tion of a ruling prince M-C. R. 278; see the Council of State Electoral Rules in the Gazette of India Extraordinary, July 29, 1920, pp. 729-55. See the Legislative Assembly Electoral Rules, ibid pp. 756-90. 24. (1) Sub-sections (1) and (3) of section sixtyseven of the principal Act (which relate to the classes of business which may be transacted by the Indian

Business and proceedings in Indian legislature.

legislative council) shall cease to have effect.

(2) Provision may be made by rules under the principal Act for regulating the course of business and the preservation of order in the chambers of the Indian legislature, and as to the persons to preside at the meetings of the Legislative Assembly in the absence of the president and the deputy-president; and the rules may provide for the number of members required to constitute a quorum, and for prohibiting or regulating the asking of questions on, and the discussion of, any subject specified in the rules.

See s. 67(1) Act.

(3) If any Bill which has been passed by one chamber is not, within six months after the passage of the Bill by that chamber, passed by the other chamber either without amendments or with such amendments as may be agreed to by the two chambers, the Governor-General may in his discretion refer the matter for decision to a joint sitting of both chambers: Provided that standing orders made under this section may provide for meetings of members of both chambers appointed for the purpose,

in order to discuss any difference of opinion which has arisen between the two chambers.

See s. 67(3) Act.

(4) Without prejudice to the powers of the Governor-General under section sixty-eight of the principal Act, the Governor-General may, where a Bill has been passed by both chambers of the Indian legislature, return the Bill for reconsideration by either chamber.

See s. 67(4) Act; for return for reconsideration of Bill passed by Local Council see s. 12-s. 81A Act.

(5) Rules made for the purpose of this section may contain such general and supplemental provisions as appear necessary for the purpose of giving full effect to this section.

See s. 67(5) Act.

(6) Standing orders may be made providing for the conduct of business and the procedure to be followed in either chamber of the Indian legislature in so far as these matters are not provided for by rules made under the principal Act. The first standing orders shall be made by the GovernorGeneral in Council, but may, with the consent of the Governor-General, be altered by the chamber to which they relate.

Any standing order made as aforesaid which is repugnant to the provisions of any rules made under the principal Act shall, to the extent of that repugnancy but not otherwise, be void.

See s. 67(6) Act.

(7) Subject to the rules and standing orders affecting the chamber, there shall be freedom of speech in both chambers of the Indian legislature. No person shall be liable to any proceedings in any court by reason of his speech or vote in either chamber, or by reason of anything contained in any official report of the proceedings of either chamber.

See s. 67(7) Act; for analogous provisions in the case of Governor's Legislative Council see s. 11(7)—s. 72D (7) Act.

For rules regulating the course of business in the Indian Legislature see the Indian Legislative Rules (Appendix G), M-C. R. 286; for procedure of standing committees see M-C. R. 285; for amendment by one chamber of Bills passed by the other see Indian Legislative Rules (Appendix G) Rules 32-36; for joint sitting and conference of both chambers see ibid Rules 37-42. See Standing Orders (appendix I.)

25: (1) The estimated annual expenditure and

revenue of the Governor-General Indian budget. in Council shall be laid in the form o: a statement before both chambers of the Indian legislature in each year.

(2) No proposal for the appropriation of any revenue or moneys for any purpose shall be made except on the recommendation of the GovernorGeneral.

(3) The proposals of the Governor-General in Council for the appropriation of revenue or moneys relating to the following heads of expenditure shall not be submitted to the vote of the legislative assembly, nor shall they be open to discussion by either chamber at the time when the annual state

ment is under consideration, unless the GovernorGeneral otherwise directs

(i) interest and sinking fund charges on loans;

and

(ii) expenditure of which the amount is prescribed by or under any law; and

(iii) salaries and pensions of persons appointed

by or with the approval of His Majesty

or by the Secretary of State in Council; and

(iv) salaries of chief commissioners and judicial commissioners; and

(v) expenditure classified by the order of the Governor-General in Council as

(a) ecclesiastical;

(b) political;

(c) defence.

(4) If any question arises whether any proposed appropriation of revenue or moneys does or does not relate to the above heads, the decision of the Governor-General on the question shall be final.

(5) The proposals of the Governor-General in Council for the appropriation of revenue or moneys relating to heads of expenditure not specified in the above heads shall be submitted to the vote of the legislative assembly in the form of demands for grants.

(6) The legislative assembly may assent or refuse its assent to any demand or may reduce the amount

referred to in any demand by a reduction of the whole grant.

(7) The demands as voted by the legislative assembly shall be submitted to the Governor-General in Council, who shall, if he declares that he is satisfied that any demand which has been refused by the legislative assembly is essential to the discharge of his responsibilities, act as if it had been assented to, notwithstanding the withholding of such assent or the reduction of the amount therein referred to, by the legislative assembly.

(8) Notwithstanding anything in this section the Governor-General shall have power, in cases of emergency, to authorise such expenditure as may, in his opinion, be necessary for the safety or tranquillity of British India or any part thereof.

See s. 67A Act; for provisions re Budget in Governor's Legislative Council see s. 11 cf. s. 72D Act; for Governor-General's certificate that Bill is essential for safety, etc. of British India see s. 26 cf. s. 67B Act; for certificate that a Bill affect the safety or tranquillity of British India see s. 27(2) cf. s. 67(2A) Act.

This is a new provision for the submission of the Indian Budget to the vote of the Legislative Assembly, on the understanding that this body is constituted as a chamber reasonably representative in character and elected directly by suitable constituencies. The Committee consider it necessary (as suggested to them by the consolidated fund charges in the Imperial Parliament) to exempt certain charges of a special or recurring nature, which have been set out in the Bill, e.g., the cost of defence, the debt charges and certain fixed salaries, from the process of being voted. But otherwise they would leave the Assembly free to criticise and vote the estimates of expenditure of the Government of India. It is not, however, within