I have never concealed for a moment my detestation of the Rowlatt Bills. My only regret is that I did not make it public before. One new point which I would wish to add to what has been said is that a subtle and very deep evil lies beneath the surface of Indiin life especially in the student world. "Spying" is already a terror and a dread, but it will become armed with fresh powers of evil if these Bills are carried into law. To show by example what I mean: while I was teaching in the college two of my own students whom I trusted were found out to be paid Government spies introduced into the college for that very purpose. I had myself experience of catching redhanded a Government spy in my own room in the college searching my private papers. He confessed to me that he had been sent to spy upon by the C.I.D. I could give a large number of such personal experiences and there are many others who could do the same. If the Government of India is prepared deliberately to increase this spying evil and to rely still more upon this weapon it may do so, but it will lose the respect of those who have wished all along to hold it in esteem. The Rowlatt Bills: An Explanation. The following communique was issued by Government on April 5-There is reason to believe that misleading accounts of the effect of the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act (commonly known as the Rowlatt Bill) are being circulated among the more ignorant sections of the population. Thus, in Delhi, it is reported that large sections of the populace believed that the Act empowers any Police Officer to arrest without a warrant any three Indians whom he may see engaged in conversation, and to enter and search without a warrant any house. These beliefs, sedulously propagated by evilly disposed persons and allowed to pass uncontradicted by others, doubtless account largely for the high state of excitement prevalent among the crowds that came into conflict with the Police and Military at Delhi on the 30th March with fatal results. It is hardly necessary to state that the Act contains no provisions of the nature indicated; it confers no powers of arbitrary arrest or search on the Police, and the only reference it contains to arrest or search is in Section 34 (1), which authorises the arrest on the written order of the Local Government of a person where there are reasonable grounds for believing that he has been or is concerned in certain serious offences in any area to which Part 3 of the Act has been extended. The same Section permits the search under similar authority of any place in such area believed to have been used by such person for any purpose connected with an anarchical or revolutionary movement. No part of the Act is, as yet, in force, nor can any part be brought into force within any Province or area unless and until the Governor-General in Council is satisfied that anarchical or revolutionary movements are being promoted in such Province or areas. Passive Resistance. The Bombay Correspondent of Capital writes:Politics have again become sultry. As public protests have had no effect on the Government of India who are determined to put the Rowlatt Bills on the Statute Book, Mr. Gandhi is promoting a campaign of Passive Resistance. What bothers him most is the surrender of Lord Chelmsford to the India Civil Service and the British commercial interests. His conclusion is that the Rowlatt Bills are intended to sacrifice the people of India to the tyranny of the former and the greed of the latter. Hence the "Satyagraha vow." Medical Curing Tuberculosis Professor Monaco of Rome is said to be working on a novel plan of curing tuberculosis. It consists of hypodermic injections of sugar to des troy the secretions in the lungs on which the tubercle bacillus exists. This plan is said to be a more thorough means of eradicating the bacillus than attempting to destroy it direct and leaving its breeding ground intact for renewed growths. It is reported that experiments on tuberculous soldiers have resulted in the cessation of cough, night sweats and fever. First aid in Snake bite be As soon as a person is bitten by a snake, writes the Ceylon Economist the limb should bandaged tightly so as to stop circulation of the blood and then curds mixed with black pepper or 30 drops of Liquor Ammonia, mixed with a little quantity of water should be administered every 15 minutes till the Doctor arrives. The patient must be kept awake and made to chew margosa or neem leaves. War Baby Harvest Bradford, in 1913, 20; in 1917, 1306; a 35 per cent. decrease. Edinburgh, in 1913, 20; in 1917, 1475; a 27 per cent. decrease. Florence, in 1913, 1998; in 1917, 11:45; a decrease of 43 per cent. Glasgow, in 1913, 27.78; in 1917, 2172; a decrease of 22 per cent. Lyons, in 1913, 15 84; in 1917, 9'48; a decrease of 40 per cent. Manchester, in 1913, 26 04; in 1917, 16.85; a decrease of 35 per cent. Paris, in 1913, 16.82; in 1917, 11:53; a decrease of 35 per cent. Amsterdam, in 1913, 23 22; in 1917, 22:39; 4 per cent. decrease. Barcelona, in 1913, 23 43; in 1917, 23-24; a 1 per cent. loss. Maintenance of Lepers Mr. Debendra Nath Mullick, of Calcutta, has put in trust property of the value of a lakh of rupees the income from which will provide for the maintenance of a considerable number of lepers. In addition Mr. Mullick has given a sum of Rs. 6,000 towards the cost of the erection of a new leper asylum in South Arcot. The Hon. Mr. Abdul Rahim and his friends have also contributed over Rs. 8,000 to the funds of the Mission and Sir R. N. Mookerjee has sent in a donation of Rs. 1,500. Children and Teething Teething is a natural process to which young and inexperienced mothers look forward almost with dread, simply because every trouble or illness incidental to this period of infantile life, are set down to teething. The habit of rubbing the gums with a wedding ring, or a silver coin or thimble increases the pain and may cause inflamation. Lancing is free from this danger and really much less painful. A black strip of flannel or ribbon tied round the neck acts like an amulet in most cases. Twisted wires of copper and zinc sewn up in velvet-will also act similarly. Science The Life work of a Hindu Chemist. In the course of a reivew of Sir P. C. Ray's "Essays and Discourses" (recently published by Messrs. G. A. Natesan and Co., Madras, Price Rs. 3) Mr. T. E Thorpe writes in the columns of Nature for March 6: Sir Prafulla Chandra Ray, professor of chemistry in the Presidency College, Calcutta, is well known to chemists in this country as the author, either alone or in collaboration with his pupils, of more than a hundred papers, chiefly on the inorganic and organic nitrites. In his own country he is also known as the founder of a successful chemical industry, which, from small beginnings, now occupies factories spreading over an area of eight acres. It is one of the most successful concerns in India, and proved of considerable service to the Government during the war, when the supply of Western chemicals and drugs was seriously interfered with. It is entirely staffed with Bengali workers, and its research chemists are of its creator's training. Naturally, such a man has had a great influence in India. He has succeeded in founding a school of native chemists capable of attacking and elucidating modern scientific problems. He has roused and quickened the Bengali brain from the torpor which had overtaken it, and by his example and precept has proved that the Hindu only needs training, encouragement, and direction to revive the ancient glories of his race in philosophy and science. " It was to be expected, therefore, that Sir P. Ray should, as he expressed it, sooner or later find himself "the property of any body and every body, and be called upon by various educational institutions, by conferences, and by the periodical Press and leading newspapers interested in the social reform and development of the industrial and 293 political life of India to address his countrymen on subjects which so closely affect their national welfare and prosperity; and it was equally certain that a demand should arise that these essays and discourses should be collected and published in some permanent form. The little book before us is the outcome of this demand. It contains a series of addresses and articles on scientific education (in India; on the pursuit and progress of chemistry in Bengal; on science in the vernacular literature; on the antiquity of Hindu chemistry; on the Educational Service of India; on the Bengali brain and its misuse; on Government and Indian industries, together with a number of appreciations of men who have signalised themselves in the national evolution of India. It is impossible not to recognise and appreciate the earnestness, courage, and sense of duty of the author, or fail to perceive his sincerity or the strength of his convictions in warring against the galling restrictions of caste, of social inequalities and depression, which are at the bottom of India's degradation. Her elevation will not come in Sir P. C. Ray's time. A small, spare man, in feeble health, and a confirmed dyspeptic, he will be spent in her service. But the memory of these services will survive, and the little book to which we direct attention will serve to perpetuate it. Lamp for Developing Room. A novel lamp for the photographer's dark room consists of a single-cell electric battery in a clear glass jar, with a test-tube in the centre holding a small incandescent-lamp bulb. A cover has holes for a zinc and a carbon rod, which constitute the electrodes, with one between them for the testtube. The jar is two thirds filled with a solution of potassium bichromate and sulphuric acid in water, and the light generated in the bulb is given the necessary non-actinic colour by shining through the clear red liquid. Lowering or raising the zinc closes or opens the circuit, 294 Personal Imperial Council Resignations. The Hon. Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya and the Hon. Mr. M. A. Jinnah resigned their seats on the Viceregal Council and addressed the following letters to H. E. the Viceroy : I. HON. PANDIT MALAVIYA, Having given the matter my most anxious and careful consideration, I regret I have been driven to the conclusion that in view of the attitude which the Government considered it necessary to adopt in the matter of what is known as the Rowlatt Bill and the proceedings of Council in relation thereto, I ought not to continue to be an additional member of the Council as it is constituted at present. I therefore beg respectfully and with deep regret to resign my office as such member. II. THE HON. MR. JINNAH. The passing of the Rowlatt Bill by the Government of India and the assent given to it by Your Excellency as Governor-General against the will of the people has severely shaken the trust reposed by them in British justice. Further, it has clearly demonstrated the constitution of the Imperial Legislative Council which is a legislative but in name, a machine propelled by a foreign executive. Neither the unanimous opinion of the Non-official Indian Members nor the entire public opinion and feeling outside has met with the least respect. The Government of India and Your Excellency, however, have thought it fit to place on the Statute Book a measure admittedly obnxious and decidedly coercive at the time of peace, thereby substituting executive for judicial. Besides, by passing this Bill, Your Excellency's Government have actively negatived every argument they advanced, but a year ago, when they appealed to India for help at the War Conference, and have ruthlessly trampled upon the principles for which Great Britain avowedly fought the War. The fundamental principles of justice have been uprooted and the constitutional rights of the people have been violated at a time when there is no real danger to the State by an over-fretful and incompetent bureaucracy, which is neither responsible to the people nor in touch with real public opinion, and their sole plea is that the powers when they are assumed will not be abused. I therefore, as a protest against the passing of the Bill and the manner in which it was passed tender my resignation as a member of the Imperial Legislative Council, for I feel that under the prevailing conditions I can be of no use to my people in the Council, nor consistently with one's selfrespect is co-operation possible with a Government that shows utter disregard for the opinion of the representatives of the people in the Council Chamber and for the feelings and sentiments of the people outside. In my opinion the Government, that passes or sanctions such a law in times of peace, forfeits its claim to be called a civilised Government. Since the above was in the press we have learnt that the Hon. Mr. Haque and the Hon. Mr. Shukul have also resigned their seats in the Viceregal Council. A Peerage Romance. In a small village not far from Fyzabad, where some British troops were engaged in peace manœuvres, a seemingly pure native came to the General and in the course of conversation in Hindustani, the only language he knew, stated that he was Earl Gardner, and produced papers in support. From these it appeared that many generations ago a younger son of the then Earl got into some trouble, and enlisted in the Royal Artillery. After serving his time he married an Each geneIndian woman and settled in India. ration in turn married Indian women, so that all trace of European descent disappeared. Meanwhile all other direct heirs to the title had died out, so that the little Indian village headman claimed that the title was his. Political The Madras Liberal League At a meeting held at the "Sudharma," Sir P. S. Sivaswami Aiyar's house on the 23rd March, an Association called "The Madras Liberal League" was started with the object of bringing together all those who were of one way of thinking on the Indian Constitutional Reforms and other connected questions. Several influential citizens have joined the League of which Sir P. S. Sivaswami Aiyar is the President and Dewan Bahadur L. A. Govindaraghava Iyer is the Vice-President. There are already over fifty members many of whom attended the inaugural meeting on Saturday the 5th April at Mr. G. A. Natesan's premises, when the Hon. Mr. V. S. Srinivasa Sastri delivered an address on "The Present Political Situation," defining the scope of the League's activity. Mr. Sastri delivered another lecture at the Servants of India Society's premises on the 11th instant on 66 The work before us." The League condemned the Rowlatt Acts, deplored the inauguration of the Satyagraha movement and passed a resolution praying the Crown to withhold sanction to the Rowlatt Acts. It was resolved to send delegates to the ensuing Moderates' Conference. The League also expressed its confidence in the Hon. Mr. Sastri and elected him as its spokesman and delegate during his stay in England as a member of the Moderates' Deputation. At the meeting of the League held at Mr. Natesan's premises on the 18th the subjects discussed included:-the recent outrages in the Punjab; appeal to Mr. Gandhi re the Satyagraha movement; the recent resolution of the Government of India on the situation in the Punjab; the need for an independent committee to inquire into the firing on the mob at Delhi and the Reform Scheme. Resolutions on these subjects were passed and sent to the Secretary of State, the Viceroy and Mr. Gandhi, Indian Reforms in England A meeting was held on April 1st of the nonofficial members of the House of Commons disposed to assist in the passage of the Bill for the Indian Constitutional Reforms on the general lines of the announcement of 20th August. A committee was formed consisting of Sir John Rees, Chairman, Mr. Bennet, Secretary, and Messrs. Arthur Murry, O'Grady, Godfrey and Collins, Sir S. Hoare and Mr. Ormsby Gore. The meeting resolved to afford delegations from India opportunities to state their views. The Indian District Officers During the Rhodes' lecture by Sir J.D. Rees on Indian institutions at University College, London, on February 24 a letter from Mr. Montagu, who is in Paris, was read paying a warm tribute to the work of district officers in India. Mr. Montagu said it was difficult to exaggerate the services of the District officer in the development and well being of India. Whatever might be the exact plan which Parliament would ordain for the progressive realisation of responsible government in India, the District Officer would play an essential part. The record of service which this fine type of public servants had ungrudgingly given to India in the past entitled them to look forward confidently to the share he would have in the development of self government. Passive Resistance A manifesto over the signature of Raja Peari Mohan Mukherjee, Maharaja Manindra Chandra Nandi, Sir R. N. Mukerjee, Sir B. C. Mitter and Mr. Surendranath Bannerjee, says :-The Passive Resistance in connection with the Rowlatt Act is unsound in principle and impossible in practice. We recognise the high motives of the illustrious author of the movement, but we cannot help thinking that he did not anticipate the grave results which have followed in its train and which the whole country now laments, |