§ 6. Mr. WELLOCKasked the Under-secretary of State for India whether it is the intention of the Government of India to forbid public demonstrations at which it is proposed to burn foreign cloth?
§ give the net profits on the Indian State railways for the past three years and the sums transferred from these profits to the Indian Treasury in relief of taxation, each of the three years being shown separately?
§ Earl WINTERTONWith the hon. Member's permission I will circulate the figures in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following are the figures:
§ The net profits on the Indian State Railways (including both commercial and strategic lines) and the net contribution to general revenues for the last three years were as follows:
§ Earl WINTERTONI would refer the hon. Member to the answer given on the 25th February to the hon. Member for Penryn and Falmouth (Mr. Pilcher).
§ Mr. WELLOCKAre demonstrations of this character to be forbidden by the Government no matter where they take place, in view of the policy which the Noble Lord said that the Government of India had proposed in order to meet the boycott policy?
§ Earl WINTERTONIt entirely depends on the place where the demonstration takes place.
§ Mr. SAKLATVALAIs the Noble Lord not aware that the symbolical burning of articles at public demonstrations is a constitutional process which has been observed from time immemorial?
§ Earl WINTERTONIt depends entirely upon where the demonstration takes place. If the hon. Member were to conduct a ceremonial of burning in Hyde Park, he would find that he would come into conflict with the law.
§ Mr. SAKLATVALAIs the Under-Secretary not aware that during the War some patriotic Britishers burned copies 787 of the "Daily Mail" when they felt annoyed with it?
§ Earl WINTERTONIt entirely depends on the locale. If the hon. Member chooses to burn a copy of the "Daily Mail" in his own house nobody would interfere, but if he burned it in Whitehall, he would probably find himself taken in charge by the police.
§ 7. Mr. WELLOCKasked the Under-secretary of State for India if he will state the terms of that portion of the Calcutta Police Act of which the lighting of a bonfire in Mirzapur Park, Calcutta was held by the Governor of Bengal to be a contravention?
§ Earl WINTERTONSection 66 of the Calcutta Police Act, 1866 provides that whoever commits in any street thoroughfare or place of public resort within the limits of the town of Calcutta any of a number of specified offences is liable on summary conviction to fine. One of the offences specified in Sub-section (11) is the lighting of any bonfire in or near any street or thoroughfare except at such times and places as shall from time to time be allowed by the Commissioner of Police.