(1) _General._--All Provinces having Legislative Councils at present
(except Burma) should have a Governor with Executive and Legislative
Councils. A complete separation will be made between Indian and
Provincial Revenues. Provincial Governments are to have certain powers
of taxation and borrowing.
Responsible Government is to be introduced in the Provinces by a
division of departments into reserved (for Government) and transferred
(to popular control) subject to a revision after five years. (A
Committee is appointed to settle which subjects should be transferred.
The report is not yet out.)
(2) _The Executive_ would be a kind of Diarchy, consisting of the
Governor and two members (one of whom is to be an Indian) who will be in
charge of the reserved subjects, and responsible only to Government; and
a Minister or Ministers, nominated by the Governor from the elected
members of the Council, who will be in charge of the transferred
subjects and responsible not to the Legislature, but to the electors who
may not elect him next time. There may also be additional members
without Portfolios for the purpose of consultation.
Ministers to have no voice in decisions concerning reserved subjects or
about the supply for them in the Budget.
There will be Under-Secretaries and Standing Committees from the members
of the Legislative Councils to assist the Executive.
(3) _Legislative Councils._--These would be practically two Provincial
Legislative Bodies: (1) Legislative Council. (2) Grand Committee.
The Legislative Council will have a substantial elected majority,
elected on a broad franchise with Governor as President. (A Commission
is appointed to inquire into the question of franchise and the
composition of the Council, but the report is not yet out.)
The Grand Committee will comprise only from 40 to 50 per cent of
Legislative Council, and its members will be partly elected by a ballot
and partly appointed by nomination.
All Legislation and the Budget for transferred subjects only must be
passed in the Legislative Councils.
But when the Governor certifies that a bill dealing with reserved
subjects is essential he may refer the Bill to the Grand Committee and
have it finally passed there.
The members of the Legislative Council can ask questions and pass
resolutions, but the latter are not binding on the Executive, except
resolutions on the Budget for the transferred subjects.
All Provincial Legislation requires the assent of the Governor and the
Governor-General, and is also subject to disallowance by His Majesty.