Page:The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, vol. 2.djvu/232

 LIE: “Somebody said ‘sink the ships,’ and he had heard a naval man say he would give a month’s pay for one shot at the ships.” (Cheers and laughter.)


 * “Was every man prepared to put down a month’s pay in this matter? (Cries of ‘Yes,’ and ‘Unanimous’.)”


 * MR. SYKES: “They must make up their minds to lose both time and money; they must be prepared to leave their work and proceed to Demonstration. It must be done on an organized system—they must obey their leader. It was no good for everyone to

throw one another overboard. (Laughter.) They must strictly obey orders. At the word of command, ‘fall in’, and do what they were commanded.” (Cheers, laughter and encores). He moved: “That we proceed by demonstration to the Point on the arrival of the Indians, but each man binds himself to conform to the orders of his leaders. (Cheers).”


 * DR. MACKENZIE: “Since they last met, the position had become less acute. They had advanced the line laid down, and they knew exactly the position of the Government, the willingness of the Government to assist them by all the power they had at their disposal. As far as the Government was concerned, he was thoroughly satisfied. The Government on this point were absolutely at one with the burgesses of Durban, and therefore, they had to set aside any question as to difficulty of conflict with the gentlemen whom the electors had placed, for the time being, in the position of the Government. They were in accord with the Colony, and that was a matter for congratulation. Unfortunately, the Government was so placed that they could not insist on the Indians not landing here, and being sent back in the ships in which they came. That was practically impossible; and the Committee pointed out to Mr. Escombe that this condition of things was an anomaly. There must be some short-fall in the Constitution of the Colony when the best interests and absolute desires of the Colonists could not be achieved and met by the machinery of Government. (Cheers.) They pointed out that the Colonists would insist that that condition of things should cease, and that the Government should be placed in the position of being able to meet the wishes and necessities of the country. Mr. Escombe agreed with them, and they had heard what steps had been taken to meet the urgency of the case. Government was taking all the steps it could, and, within a day or two, he hoped that every meeting held throughout the Colony would show one unanimous desire for and immediate summoning of Parliament. The men of Durban were unanimous. He said the men of Durban-there were a few old women knocking about the place. (‘Hear, hear’, and laughter.) They had only to take the tone of some of the leaders of the newspapers to see the type of men who stuck behind the quill. Men who wrote that sort of thing presumed that the burgesses did not know what was right, and had not got the pluck that was absolutely necessary to do what was right, because a little bit risk attached to it. (Cheers.) If there were any of those old ladies