The India (Constitutional Provision) Bill, which embodies changes to British legislation made obligatory by India’s choice to change into a Republic, was given unopposed passage by the House of Lords at this time.

It had already been handed by the House of Commons and now solely awaits the formal Royal Assent to change into legislation.

The Bill ensures that the entire of the present legislation will proceed to use to India, Indians and their property as if India had not determined to change into a Republic.

Similar provisions will apply in colonial Protectorates and British belief territories.

Moving the second studying of the Bill, Viscount Jowitt, the Lord Chancellor, stated that the Commonwealth might by no means declare to have been an entirely logical affiliation of States.

The hallmark of the Commonwealth which distinguished it from some other affiliation of States within the historical past of the world was that there was, and at all times had been, full freedom extending to all its members.

“It is idle to pretend that some of us do not regret the formation of a Republic,” he added.

“Yet all of us recognize India’s right to work out her own salvation on whatever lines seem to her best to accord with her history, her traditions and her hopes for the future.”

Lord Jowitt stated the authorized implications of the brand new Indian Constitution which might come into power in January needed to be thought-about.

What, as an illustration, could be the place of Lord Sinha, Indian peer, whom all of them rejoiced to have as a member of the House of Lords?

Then there was Mr Madhavan Nair, who for a few years had given most respected help within the Privy Council.

What could be the place of all these individuals who with the mandatory technical {qualifications} and levels had been carrying on their professions in Britain? It was to clear away these and comparable difficulties that the Bill was launched.

The Lord Chancellor stated he regarded it as virtually sure that sooner or later India would go her personal laws coping with citizenship.

He absolutely contemplated that when she did Britain must have a look at her personal legal guidelines and maybe produce laws arising out of Indian laws.

“I am certain we are all united in wishing India and the people of India happiness and prosperity for the future,” Lord Jowitt stated.

BENEFITS FOR ALL

Lord Clydesmuir (Conservative) stated the Bill conferred appreciable advantages on India, however Britain ought to acknowledge the nice advantages she and the sister nations of the Commonwealth obtained by continuance of India of their fellowship.

“One has only to look further east to China, where the spread of doctrines at variance with the conception of free nations is taking place, to realize that India, in a close and happy association with the rest of the Commonwealth, can make a great contribution to the stability and peace of the world.”

Lord Reading (Liberal) stated the truth that the Bill was now on its unimpeded method to the statute guide was one additional testimony to the supreme incontrovertible fact that the Commonwealth was not a manufactured article however an natural progress.

Lord Pethick-Lawrence (Labour) former Secretary of State for India, stated he sympathized with the remorse that India ought to have change into a Republic fairly than stay a Dominion in the identical place as the opposite Dominions. “But I perceive additionally how tough it could have been for that nice folks of 300,000,000 souls to have taken some other course than that they’ve really taken.

“The necessary factor in any case is that India has elected to stay throughout the Commonwealth. That is an amazing reality, or nice profit to India herself and to this nation and the remainder of the Commonwealth. Without it our Commonwealth would have been lower into two.