Item 6 - Telegram from Lord Chelmsford to Edwin Montagu

It was not possible to describe the scope of the Bill in detail until Montagu had approved the proposed provisions, but it was important that he should announce the inquiry at the opening of Council and refer to the Indemnity Bill at the same time. He had a full explanation ready, but only a brief reference to the Government’s intentions was possible, though he ex-plicitly stated that the validation would be of his predecessor’s acts ‘as the stress of circum-stances required’. Emphasises that he would not wish the Bill to give his officers absolute in-demnification, whatever the findings of the Committee of Enquiry might be. The Bill has been debated in the Legislative Council for two days now, and the Government side has given a full exposition of its scope and made it clear that the Committee is intended to explore the whole truth. The motion to introduce the Bill was passed without a division, and Sundar Singh, Umar Khayat Khan, and Wacha spoke in support of it, while twelve non-official Indians would have voted for the Government if a division had been demanded.

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