§ 4. Mr. PETHICK-LAWRENCEasked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether, seeing that during the minority of the ruler in Jaipur the Government of that State is carried on by the Regent, who is the resident officer, and by a Cabinet of four persons, two of whom are British officials, the Government of India are responsible for administrative acts in that State?
§ Earl WINTERTONThe facts are not quite as stated in the question. Certain powers are reserved to the Resident, but generally speaking the administration of the State is carried on by the Council of State, which consists of six members, including a British official as President. It is an accepted principle, to which effect 1633 is given by these arrangements, that the Government of India have a special measure of responsibility for the administration of Indian States during minorities; but it is to be borne in mind, especially as regards administrative details, that the Government of India are, during a minority administration, the trustees and custodians of the rights, interests and traditions of a State, and that their general policy is accordingly to leave unchanged in essentials the general system of administration to which the ruler and the people have become accustomed.