§ *MR. REES (Montgomery Boroughs)I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State 477 for India whether the Government of Bombay declined to introduce the principle of communal representation of Mahomedans upon municipal councils; and whether, if the answer be in the affirmative, the rejection of this principle is consistent with its introduction into the reforms now under consideration by the Secretary of State in Council.
§ THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Mr. BUCHANAN, Perthshire, E.)The Resolution of the Government of Bombay of July last is mainly to the effect that on account of the way in which the Mahomedan population is locally distributed in that part of India, its just representation on municipal committees could be better secured by other expedients than that of communal representation. The latter part of the Question is matter for argument, and the Secretary of State does not propose to discuss it.