Bengal Legislative Council
Bengal Legislative Council বঙ্গীয় আইন পরিষদ | |
---|---|
East Bengal Legislative Assembly West Bengal Legislative Assembly | |
Meeting place | |
Calcutta, Bengal Presidency |
The Bengal Legislative Council (Bengali: বঙ্গীয় আইন পরিষদ) was the legislative council of Bengal Presidency (now Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal).[1] It was the legislature of the Bengal Presidency during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. After reforms were adopted in 1937, it served as the upper house of the Bengali legislature until the partition of India.
History
The council was established under the
Under the Government of India Act 1935, the council became the upper chamber of the legislature of Bengal.[4]
Membership
The council grew from 12 members in 1862, to 20 in 1892, 53 in 1909, 140 in 1919 and 63–65 in 1935.[5]
Act of 1861
Under the Act of 1861, the council included 12 members nominated by the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal. The members included four government officials, four non-government
Act of 1892
Under the Act of 1892, the Lieutenant Governor could nominate 7 members on the recommendation of the
Act of 1909
Under the Act of 1909, the council had the following composition.[3]
- Ex-officio members
- Lieutenant Governor
- Executive Councillors- 2
- Nominated members
- Officials- 17 maximum
- Indian commerce- 1
- Planters- 1
- Experts- 2
- Others- 3 minimum
- Elected members
- Corporation of Calcutta- 1
- University of Calcutta- 1
- Municipalities- 6
- District boards- 6
- Landholders- 5
- Muhammadans- 4
- Bengal Chamber of Commerce- 2
- Calcutta Traders Association- 1
Act of 1919
Under the Act of 1919, the council had 140 members. There were 92 seats assigned to general constituencies, divided into Muslim, non-Muslim, European, and Anglo-Indian sections. Another 22 seats were assigned to special electorates, namely landholders, the two universities, and commercial interests. The remaining 26 seats were filled by government nomination.[6]
Act of 1935
As the upper chamber under the Government of India Act 1935, the council had the following composition.[5]
- General elected seats - 10
- Muslim electorate seats - 17
- European electorate seats - 3
- Nominees of the Bengal Legislative Assembly- 27
- Nominees of the Governor of Bengal- 'not less than 6 and not more than 8'.
Tenure
The legislative council was initially given a three-year tenure. It became a permanent body under the Government of India Act 1935, which required one third of its members to retire.[5]
Head of the council
The Lieutenant Governor was the ex-officio president of the council until 1909, when the council was given the right to elect its president and deputy president.[5]
References
- ^ The Bengal Legislative Council Manual, 1921. Calcutta: Bengal Secretariat Book Depot. 1921. Retrieved 2017-07-16.
- ISBN 978-81-7099-010-9.
- ^ a b J. H. Broomfield (1968). Elite Conflict in a Plural Society: Twentieth-century Bengal. University of California Press. p. 38.
- ISBN 978-1-4008-7937-3.
- ^ OL 30677644M. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
- ISBN 978-984-07-2523-6.