Page:Allan Octavian Hume, C.B.; Father of the Indian National Congress.djvu/121

 generally on the present prospects and methods of National Progress " ; and is so important, both as illustrating Mr. Hume's attitude of mind towards social problems, and as indicating the practical course of action which he favoured, that I have reproduced it in extenso as Appendix II. To supplement the views therein stated, another letter is added. Appendix III, regarding the resolution passed by Lord Dufferin's Government with reference to Mr. Malabari's demands for social legislation. In this letter he pointed out that Lord Dufferin's objections to legislate were not unreason- able ; and that so long as the Viceroy had virtually only European colleagues as advisers, the Government, how- ever sympathetic it might be, was not in a position to pass measures on such intricate social matters. It is neither good for the commonalty, nor safe for the Government, that foreigners should deal with questions affecting so closely the innermost domestic life of the people. "But," as pointed out by Mr. Hume, "as soon as we have a strong independent representative element in all our Councils, the situation will be altogether changed." Now, happily, under Lord Morley's reforms, a move has been made in the right direction ; a representative element has been introduced into the Legislative Councils ; and already the inde- pendent members have put their hands to the plough. By supporting Mr. Gokhale's Bill for free and compul- sory elementary education, they have sought to prepare the soil in which good seed may be sown. Looking to the views expressed by Lord Dufferin, it is an irony of fate that the opposition to the Bill comes from the head- quarters of the official camp. The excuse put forward is that the measure is unpopular. But of this there is no evidence whatever. No popular protest has been forthcoming, as was so emphatically the case when