HC Deb 04 December 1919 vol 122 cc711-2

(1) The estimated annual expenditure and revenue of the Governor-General in Council shall be laid in the form of a statement before both chambers of the Indian legislature in each year.

(5) The proposals of the Governor-General in Council for the appropriation of revenue or moneys relating to heads of expenditure not specified in the above heads shall be submitted to the vote of the Legislative Assembly in the form of demands for grants.

(6) The Legislative Assembly may assent or refuse its assent to any demand or may reduce the amount referred to in any demand by a reduction of the whole grant.

(7) The demands as voted by the Legislative Assembly shall be submitted to the Governor-General in Council, who shall, if he declares that he is satisfied that any demand which has been refused by the Legislative Assembly is essential to the discharge of his responsibilites, act as if it had been assented to, notwithstanding the withholding of such assent or the reduction of the amount therein referred to, by the Legislative Assembly.

(8) Notwithstanding anything in this Section the Governor-General shall have power, in cases of emergency, to authorise such expenditure as may, in his opinion, be necessary for the safety or tranquillity of British India or any part thereof.

Colonel YATE

I beg to move, to leave out Sub-sections (5), (6) and (7). I wish to ask the Secretary of State if this change was made in accordance with the evidence given by Lord Meston before the Committee, or was it done by the Joint Committee because of evidence given by him; also whether the opinion of the Government of India in the general telegram he has read covers this?

Mr. MONTAGU

The general telegram was based on a full summary of the Report of the Committee and of the Amendments to the Bill. This Amendment was made by the Committee as a compromise after hearing evidence of Lord Meston on his own behalf. It was not in harmony with the evidence given by the Government of India through Lord Meston, but it was a compromise between the two. It was thought that this was the better procedure.

Amendment negatived.

Clause ordered to stand part of the Bill.

It being a quarter past Eight of the clock, and leave having been given to move the Adjournment of the House under Standing Order No. 10, further Proceeding was postponed, without Question put.