SIMLA AND THE PUNJAB.

THE Hon’ble Mr. Chanda’s resolution at Monday’s meeting of the Imperial Legislative Council that Simla should cease to be the summer headquarters of the Punjab Government has provincial as well as an all-India aspect. Mr. Chanda himself dwelt on the latter and pointed out that it was unfair to allow Punjab to have a closer association with the Government of India than other provinces. Moreover, he said it was objectionable, and the one reason why the Indian capital was changed from Calcutta to Delhi was to prevent excessive provincial influence over the Indian Government. This is a very strong argument in favour of Mr. Chanda’s proposal, but Sir William Vincent evaded it by saying that most of the arguments advanced in the Delhi Despatch of 1911 “were not accepted by a large section of non-official opinion.” Surely, Sir William cannot so easily dismiss the main argument for the Delhi transfer, which was announced at a Darbar by His Majesty the King, and he is himself too staunch a superior of official actions and methods to influenced by non-official opinion.