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promised the former at the first start; and to depart from it on the ground that it was impracticable, without having tried it, would be, in the words of Lord Ronaldshay and his Government, a breach of faith.

It was this argument which I think proved the decisive factor in determining the decision of the Committee and of the waverers among the British public. A pledge had been given in the name of the British democracy, and there could be no going back upon it. It has to be borne in mind that the Indian bureaucracy, with excep- tions here and there, were opposed to diarchy. Five of the local Governments had recorded despatches against it, as an undesirable and impracticable system. Bengal and Behar were the only two Governments that supported it, and the Moderate party did so in their evidence before the Joint Committee; not that they were enamoured of it, or would not have gone further in their endeavour to liberalize the Government, but they felt that without their sup- port the boon that had been promised would be lost, and the pros- pects of responsible government indefinitely postponed.

But while the Joint Committee were carrying on their work, in that peaceful and quiet chamber overlooking the Thames, the educated community in India were convulsed by one of those agitations that follow in the track of misgovernment. It was the fruit of the disastrous policy pursued by Sir Michael O'Dwyer in the Punjab. The deportation of Dr. Kitchlew and Mr. Satya Pal, the popular upheaval at Amritsar, followed by serious breaches of the peace, the martial law proceedings and the horrors of the Jallianwallabagh, kindled a conflagration throughout India which it will take many years to allay. It penetrated north, south, cast and west, and for a time stirred the hearts of all, and invested the Reforms with a sinister hue. Lord Chelmsford wanted a calm atmosphere for their discussion. The proceedings of the Punjab Government created an atmosphere, not only in the Punjab, but throughout India, surcharged with the spirit of bitterness and resentment; and the feeling reacted, with more or less intensity, upon the deputations now in England. A public meeting was held, at which some of the members of the Labour party were present. Mr. Montagu was approached, and the Moderate party had more than one conference with him. It was we who urged an open enquiry and suggested the names of the Indian commissioners. We realized the gravity of the situation in India, and we counselled according to our lights.