In the House of Commons on Thursday, June 14th, Lord
Winterton made an able defence of the Viceroy's action in overruling the will of the Legislative Assembly in India. This course was taken by Lord Reading with regard to the salt tax. The Legislative Assembly objected to the tax being doubled. Much criticism was directed against the Viceroy by the Labour Members. Mr. Trevelyan criticized his action, not on account of the tax itself, which he admitted might be wise, but on account of the internal consequences of the Viceroy's use of his prerogative. He thought that it should be used only in the gravest circumstances. Lord Winterton replied that the.circumstances, if not of the gravest, were exceedingly important and that the deficit in the Budget must be made up. He showed what a valuable and convenient source of revenue the salt tax is. Indeed, a large part of the criticism seems to have been based upon imperfect knowledge.
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