Page:The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, vol. 1.djvu/369

 attitude is a non possumus and may, therefore, be dropped. Should the restrictions of the new law not prevent the introduction of an undesirable element onto the Voters’ Roll, there is nothing at all to prevent us raising the franchise qualification. At present it is very low. The property qualification could, therefore, be easily increased, even doubled and an educational test imposed which, while it would not remove a single European from the Voters’ Roll, would have a sweeping effect on Indian voters. The number of the later possessing immovable property of the value of say, £100 or paying a rent of £20 per annum and able to read and write English must be exceedingly small, and should this fail, there would be nothing to hinder us from adopting the Mississippi plan, or a modification of it to suit the circumstances (5th March, 1896).

It is clear, therefore, that according to the Government organ the present property qualifications are sufficiently high to prevent any undue influx of Indian voters on the Roll, and that the only object of the present Bill is to harass the Indian community—to land them in expensive litigation.

According to the Mauritius Almanac for 1895, the population of that island in 1894 was 259,224 Indians as against 106,995 persons under the heading ‘general population’. The franchise qualification there is as follows:


 * Every male person shall be entitled to be registered in any year as a voter for any electoral district and, when, registered, to vote at the election of a member of the Council for such district who is qualified as follows, that is to say:


 * 1. That he has attained the age of twenty-one years.


 * 2. Is under no legal incapacity.


 * 3. Is a British subject by birth or naturalization.


 * 4. Has resided in the Colony for three years at least previous to the date of registration and possesses some one of the following qualifications:


 * (a) Is on the 1st day of January in each year, and has, during the preceding six calendar months, been the owner of immovable property within such district of the annual value of Rs. 300 or the monthly value of Rs. 25 above all charges and encumbrances affecting the same.


 * (b) Is at the date of registration paying, and has for the six calendar months previous to the 1st day of January in such year paid, rent in respect of immovable property situate within such district at the rate of at least Rs. 25 per month.


 * (c) Has for three calendar months previous to the 1st of January in such year resided, or had his principal place of business or employment within such district, and is the owner of movable property within the Colony of the value of at least Rs. 3,000.