THE SOLOMON COMMISSION 75 was impossible to accept the Commission in a form in which the Indians had no voice. They were fighting for so many grievances, and the underlying spirit of the struggle was to obtain full recognition on the part of the Government of the right of consultation in anything which appertained to Indian interests. Unless the Gov- ernment was prepared to condescend to that extent, un- less they were prepared to ascertain and respect the Indian sentiments, it was not possible for Indians, as loyal but manly citizens of the Empire, to render obedi- ence to their commissions or laws which they might have passed over their heads. This was one of the serious fundamental objections. The other objection was that it was a partisan Commission ; therefore the Indians wanted their own partisans on it. This they might not get, but they at least wanted impartial men,who had not expressed opinions hostile to their interests, but gentle- men who would be able to bring to the deliberations of the Commission an open, just and impartial mind. (Applause.) He considered that Mr. Esslen and Mr. Wylie, honourable gentlemen as they were, could not possibly bring open minds to bear on the inquiry, for the simple reason that they had their own human limitations and could not divest themselves of their anti-Asiatic views which they had expressed times without number· If the Government appointed the Indians° nominees, and thus honoured their sentiments, and granted a release for the prisoners now in gaol, he thought it would be possi- ble for them to assist the Government, and therefore the Empire, and bring, perhaps, this crisis to an end with- out further suffering- But it might be that they might have to undergo further suffering. It might be that their sins were so great that they might
