FEDERAL CONSTITUTION

Taranaki Daily News, 15 January 1931, Page 7

FEDERAL CONSTITUTION

FUTURE CONTROL OF INDIA

COMMITTEE FINISHES WORK

SOME RESERVATIONS MADE BROAD ISSUES LAID. DOWN British Wireless. Rugby, Jan. 14. The Federal structure sub-committee at its final meeting to-day discussed Lord Sankey’s draft report. Various members made reservations, and Lord Sankey subsequently drafted a further paragraph to add to the committee’s report, noting the reservations and making it clear that while agreement had been reached by the majority of the committee on many important matters, the right was reserved for every member to modify his opinion before the ‘final picture was complete, this applying to British and Indian members alike. The Indian States maintained that they did not desire to discuss or vote on questions affecting British India alone, while on the other hand they did not contemplate that the question of paramountcy would come within the purview of the Federal Government. Lord Reading said they would remember that the conclusions were provisional, because the conference could not frame the constitution, but could only decide broad principles. The understanding from the outset was that members, when they came to consider the completed proposals for federal constitution, could modify any provisional recommendation they had given. They of the Liberal Party delegation-saw no reason to depart from the opinions he expressed in recent speeches. Sir Mohammed Shafi, speaking on behalf of the Moslems, said that when ihe made his earlier speech he hoped that a Hindu-Moslem settlement would be arrived at before the final stage of the conference. .That hope had not been realised, and it became necessary for him to make a declaration, that, in the words of the resolution of the All-India Moslem conference in December, 1927, ho constitution by whomsoever devised, should be accepted by Indian Mussulmans unless their interests were adequately safeguarded. He desired to say on behalf of the Mussulrmm community that it was not prepared to accept the proposals of the report for transferring responsibility until adequate safeguards were inserted. HINDU-MOSLEM QUESTION. Mr. M. A. Jinnah maintained that the settlement qf the Hindu-Moslem question was a condition precedent to the completion of any constitution for India, and declared that unless safeguards for Mussulmans were provided which gave a complete sense of security, and unless their co-operation and y. illing consent were obtained, no constitution would work for -24 hours. He had serious doubts of an All-India Federation materialising, but all avenues leading to it should be explored. He thought that the special powers of the GovernorGeneral should be limited to cases of complete breakdown or grave emergency endangering the peace and tranquility of the country. Mr. Srinivasa Sastri regretted that it was necessary to put a block in the name of the "Moslem community upon further progress, if Moslem demands were not met in full. He should have thought it possible to trust to arbitration °or to the decisions of the Governinent of India arrived after careful consideration. Some such scheme might -still save the situation. The only safeguards he favoured were regarding defence, external affairs and certain aspects of paramountcy. Upon all. other subjects he felt that the constitution should not detract from the full powers of a Dominion. Lord Peel submitted a statemant on behalf of Conservatives, declaring that -with so many questions still undecided they were not convinced that the kind of executive -stated in the report could be successfully adapted to the satisfaction of the All-India Federation. ■They therefore desired to see the methods further explored. They wished to record their appreciation of the progress made in the elucidation of a contentious ■and difficult problem, and their readiness to co-operate with sympathetic, unprejudiced "willingness in a further investigation.