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body of the opinion of united India, untempered by a single dissentient voice.

At the special session of the Congress held in Bombay in September, 1918, under the presidency of Mr. Hassan Imam, the following Resolution was passed on the motion of Pundit Madan Mohan Malavya: 'The status and salary of the Ministers shall be the same as those of the members of the Executive Council.' The motion was supported by Mr. Nehru and Mr. Tilak, among others.

At the first conference of the Moderate party held in Bombay in November, 1918, the following resolution was passed on the motion of the Rt. Hon. Mr. Srinivasa Shastri:

'That the status and emoluments of the Ministers should be identical with those of the Executive Councillors.'

Again, at the special session of the All-India Moslem League, also held in Bombay in September, 1918, under the presidency of the Hon. the Raja of Mahmudabad, on the motion of the Hon. Moulvi Fazlul Huq, the following resolution was passed: 'The status and salary of the Ministers shall be the same as that of the the members of the Executive Council'.

The report of the Committee of the non-official members of the Imperial Legislative Council recommended that the Ministers be placed as regards pay and emoluments on a footing of equality with the members of the Executive Councils'.

The non-official members of the Bengal Legislative Council in their report on the Reforms Scheme observed that 'the status, privileges and emoluments of Ministers should be the same as those of the members of the Provincial Executive Council'. But the most authoritative body of opinion on the subject was that of prominent leaders who gave evidence before the Joint Parliamentary Com- mittee in London; and here again we note the same solid unanimity without a single dissentient note. When Non-Co-operators like Mr. Patel and co-operators like Mr. Shastri stand on the same platform, we are entitled to hold that the plea for the reduction of Ministers' salaries stood on the flimsiest ground. Mr. Madhava Rao and Mr. Patel, members of the Congress Deputation, deposed in their evidence before the Joint Committee, 'Ministers are to be on equality in pay and status with the members of the Executive Council'. It was a charge brought against me by the Extremist Press that, in voting against the reduction of ministerial salary, I

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