INDIA BILL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22030, 9 February 1935, Page 13

INDIA BILL

CONSERVATIVE OPPONENT

STATEMENT OF REASONS (Received Febnary 8, 5.5 p.m.) British Wireless RUGBY, Feb. 7 In the later stages of the debate on the India Constitution Reform Bill in the House of Commons last evening Sir Alfred Knox, one of the Conservative opponents of the reforms, said the measure would not be workable and would imperil safely and order besides beiflg unduly expensive. DELHI LEGISLATURE FEDERATION OPPOSED ADVERSE MOTION CARRIED DELHI. Feb. 7 The three days' debate in the Indian Legislative Assembly on the British Government's proposed constitutional reforms ended to-dav with the rejection of a resolution moved by Bulabhai Desai, a member ol the National Congress, urging the Viceroy to advise the British Government not to proceed with its proposals. The resolution was defeated by 72 votes to 61. Nevertheless, tl,€> Legislature dealt a severe blow to tho constitutional proposals by carrying by 74 votes to 58 a motion put by idnnah, Independent Moslem leader, demanding the dropping of the legislation a lining at an All-India federation and declaring that the scheme is fundamentally bad and totally unacceptable to British India. , The Assembly aho carried the second section o| Jinnah's amendment, demanding modifications in provincial autonomy and tho complete responsibility of the Central Government. Jinnah said th> Federal proposals were 98 per cent safeguards and 2 per cent responsibility, which was more humiliating and intolerable than the existing constitution. Sir Henry Craik, Home member, explained that the safeguards were introduced owing to the declarations of members of the Congress. Jinnah retorted: " What about you Churchills, Lord Lloyd, Sir Michael O'Dwyer and Sir Reginald Craddock ? If I go by what thuv say, I should kick the British from ladial "

Srinivasa Sastri, president of the Servants of India Society, referred in an interview to the pledge of Dominion status given by tho Secretary of State for India, Sir Samael Hoare. He said: " India can no longer put faith in the British Cabinet's spokesmen nor in the preamble to the 1£ 19 Act."