The main task of the House at the creased; under the old systeny such large receipts as those from income tax and Customs went to the' central Fevenuies of the Government of India, which paid for defence and a number of smaller departments. Now' the budget includes the whole revenue' and expenditure of the country, and the result in ther present year has been a net gain of Rs.1,79,00,000, or about £1,400,000, which is about 20 per cent. of the budget receipts of the last few years.
There will be ample scope to utilize this welcome addition to the resources of the country; taxation, particularly Customs tariffs, is very high and expenditure had to be vigorously cur-failed during the years of the depression, and many departments are need of increased allotments, The outgoing Government wisely decided that the questions of policy involved In the utilization of the increased revenues should be left as far as porible for the new Government to de-ide, and the budget as framed show-surplus of s.3,25,00,000.
One would have-thought that the {aly nowse would have shown some satlsfaction at this state of affairs, but when the frst part of the budget was ut to the vote the United Party suddenly and without any debate announced their determination to oppose the grant. Incidentally, this Particular grant was for completely non-contentious matters, -Ineluding pensions and the pay of the audit and Secounts departments, without supplies for which the Government obviously could not function. The Coalition Party, who were taken by issu Surprise by this obstructive and unconstitutional manoeuvre, refrained from voting, and the "grant was refused, only the Buropean members yeth for it This was an governor power to restore grants which are essential to carry on the Government and the necessary mounts were therefore inserted the budget by his orders, but it is most ninfortunate that he should have been compelled at, the first possible moment to use his'special powers to Feseind an act of complete irresponsibility on the part of the legislature, No doubt the reformed Government has got to make mistakes and to learn By experience, and it Is to be hoped that acts of this Kind will not become a feature of the new Constitution, but it cannot be said that the frst session has given a feeling of optimism.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.