Page:The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, vol. 1.djvu/375

 Indians on the Voters’ Roll. This clause is obviously inserted with the idea of leading the Imperial Government to suppose that this power of exemption would occasionally be used—sparingly perhaps, but still used. Yet the Attorney-General declared that “the power of inclusion given in such circumstances under the present Bill could not, however, he wished to point out, be attained, except through the Governor-in-Council. Every section of the community had begun to realize what the true meaning was of the responsibility of Ministers and knew quite well that no Ministers could hold office for fourteen days if they took upon themselves the responsibility of watering the constituencies by the introduction of Indian electors.” Further on he said, “There would be no other voice throughout South Africa than that the electoral rolls of the country should be absolutely confined to persons of the European race. That was the starting point from which they began and the goal they had in view all along.”
 * . . . if these ministerial declarations mean anything, it is that this Government have no intention to exercise their right of exemption. Then why is it placed on the Bill? Is there not at least an appearance of dissembling, or utilizing a side-wind, if the phrase is more expressive, in inserting a provision in a measure, which its framers declare in submitting it for adoption, they mean to treat as a dead letter?

It would be hardly pleasant for a wealthy Indian merchant to have to apply for a permit to be exempted from the operation of the Bill and also to risk the rejection of his application. It is difficult to understand why Europeans, not coming from countries which have not hitherto possessed elective representative institutions founded on the Parliamentary franchise, should exercise the right of voting, while the non-Europeans similarly placed cannot under the general law of the Colony.

The present Bill, according to the view of the Government, is an experimental measure,. “If”, said the honourable and learned Attorney-General on the second reading, “contrary to their belief, and their firm belief, the Bill should fall short of what was intended, then there never would be rest in the Colony,” etc. The Bill, therefore, is not finite. Under such circumstances, your Memorialists submit that unless all the resources, without resort to class legislation, are tried and have failed (i.e., assuming that there is a danger of the Indian vote swamping the European), a Bill like the present one should not be passed. Your Memorialists venture to submit that this is not a question that affects a mere handful of Her Majesty’s subjects, but it affects 300,000,000 of Her Majesty’s loyal subjects. The question is not how many or what Indians shall have the vote, but the question, your Memorialists humbly submit, is what status the British Indians shall occupy