The next thing to which I wish to refer is the speech of His Excellency
the Viceroy, delivered on the 5th of September. I will only refer to
that part of it which deals with this ideal of self-government. His
Excellency says:--
"I now turn to the third task, viz., constitutional reforms. At
the very first Executive Council, which I held as Viceroy and
Governor-General, I propounded two questions to my Council: (1) What
is the goal of British Rule in India? (2) What are the steps on the
road to that goal? We came to the conclusion which, I trust most Hon.
Members will agree, was inevitable, that the endowment of British
India, as an integral part of the British Empire, with self-government
was the goal of British Rule, and His Majesty's Government have not
put forward in precise terms their policy, which we may say that
we as the Government of India regard in substance as practically
indistinguishable from that which we put forward, etc., etc."
Having said what the goal is, His Excellency proceeds to say that the
first road to that goal is in the domain of local self-government,
village, rural, town or municipal.
The second road is in the domain of more responsible employment of
Indians under the Government. Referring to the third, His Excellency
says:--
"We come now to our third road, which lay in the domain of Legislative
Councils. As Hon. Members will readily appreciate, there is no
subject on which so much difference of opinion exists, and with
regard to which greater need is required for careful investigation
and sober decision. I may say frankly that we, as the Government of
India, recognise fully that an advance must be made on this road
simultaneously with the advances on the other two, etc., etc."
I draw your attention to this. We, therefore, have got the right to
hope that not only will this work of local self-government commence
but simultaneously, along with that, work in the other two domains must
also commence, His Excellency says:--
"And His Majesty's Government, in connection with the goal which they
have outlined in their announcement have decided that substantial
steps in the direction of the goal they define should be taken as soon
as possible."
I say, therefore, gentlemen, that we have got a right to expect that in
the near future some substantial steps should be taken for granting to
the people of this country that government which is responsible, which
is representative and which is an integral part of the British Empire.