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Mayor, who directed the burial of a fakir within the precincts of the great municipal market of Calcutta, a proceeding that gave a shock to public sentiment. Who has ever heard of the Speaker of the House of Commons usurping the functions of the Prime Minister? One more illustration and I take leave of these considera- tions, which have been forced upon me by recent and somewhat unexpected developments.

The Municipal Act provides for the appointment of five alder- men, to be elected by the appointed and elected commissioners at their first meeting. The object of the new institution, which follows English precedent, was to provide seats in the Corporation for a few elderly men who would not care to face the risks of an election, but whose advice would be useful and whose presence would add to the dignity of the Corporation. The Corporation had recom- mended in their Report on the Bill, that the selection of aldermen should be confined to those who have been municipal commissio- ners. It was at my instance that the scope of the selection was broadened and the Corporation was allowed to clect anyone as an alderman. In the course of the discussion I pointed out that the restricted scope proposed by the Corporation would keep out such men as Sir Jagadish Eose, Dr. Rabindranath Tagore and others like them. The view was accepted by my colleagues. In introducing the Bill, I said:

'There must always be in a community men who by their temperament and the habits of a lifetime would be unwilling to face the trouble and the risks of a popular election, but whose presence in the Corporation would enhance its dignity, and whose counsels would add to its deliberative strength. I could almost name persons in our community who would answer this description, but personal references are unnecessary to add to the weight of this argument, which stands confirmed by the most obvious considerations. Such men should find a place in the Corporation, and a system of co-option by a limited and select constituency, such as the elected and nominated members of the Corporation, would secure this end.'

I am well aware that discussions in the Legislative Council can- not be used for the interpretation of any provision of the law. But at least they are a guide to the intentions of the framers of the law. At any rate, the practice in all countries is to follow the principle to which I have referred. It was, however, set at nought by the Swarajist party. Young men who might easily have contested seats were elected aldermen for no other reason apparently than that