The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-07-09
THE EMPIRE OF INDIA
" LORD M0RLEY'S REFORM SCHEME
By Frederic ]. i7aalin.

Calucutta, India, The Scheme
OF Constitutional Reform for India. an
nounced last November by viscount
Morley, of Blackburn, Secretary of
State for India, marks an epoch In the
history OF British rule in this great
Asiatic Empire. It is the avowed pur-
pose OF the Reform Scheme to fulfil the
promises made by Queen Victoria when
she assumed the rule of India in 1858
and repeated later by Victoria as EN-
press and by Edward VII, to give the
Indians q large share in the govern
ment of the Empire As these reforms
have been long promised the Briton in
India Is insistent to q degree upon his
theory that the Scheme is not advance
ed as q result Of the unrest" but ra-
ther, In spite of disturbances and dis
content. Nevertheless. 1t cannot be de-
nted that the unrest" had much to do
with bringing England to the point of
redeeming some of its old promises. A
tentative scheme of reform was advanc-
ed in 1907. full discussion Of its prov
isions was courted, and the result was
the announcement Of the Morley
Scheme In November last The British
Parliament proceeded then to wrestle
with it's general provisions and tho
Indian government began to prepare
1t effect.
In general terms. the Morley Re-
form Scheme may be described as q
concession to the natives of India CIV
ing them a voice In the administration
of government in both legislative and
executive branches. The Tory English
protest that It goes much too far, and
cessions when the unrest" Of the
country demanded repression. Lord
Morley, the erstwhile John Morley who
was the only Englishman who did not
dearly love a lord" adhered to his
announced policy, however. declaring
that anarchy and disorder must be put
down with the iron hand and that the
reforms must be granted ct the same
time.
Under the Reform Scheme. native In
dams will have both official and nom
Official seats in the Imperial and Prov
inciai Legislative Councils. 1t IL care
fully provided that the government
shall always have q majority Of the
Council, and no provision Is made for
the retirement Of a government when
II Is adversely voted upon in Council.
In this all-important respect the Re-
form Scheme falls short OF the self
governing constitutions of England's
''free nation" colonies. But It will Re
possible, under the new regime, 20 have
native majorities in the Councils. pro-
vided some OF them are attached to
the government.
Natives have had seats in the Legis-
lative Councils for years, but they have
not had any power beyond speech-ma-
king. Undr the new scheme. the Coun-
CHS will have the right 10 debate the
budgets so far as concerns matters not
purely Imperial. That means that they
may discuss the appropriations for all
army, and a few other things over
which England retains supreme and
undivided power.
Another most important concession
is the grant of the right of interpelia-
ton. That means that native members
Of councils may, as of right ask ques-
lions in Council of the heads of the ex-
ecutive departments and may insist up
on answers which meet the Issue
shquarely. Heretofore no Indian has
enjoyed the right to demand Of his
government an account of its steward
ship in any particular.
The constitution of the Imperial and
various Provincial Councils under the
Reform Scheme will be very complex.
There will be a certain number OF ofti-
cial heads OF departments who will
have seats ex-offlcio. Then there will
be members elected by associations, by
Chambers of Commerce. and, in the
Imperial body, by the Provincial Coun-
ellis. other members will be nomin-
ated, that is, appointed, by the Viceroy
for the Imperial body and by the Gov
ernors for the Provincial Legislatures
In the Provincial Councils there will
be some members elected from the peo-
pie. The right of direct suffrage 10
not granted TO the people as a whole.
but landowners who pay about 5000 o
year land-tax and $1,000 a year income
tax will be qualified as electors. THIS
very limited suffrage is granted only
Indirectly. as a college of electors SIM
thar to that which elects the Presi-
dent of the United States is tnterposed
as a buffer between the people and the
Council. II Is far cry from such q
system to free representative govern.
ment as II Is known in America. but
both English and native leaders are
agreed that IT would be disastrous TO
give suffrage to the uneducated mil
lions Of India. No such step Is contem-
plated. even in the program of the
most extreme "Swara1," or india FOR
the Tndians'' party.
The provision for separate represent
alton for Mohemmedans in these Coun-
ellis has caused a storm Of protest to