and Rs. 32 elsewhere, or was a Khot responsible for the payment of Rs. 16 as land revenue in the Panch-Mahals or

Ratnagiri Districts, or Rs. 32 elsewhere.

And in Municipal Districts, Cantonments or notified areas, the ownership or tenancy of a house of which the annual rental value was not less than Rs. 36 in Sind, not less than Rs. 24 in the Panch-Mahals or Ratnagiri Districts, or not less than Rs. 36 elsewhere, or in the absence of such a tax, a house the capital value of which was not less than Rs. 1000 in the Panch-Mahals or Ratnagiri Districts, and not less than Rs. 1500 elsewhere.

108. It will be seen that in urban areas the qualification is not the same throughout the Presidency Bombay. and Karachi have been distinguished from the remaining cities.

Explanatory Remarks.

Again, in rural areas, the smaller towns have been assimilated with the surrounding country because of the absence in them of true urban conditions. The rural franchise is therefore based both upon the holding of land and the occupation of a house, though the qualification for the latter is considerably lower than in an urban constituency.

This distinction between rural and urban constituencies is important. Though essentially an agricultural country, India has many populous towns of ancient origin. Some owed their origin to being places of pilgrimage and fairs; some to their being the capitals of Empires now forgotten; some to their strategic position; and some to their industries. This last cause is assuming a special importance on account of the concentration of industries in particular localities as a result of large scale production. Whatever their origin, the larger cities play an important part in the economic and political life of India and the experience of English History shows that due representation must be conceded to them! As the Government of India say “After religion and race, the boundary between the town and the

country is the greatest dividing line that runs through the Indian people. It corresponds closely with the division between progress and conservatism; between English Education and vernacular; between experience of self-Government and lack of such experience; between the existence of newspapers, professions, bar-libraries, and societies, and their absence. It is roughly the difference between the old Indian and the new, the forces that are forcing us forward and forces that are holding us back.”

Of course, urban representation has not been framed upon any uniform lines in all the provinces, as the local conditions differed considerably. The larger towns were given separate representation. Towns of intermediate size were grouped together according to local convenience; and the remaining with mainly agricultural interests, were merged in the rural constituencies.

The qualifications based upon assessment to incometax and receipt of à military pension are the same throughout the Presidency. The former is an obvious sign of the possession of a substantial income which in all countries. constitutes a proper claim for a vote. The military qualification is a recognition of the services which the army rendered in the Great War. Retired and pensioned officers of the Indian Army-both commissioned and non-commissioned-have been given the vote "because they are men of proved character and intelligence, who have deserved well of the country." But retired sepoys have not been enfranchised as that would have given a disroportionate franchise to the Military Service.

109. The qualifications based upon residence or income are territorial in nature and apply to 'General constituencies.' A uniform franchise of this kind is well-suited to coun tries which are politically advanced like England or the

Classification of Constituencies.

United States. Its adoption in India at the present time however would result in injustice to certain minority communities and special interests. A uniform territorial franchise therefore, has to be modified in practice to suit the conditions of India. The principle of communal representation, therefore, has been introduced in the 'General' constituencies. Special Constituencies have been formed for the representation of special interests like those of the University, European and Indian Commerce, and Land holders.

The following classification of the constituencies in the Bombay Presidency will be found useful.

ΙΟ

IIO.

Communal Representation. So far as the Ma

Communal Representation for

homedans are concerned, their claim for separate representation is now beyond revocation, as it was granted to them by Mahomedans. Lord Minto.

It was all the easier to continue the Mahomedans in the enjoyment of their privilege on account of an important agreement that was arrived at between them and the Hindus respecting the proportion of seats to be allotted to each community. This agreement is known as the 'Lucknow' compact as it was there that it was accepted in December 1916.

The Government of India thought that from the point of view of abstract justice the agreement was not equally fair to all the provinces, as can be seen from the fact that though the Mahomedans are in majority in Bengal and the Punjab, they get a smaller representation, and those in Central Provinces and Bihar Orissa, for instance, a far larger representation than they deserved on the ground of their numbers, and suggested that if it was generally accepted it should be modified in the case of Bengal where the Mahomedans should get more representation. But Lord Southborough rightly pointed out that the essence of the compact was that the provinces with a Mahomedan majority of the population (Bengal and the Punjab) should forego a portion of their representation justified by numerical strength in exchange for substantial increase of representation for Mahomedans in provinces where they are in minority. The effect of accepting the Government of India's recommendation for Bengal would have been the repudiation of it throughout India which would have produced a most deplorable effect in reopening a grave controversy now settled by general consent. And the Joint Committee also agreed in regarding the Luck