HC Deb 30 July 1908 vol 193 cc1747-8
MR. LUPTON

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for India if Mr. Tilak, at his recent trial in Bombay, was convicted by seven English jurymen and acquitted by two native jurymen; and, if so, in view of the fact that the jury were disagreed and of the feeling caused by the sentence of six years imprisonment in the Bombay Presidency, whether the Secretary of State will cause the sentence to be remitted.

MR. BUCHANAN

With regard to my hon. friend's Question I have nothing to add to the full statement that I made on Tuesday in reply to the hon. Member for Brentford.

MR. LUPTON

May I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman is satisfied that the articles, for writing which Mr. Tilak was tried, were properly translated for the benefit of the English jury who had to try him for articles written in another language?

MR. BUCHANAN

I do not think that that is quite a fair presentation of the case. I have no reason for believing that the translation of the articles was otherwise than fair.

MR. O'GRADY

Is it not the fact that the main line of the defence was that the articles were not accurately translated?

MR. BUCHANAN

I am not aware of that. I am perfectly certain that, if that were one of the allegations brought forward by Mr. Tilak, it was fairly considered by both the Judge and the jury.

MR. LUPTON

Would it not be in accordance with proper justice to try such a man before a jury of his own countrymen?

*MR. SPEAKER

That is a matter of opinion.

SIR H. COTTON (Nottingham. E.)

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that Mr. Tilak objected to the special jury on account of the large majority of Europeans it would contain, and desired to be tried by a jury of his own countrymen?

MR. BUCHANAN

I think I said the other day that Mr. Tilak challenged a considerable number of the special jurymen, while, on the other hand, the prosecuting counsel only challenged two.

MR. LUPTON

Will the right hon. Gentleman say how the panel is summoned? They all seem to be Europeans.

*MR. SPEAKER

Hon. Members should put these Questions on the Paper.