The principal proposals under this head may be thus summarized;
"We advise that the Secretary of State's salary, like that of all
other Ministers of the Crown, should be defrayed from home
revenues and voted annually by Parliament. This will enable any
live questions of Indian administration to be discussed by the
House of Commons in Committee of Supply.... It might be thought to
follow that the whole charges of the India Office establishment
should similarly be transferred to the home Exchequer; but this
matter is complicated by a series of past transactions, and by the
amount of agency work which the India Office does on behalf of the
Government of India; and we advise that our proposed committee
upon the India Office organization should examine it and taking
these factors into consideration, determine which of the various
India Office charges should be so transferred, and which can
legitimately be retained as a burden on Indian revenues.
"But the transfer of charges which we propose, although it will
give reality to the debates on Indian affairs, will not ensure in
Parliament a better informed or a more sustained interest in
India. We feel that this result can only be accomplished by
appointing a Select Committee of Parliament on Indian affairs."
The above in substance is the proposed scheme. In India it has met with
varied response. The European community does not approve of it. They
think it is too radical. The European Services have struck a note of
rebellion threatening to resign in case of its acceptance by Parliament.
The Indian politicians are divided into two camps. Their views are best
represented by the following tabular statement which we reproduce from
the Indian newspapers.
A COMPARISON BETWEEN THE RESOLUTIONS RELATING TO THE REFORM PROPOSALS
PASSED
_Ordinary Rights of Citizens_