INDIAN FEDERATION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 151, 29 June 1932, Page 7

INDIAN FEDERATION

CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM DEFINITE ADVANCE INDICATEDGOV ER N MENT DECL AR A TON. [ British Official Wireless.] RUGBY, J uno 27. An important declaration upon In uian constitutional procedure was made in the House ol Commons by .Sir Samuel Houre (Secrctaiy for India). He announced that the Government would endeavour to give effect to their Indian policy by means of a single Bill which would provide alike for an autonomous constitution of the provinces and for a federation of the provinces and States. They intended that this measure should contain provisions enabling pjoviucia. constitutions to be introduced without necessarily awaiting the completion of the steps required for the actual inauguration of the federation. ♦ Since it was an essential feature of the Government’s policy that the federation which the Bill would construct should be a federation of AH India, it followed that the units concerned must be prepared actually to federate and the proposals to be laid before Parliament to this end must be complete in all essentials. The Government was convinced that matters had now reached a stage at which a settlement was urgent. The important questions remaining would only be delayed by formal sessions of large bodies. The expeditious treatment of these questions could best bo secured by a programme, which though involving some variation in method would secure full collaboration which had been the underlying principle of the work accomplished hitherto. Communal .problem. The Government would take the next step towards the removal of obstacles and announce the decision they had undertaken to give on those aspects of the communal problem, which now retard progress. They were now engaged in a settlement of the actual forms of tho decision and, unless unforeseen difficulties intervened, hoped to announce it some time during the present summer.

As soon as the decision was announced, on the assumption that it removed the obstacles which had oeen impeding progress, tho Government trusted that the Consultative Committee would reassemble. The Government hoped that the committee’s discussions would make such progress that only a few specific problems would remain, for example, tho financial safeguards which might appropriately be the subject fnr an informal discussion in London with a few individuals with special experience thereon. After such discussions the Government would pass straight to the ParHamentnry stage. The Government considered that, the final stage of the consultation with Indian opinion could usefully take nlace only on definite proposals. They therefore proposed to invite both Houses of Parliament to sot up a joint select committee before the introduction of the Bill, thus facilitating Indian co-oneration and ensuring its effective influence in what was probably tho most mnortant stage in shaping constitutional reforms and boforo irrevocable decisions had been reached bv Parliament. Bv this procedure tho Government hoped for rapid progress and continued co-operation between the British Indian representatives on the one hand and the three British nartics on the other.

INDIAN TERRORISTS NATIVE MAGISTRATE SHOT. GOVERNMENT’S WARNING. CALCUTTA, June 27. There was a revival of terrorist out rages in East Bengal to-day. Kamkhya Prasad Sen, special mngis trate of Dacoor, was shot dead in bed at close range, his assailant entering a window while Sen was asleep. He leaves a widow and large family. Sen is the first Indian magistrate killed by the terrorists. Due to the serious economic situation in Bombay, whose cotton trade and other business have been brought to a standstill by Congress intimidation, the Government has issued an ultimatum to common brokers and merchants, saying tht, unless Congress i.defied and business carried on in the city, trade will be taken over by the Government. The merchants are eager to resume normal trading, but being closely linked with Congress by moans of financial support, fear illegal fines and social boycott. They have not the courage to break away. However, they have asked for a fortnight’s grace to consider the situation.