Last session, states a Simla message of September 12, Dr. Gout, of Delhi, failed to induce the Assembly to allow the reference to a Select Committee of the Bill introduced by him to amend the Civil Marriage Act by removing the legal disabilities in the way of marriage outside caste and between Hindus and other communities. On September 12 Dr. Gout again attempted to secure this reference, and this time succeeded by the narrow majority of one vote.
The attempts to institute this reform date from the time of Sir Henry Maine, whose introduction of a Civil Marriage Bill in 1868 was rendered abortive by the yielding of his successor, Sir James Stephen, to popular objections. Since then, Mr. Bhupendra Nath Basu, in 1911, and Mr. Patel four years ago, have sought unsuccessfully to revive the measure. The effect of the present law is that an Indian, although able to contract a civil marriage in Europe and in Baroda, cannot do so in his own country.
The feature of the debate on September 12 was a brilliant speech by Mr. Chatterjee, who, speaking as one affected by the Bill, strongly disputed jhe right of orthodox members of his own community to make him declare himself not a Hindu. e measure was essential if India was to progress og a nation in the vanguard of civilization, unitrammelled iby prejudices denying liberty of conscience. The orthodox view of the Hindu was eloquently expressed, while several Mahomedans declared that the Bill conflicted with the Koranic law.
Tha struggle was between Young India and Old India. Largely as the result of the speech of Mr. Chatterjee, who is an Indian member of the Indian Civil Service, Secretary of the Industries Department, and a much-travelled man, Young India won, with, says the same message, Mrs. Annie Besant smiling from gallery. The bill now goes to a Select Commit. tee, but a stormy passage is inevitable, Legation has issued a despatch an-Paris, Nov. 9—The Portuguese
nouncing that a riot occurred at Lisbon on the night of November 6-7, but was immediately suppressed.—French Wireless through Reu-
Carrrown, Nov. 14.—The Japanese training squadron hag sailed for the Far East' via Durban and Lourenco Marques. There were a number of festivities in honour of the visitors. A band from the squadron gave a performance yesterday which attracted 15,000 persons. Several thousands visited the Japanese ships. Cordial fare-tween the Governor-General, Prince Arthur of Connaught, and Admiral Taniguchi, who commanded the squadron.—Reuter,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.