njustice of the Franchise Law Amendment Bill, and that Your Lordship will not allow an unwarranted interference with the rights of one section of Her Majesty's subjects by another.
And for this act of justice and mercy, Your Lordship's Petitioners, as in duty bound, shall for ever pray, etc., etc.
- 1. Enclosure No. 1 in Despatch No. 66 dated July 31, 1894, from Sir Walter Hely-Hutchinson, Governor of Natal, to Lord Ripon, Secretary of State for the Colonies. In An Autobiography, Pt. II, Ch. XVII, Gandhiji says he took great pains over this petition and obtained over 10, 000 signatures for it in the course of a fortnight. The Prime Minister of Natal in his forwarding letter to the Governor set out reasons for recommending rejection of the petition.
- 2. Vide the succeeding item.
- 3. This is not available.
- 4. Vide “A Circular Letter to Legislators”, 1-7-1894.
- 5. Vice-President of the Natal Indian Congress, 1894-99
Letter to Dadabhai Naoroji (14-7-1894)
DURBAN,
July 14, 1894
TO
- THE HON. MR. DADABHAI NAOROJI M.P.
SIR,
In continuation of my letter[25] dated the 7th instant, I have to inform you of the progress of the movement against the Franchise Law Amendment Bill as follows :
The Bill passed the 3rd reading in the Legislative Council on the 7th instant. The other petition to the Council was accepted. One Hon. Member moved the postponement of the 3rd reading till the petition was considered by the House. The motion was rejected. The Governor has given his assent to the Bill subject to its being disallowed by Her Majesty. The Bill has a proviso in it that it shall not become law until, by a proclamation or otherwise, the Governor signifies that it is not Her Majesty's wish to disallow the Bill.
I send you herewith a copy of the petition1 to the Home Government that will be sent to the Governor here probably on the 17th instant. It will be signed by nearly 10,000 Indians. Nearly 5,000 signatures have already been received.
I regret to say that I am unable to send you a copy of the petition[26] to the Council. I however beg to send a newspaper cutting which gives a fairly good report.
