§ Mr. LANSBURY(by Private Notice) asked the Under-Secretary for India whether it is the policy of the Government of India, in making appointments 197 to the higher posts in the public services, to give preference to members of the Legislative Assembly and Councils who vote on the side of the Government?
§ Mr. SPEAKERNo; we must not read the proceedings in the Legislative Assembly? May I read them, Mr. Speaker?
§ Mr. SPEAKERNo, we must not discuss the debates of the Indian Legislative Assembly.
§ Mr. LANSBURYIs the Noble Lord aware that the Governor of Bombay wrote a letter to certain persons informing them that it was the policy of the Department to give rewards in the shape of offices only to those who voted consistently with the Government?
§ Earl WINTERTONThe hon. Gentleman will realise, in the first place, that his question has reference to the Government of India, and he is now asking a supplementary question about some action taken by the Governor of Bombay. That is an entirely different office which has responsibility for an entirely different Government. If the hon. Gentleman wants information on that subject, I must ask him to put down a question. In fairness to Sir Leslie Wilson, I ought to state that the letter from which the hon. Gentleman is quoting was quoted elsewhere in India and the quotation is given in India was incomplete. The full letter was not quoted. It was not a letter from Sir Leslie himself, but from his private secretary to a correspondent in which he dealt, inter alia, with the position of the members for Sind in the Bombay Legislative Council and appointments to the Public Service in that province.
§ Mr. LANSBURY rose—
§ Mr. SPEAKERI must have questions before me where they deal with other Legislatures.
§ Mr. LANSBURYThe only point is that the Noble Lord has challenged the accuracy of the statement which I made, and I only want to ask him whether he is aware that, in that letter, the number of times certain persons voted with the Government and other persons voted 198 against the Government are given in very great detail?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI must see questions of this sort, in order to ensure that they are in order, when they deal with matters concerning the administration of other Legislatures.