and they carried out what they had been discussing, India would Lave made an immense constitutional advance. He did not think it entirely without risk, but he was prepared to face that risk. A Moslem delegate criticised in detail the present system of administration, and speaking of the future he urged that the new system should provide adequate safeguards for minorities. Outline of Cabinet. Lord Sankey, the chairman, tentatively suggested to the sub-committee that in the new form of the Viceroy's Cabinet portfolios might possibly be allotted as follow: — Firstly, Finance; secondly, Law; thirdly, Railways, and Posts and Telegraphs; fourthly, Education, Health and Lands; fifthly, Industries; sixthly, Commerce; seventhly. Revenue subjects, for] exaigple, Administration of Customs,! Opium and Salt; eightly, Minor Departments, for example, Botanical and Geological Surveys; ninthly, Minister in Charge of Minor Administrations. | At present the Cabinet consists of 11 members, including, the Cpnmander-m- ---: Chief, * . ' 2 _ -