Page:The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, vol. 2.djvu/170



Thus, perhaps inadvertently but surely inducing the promoters to further action.


 * But at the same time they have to bear in mind in carrying this thing through they must not do anything rash to frustrate the end they had in view. They must be careful not to blindly jump over the wharf and leave it clear for the others to land. (Laughter.)

Dr. MacKenzie said at the last meeting that:


 * The Indian Ocean was the proper place for those Indians (Laughter), let them have it. They were not going to dispute their right to the water there. But they must be careful not to give them the right to dispute the land adjoining that ocean. Mr. Escombe treated the Committee at an interview that morning, extending for about two hours, in a fair and reasonable manner. He said the Government were with them, and wished to help them and expedite the matter in every possible way. He said, however, that they must be careful not to do anything that would hamper the Government’s hands. . . . In their argument to him, they replied: ‘If you do nothing, we will have to act ourselves, and go in force to the Point to see what could be done.’ (Applause.) They further capped that with the remark that the Government of the Colony would have to bring a force to oppose them. Mr. Escombe replied that they would do nothing of the sort (Applause); that the Government were with them, but, he continued, if they put the Government in such a position that they might have to go to the Governor and ask him to take over the reins of the Government, they would have to find some other person, (Interruption.)

(This statement, your Memorialists may remark, remains uncontradicted to the present day, and it can easily be imagined what impetus such a statement would give to the movement.)

Some gentleman said ‘extend the quarantine’, that was exactly what Parliament was going to do. (Applause, and cries of ‘sink the ship’.) He heard a naval volunteer say last night that he would give a month’s pay for a shot at the ship; was every man present prepared to pay down a month’s pay to carry out the object of that meeting? (Applause, and cries of assent.) Then the Government would know what they had behind them. One of the objects of the meeting was to convey to the Government the wish that they wanted a special session of Parliament to extend the quarantine. (Applause.) They must bear in mind that hasty legislation seldom reached its end; but there might be such legislation that would give them time, and protect them while they were fighting for proper legislation. They suggested to Mr. Escombe, and it met with his approval, that as the quarantine laws did not