GOVERNMENT OF INDIA ACT, 1935. (Hansard, 6 March 1939)

§ Lieut.-Colonel Muirhead

I beg to move, That an humble Address be presented to His Majesty in pursuance of the provisions of Section 309 of the Government of India Act, 1935, praying that the Government of India (Provincial Legislative Assemblies) (Amendment) Order, 1939, be made in the form of the draft laid before Parliament. The Indian Delimitation Committee presided over by the late Sir Laurie Hammond discussed in considerable detail the voting system which was to apply to constituencies returning more than one member. Three alternatives were suggested, the single, non-transferable vote, the distributive method and the cumulative method. The Committee recommended the cumulative vote, by which voters have as many votes as there are seats to be filled and distributes them exactly how he likes. This system was described in paragraph 15, Part I, of the Government of India (Provincial Legislative Assemblies) Order, 1936. This system of voting has recently come under discussion in the Madras Legislative Assembly, on the Motion of a member of the scheduled classes. The Assembly, with the assent of the Provincial Governor, has unanimously recommended that the distributive system be substituted for the cumulative system in the general constituencies in Madras. This is clearly a matter on which the considered opinion of the Legislative Assembly should be given due weight, particularly as in this case there appears to be no question of its operating adversely to a minority. The new paragraph 1A of Part II, which will relate exclusively to the Province of Madras, will constitute what is technically an "express provision to the contrary" for the purpose of paragraph 16 of Part I.