The Indian Congress for the year has held its Session,
and has been rather unexpectedly moderate, interfering with tho Mxecutive only by a protest against the weight of the salt duty, which it considers excessive. The main object of the Congress now is to enlarge the Legislative Councils so as to give natives a majority, and to introduce an elective element. If the Supreme Legislature were let alone, there would not be much objection to trying this experiment in the separate _Provinces, where each race would only govern its own -people ; but this will not suit the Bengalees, who think that, although they have no quality except intelligence, they can govern all India. The main point of difficulty, the nature of the electorate, is not, however, touched. No one yet has -devised any scheme which would represent the true people in any way, and without that nothing is accomplished of any value. Perhaps the best method, if any concession is made, is to confine the original franchise to "such person as a village or group of villages may recognise as representative," and leave them to elect the actual Councillors; but in any case, ,concurrent legislative power mutt be left to the Governors or to the Viceroy's Council, otherwise the method of agitation adopted will be to formulate demands and stop legislation until they are conceded. It must not be forgotten that the "id ussulman fifty millions, who would govern India if we were away, repudiate the principle of election, which, they see clearly, would result in Hindoo dominance.
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