The late Mr. Gokhale, well remembered as an Indian politician,
left with his friend the Aga Khan a memorandum on Indian administrative reform, which was published in Wednesday's Times, Mr. Gokhale developed in this political testament the idea of pro. vincial autonomy foreshadowed in the King-Emperor's famous speech at the Delhi Durban. He proposed for each province an elected Legislative Council, with a Cabinet of three English and three Indian members, not responsible to the Council, under a Governor appointed from home. Within the province, local self-government would be developed, beginning with the villages and towns. The province would dispose of its local revenues from land, Excise, forests, and so on, paying a contribution to the Central Government, which would deal with matters that concern India as a whole. The Viceroy's Executive Council would become a Cabinet of six, including two Indian members. His Legislative Council, renamed the Legislative Assembly of India, with a hundred members and an official or nominated majority, would support his Cabinet in its dealings with the provinces. The scheme has much in common with Lord Islington's proposals. We comment on it elsewhere.
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