Page:Allan Octavian Hume, C.B.; Father of the Indian National Congress.djvu/147

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can exclude, all possibility of a corrupt partiality, in appointing to office, or covering from enquiry and punishment, any person who has abused, or shall abuse his authority." As a move in this direction some practical reforms might now be adopted, as recom- mended in the Minority Report of Lord Welby's Com- mission. As regards the responsible advisers of the Secretary of State, it was proposed (para. 34) that " a sufficient number of representative Indians of position and experience should be nominated to the Council of the Secretary of State on the recommendation of the elected members of the Viceroy's and Local Legislative Councils." Perhaps, as a beginning, representative Indians, selected in this way, might constitute not less than one-third of the Council ; another third being officials ; and the remaining third being selected from "the most trusted public men in England," unconnected with the Indian administration.

As regards control by Parliament, the recommendation of the Minority Report ran as follows : " In the time of the East India Company a Parliamentary enquiry was held every twenty years, before the renewal of the Charter. From these enquiries date the most important reforms for the benefit of India, Also the prospect of such an enquiry tended to check abuses. This old practice should be revived by statute." Further, " in order to maintain the controlling authority over Indian expenditure, the salary of the Secretary of State for India should be placed upon the British estimates." And in order to give reality to the *' Indian Budget debate," the House of Commons should each year appoint a Select Committee to enquire into and report upon the financial conditions of India, as shown in the Budget, and in the discussions thereon in the Legislative Council of the Viceroy. Lord Morley has told us that we should realize " the enormous weight, com-