There was, however, a much darker side to the picture.
Lord Reading turned in the latter half of his speech to the question of Terrorism, particularly in Bengal, and he defended his action in having granted, without consulting. the Council, special powers to Lord Lytton, the Governor at Calcutta. The Government was faced, he said, by a widespread system of secret societies whose object was to make all government impossible by the murdering of officials and sabotage of all kinds. It was impossible to deal with these societies by ordinary methods, as they were always in the position to terrorize witnesses. Hence the need for special powers. Lord Reading ended his speech with what is described as a moving appeal for soli- darity and constitutionalism, and especially for better relations between the Moslems and Hindus.
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