The Princes and the People.

In another column we have referred at some length to the Viceroy’s speech at the Princes’ Conference, and the part in which he dealt with the question of the constitution of a Council of Princes. What strikes one is the complete absence of any reference in it to that by no means negligible quantity, the people of the Indian States, as distinguished from the prince. Not that we regret this omission or regard it as otherwise than perfectly correct. The Princes, at least some of them, exercise full sovereign powers over their peoples, and it is not for the head of the Government of India to enter into direct relations of any kind with the latter. Yet the omission, natural as it is, shows the real difficulty and complexity of the whole position. Take one aspect of the proposal. It is proposed that, for certain purposes, the Government of India, more particularly, the proposed Council of State and the Council of Princes should hold joint deliberations.