The Punjab and the Memorandum

If it is true, as the Leader says, that a nominated member of the Imperial Council who represents “certain important interests in the Punjab” has addressed a letter to the Viceroy “strongly criticising” the Memorandum of the elected members, we consider, are justified in their rigid exclusion of all nominated members. “In measures largely affecting the people,” it says, “whether of legislation or taxation by which Europeans were not directly affected, the European members would naturally support the Government, and the nominated members, being nominees of Government, would be inclined to take the same side. Past experience has shown that this had actually happened on various occasions.” If the information furnished to the Leader is well founded, present experience may also be said to confirm experienced may also be said to confirm the correctness of that estimate as regards the attitude of at least one section of the members who bask in the sunshine of official favours.