The Constitutional Development In British India (UNDER THE CROWN)

[Zeeshan Inayat]

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA ACT, 1858 (IMPORTANT FEATURES)
1. INDIA WAS BROUGHT UNDER THE DIRECT CONTROL OF THE CROWN.
2. BOARD OF CONTROL AND THE COURT OF DIRECTORS WERE REPLACED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA WITH A 15-MEMBERS COUNCIL OUT OF 15, SEVEN WERE TO BE ELECTED BY THE COURT OF DIRECTORS AND REMAINING WERE TO BE NOMINATED BY THE CROWN.
3. THE SECRETARY OF STATE COULD OVERRIDE HIS COUNCIL.
4. THE SECRETARY OF STATE COULD COMMUNICATE TO THE GOVERNOR GENERAL IRRESPECTIVE OF HIS COUNCIL.
5. THE CROWN'S GOVERNMENT WAS TO BE ANNOUNCED TO THE PRINCES AND THE PEOPLE OF INDIA.

INDIAN COUNCIL'S ACT, 1861

1. THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF THE GOVERNOR GENERAL WAS ENLARGED TO 5 MEMBERS.
2. THE GOV. GENERAL'S LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WAS TO CONSIST OF NOT LESS THAN 6 AND NOT MORE THAN 12 MEMBERS, AND HALF OF THEM WERE TO BE NON-OFFICIAL.
3. THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS WERE ESTABLISHED FOR MADRAS AND BOMBAY.
4. THE GOV. GENERAL-IN-COUNCIL WAS EMPOWERED TO ESTABLISH SIMILAR COUNCIL FOR NORTH WEST PROVINCE AND PUNJAB.
5. THE POWER OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WAS STRICTLY LIMITED TO LEGISLATION.
6. WITHOUT THE ASSENT OF THE GOV. GENERAL NO BILL COULD BECOME AN ACT, EITHER IN CENTRAL OR PROVINCIAL LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS.
7. IN CASE OF EMERGENCY GOV. GENERAL COULD PROMULGATE ORDINANCES.

MINTO-MORLEY REFORMS, 1909.

1. THE SIZE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS WAS RAISED.
a. GOV. GENERAL'S COUNCIL UP TO 60 MEMBERS (OUT OF WHICH 37 WERE TO BE OFFICIAL, 31 NON-OFFICIAL, AND OUT OF NON-OFFICIAL 27 WERE ELECTED, AND OUT OF 27 ,6 WERE TO BE MUSLIMS).
b. BENGAL, MADRAS, BOMBAY, UP, BIHAR AND ORISSA UP TO 50 MEMBERS.
c. PUNJAB, BURMA AND ASSAM UP TO 30 MEMBERS.
2. THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS COULD DISCUSS BUDGET , MOVE RESOLUTION, ASK QUESTIONS WITH PRIOR NOTICE.
3. THE MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCILS RAISED FROM 2 TO 4.
4. THE FRANCHISE WAS RESTRICTED AND NOT UNIFORM.
5. THE MUSLIMS WERE GIVEN SEPARATE REPRESENTATION FOR THE 1ST TIME.
6. THE INDIANS WERE APPOINTED TO THE GOV. GENERAL'S EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (Mr. S.P. SINHA WAS THE 1st LAW MEMBER)