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Municipal Legislation

The most important measure of municipal legislation during my ministry was the Calcutta Municipal Act. Elsewhere I have given its history, and have shown that it was long overdue. What I claim is that I thoroughly revised the constitutional part of the old Act, and placed the new law in conformity with the spirit of the Reforms. In truth it vests the control of the municipal affairs of the city in the hands of the representatives of the rate-payers, elected for the most part upon a broad franchise. What is worthy of notice is that these constitutional changes were in entire accord with the public demand. There are some striking features of the new Act which, in happier times and in an atmosphere free from passion and prejudice, would have evoked public recognition. We hear a great deal about Swaraj in these days. I may say that I have been a Swarajist when many of those now most clamant about it were in their cradles. I was the first amongst Indian public men to urge the demand for dominion status. But here, in the control of the municipal affairs of Calcutta, as constituted under the new Act, we have a veritable Swaraj in the government of the second city in the Empire. Be it remembered that the revenues of municipal Calcutta are nearly one-fifth of the revenues of Bengal, and will under the new law be controlled by the representatives of the people. The Corporation, with four-fifths of the members elected by the rate-payers, will have supreme authority. Their Chief Executive Officer will be elected by them, subject to confirmation by the Government. The Mayor, who will be the Speaker of the House, will also owe his office to popular election. The constitution of the Corporation has been democratized by the broadening of the franchise, the abolition of plural voting and the admission of women into the electorate.

All these represent a notable advance. But not one word of recognition did they elicit from the Extremist Press, which fastened its criticism upon the introduction of the communal system. With a superb disregard of facts, it ignored the fact that the communal