Bombay, Feb, 17.
Lord Birkenhead's speech at Doncaster is the subject of severe criticism, New Delhi, Feb. 18.
In the Indian Legislative Assembly to-day the adjourned debate on the motion moved by Mr. Lajpatrai of non-confidence in the constitution and scheme of the Simon Commission was characterized by vigorous speeches on both sides of the House, Mr. Motilal Nehru was loudly applauded when he paid a high tribute to Sir John Simon as a big mun but said he would not advise Indians to surrender their rights to the biggest man in the world. He said that a telegram from the Rt. Hon. Ramsay Macdonald, the leader of the Labour Party in the Houge of Conurons, stating that no Labour Government would appoint another Commission had been received with amusement and pity concerning Mr. Ramsay Macdonald's ignorance, as no Government of any Kind could influence their decision.
Sir B. N, Mitra condemned the precipitate action of party leaders in rejecting Sir John Simon's invitation to ce-operate in the work of the Commission.
Sir Purshotamedas Thankurdas insisted that the omission of Indians from the Commission and Sir John Simon's letter were a studied affront designed to indicate world, a the inferiority of Indians to the
Sir Hari Singh Gout favoured conditional ea-operation with the Simon Commission. Ho declared that their grievance was with Parliament and not with the Commission, it Basil Blackett appealed to the Assembly not to reject the rly hand held out by the British Parliament. He emimed that his record proved him to be a far bettor Swarajist than the Indian ional Congress Party, which was doing its best to retard Swaraj, He declared that the Assembly itself was proof of the earnestness of the policy of the British Government to advance self-determination in India, but self-government must come by evolution. He emphasized that there wna no likelihood of the contution and scheme of the Commission being altered.
The Legislative Assembly eventually passed the motion introduced by Mr. Lajpatrai, which pledges the Assembly to have nothing to do with the Simon Commission in any shape or form, by 68 votes to 62, Scone in Indian Legislature Feb. 19.
When the result of the voting on the motion to boycott the Statutory Commission, which was adopted by 68 votes to 62, was announced in the Legislative Assembly yesterday, a large writing-case wai dropped from the press gallery Sir Basil Blackett's head. The police seized the reporter.
Member called out he" but it transpires that he temporarily lost conscious ness, The reporter, belonging to the "Hindustan Times," declared that his action was unintentional, but he was arrested and charged with causing hurt to a public servant on duty. He has been released on bail of 2,000 rube It is alleged that the reporter threw a neighbour's case, shouting "This is my reply to Birkenhead."
The English-owned "Evening News" describes the Secretary of State's statements as ill-timed and Provocative, and says that he must take his share of the responsibility if the motion of non-confidence in the Indian Statutory Commission is carried by the Legislative Assembly to-morrow, The paper recalls that when the Commission left England Lord Birkenhead eaid that the less hho intervened the bottor.
The Indian-owned "Daily Mail" says that the speech was violent and provocative and was evidently intended to influence the result in the Assembly: "we ahall be much surprised if it has no contrary The Comntission Welcomed Calcutta, Feb. 19.
European and Indian officials and and representatives of the Moslem, Marwari, Anglo-Indian and "depressed classes" communities welcomed the Simon Statutory Com-jon on their arrival here to-day and placed garlands around the necks of the Commissioners, who drove to Government House. The only evidence of hostility was a single banner inscribed "Simon, go back!"
Jater, John. Simon referred to the motion passed by the Legislative Assembly to boycott the Commission as a mis-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.