'Mesopotamian constitution. Bonham-Carter Committee: Summary of Proposals' [114r] (6/8)
The record is made up of 1 file (3 folios). It was created in Jul 1920. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
mternal government of IjeropotCZ'' If G^mudo 8 ^ t0 1Uatter8
explain reasons. Government does not accept them it must
submitted to iSgSS As^mbk fortdt^nd Se^f 01 ^tT' 40 be P^vioody
accepted, reasons must be given, " obseivatwn. If advice offered not
No existing rate of taxation to be increased nr , ■
(6) Annual accounts to be submitted for remarks eXCept by 3 law -
(0 -lembers may ask questions in writing.
15. The Capitulations.
Lxcept for the limited suofo-estions nnt fnrwi-rri 00 .1
of foreigners, the foregoing proposals take no accounTljT'the^ex" 3 r™ 8fay0Ur
winch the capitulations ^ave to foreign Powpr^ r r] • n exceptional position
as to the policv of His Majesty's Smuent Sth has no information
Safeguards which should Lt be dS 1 ^ t0 ca P itulat io^-
regards the jurisdiction of the Courts over forei^i at Ileces t sar - V as
jurisdiction. & ' teast m the case of penal
II.. Enquiry into vsorkinrj of system of Govern
.11 conclusion, we advise that besides the examirmfinn nf +1
vided for in para. 9 there should be at the end of a fixed'nerWl f® oonstl , tutlou P ro -
^ was
the J
Presumably the enquiry would be undertaken by His Maiestv's Government rt
so, the arrangement should be set out in a recital rather thin placed in the bndv nf
the document establishing the constitution. y
APPENDIX.
1. Method of Election to Legislative Assembly.
Method A.—(1) Members for towns large enough to be represented by one or
more members to be elected by the Municipal Councils. Such Municipal Councils to
be themselves elected by tax-paying male householders approximately in accordance
with the Turkish Municipal Law of 5th October 1887.
(2) Members for the Divisions to be elected by Divisional Councils, excluding the
members of the Divisional Council for towns which elect their own member to the
Legislative Assembly, or (if it is thought advisable) by separate panels formed out of
the Divisional Council representing respectively tribesmen and non-tribesmen. The
Divisional Councils to be themselves elected.
The method of the election to Divisional Councils requires further study.
It is thought that in districts where the tribal system is still in force (and this
includes much the greater part of the country) the representative of such districts
should be elected by the headmen of the tribal sub-sections. These tribal headmen
are the chief men of the smallest tribal territorial unit. They are themselves elected
by the tribesmen under them, and they elect the Shaikh of the tribe subject to
confirmation by the authorities.
In areas where the tribal system is not in force the problem is more difficult.
Such areas may include small towns, villages and in a few places a scattered resident
population. I.li the small towns there would be no difficulty in forming municipalities
in accordance with the Turkish law.
In villages and areas with a scattered population, councils of elders for the
village or area (nahiyah), which were supposed to exist under Turkish law, but which
in practice rarely did exist in Mesopotamia, might be formed. The municipalities of
the small towns and the village and "nahiyah" councils might appoint delegates in
numbers proportionate to their inhabitauts, and such delegates could meet togethei
and elect the member of the Divisional Council. ' 1
We think a system of selection on the above lines is best suited to the require
ments of the tribal areas. It could not, however, be brought into force immediate!} r
About this item
- Content
This printed memorandum, dated July 1920, is a report outlining the summary of proposals by the Bonham-Carter Committee for the constitution of Mesopotamia [Iraq]. The report gives a list of the members of the committee, who include: Sir Edgar Bonham-Carter, Judicial Secretary; Lieutenant-Colonel E B Howell, Revenue Secretary; Major H F M Tyler, Political Officer, Hillah [al-Ḥillah]; Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Cecil Campbell Balfour, Political Officer, Baghdad; and Major Reader William Bullard, Deputy Revenue Secretary.
The report is divided into the following sections: 'Article 22 of the Covenant of the League of Nations'; 'The Anglo-French Declaration of 8th November 1918'; 'Conditions to be fulfilled before the wishes of the people can be ascertained'; 'Wishes of the people to be expressed by an elected Legislative Assembly'; 'Framing of a suitable form of Government'; Conditions laid down for the Constitution'; 'Mandate should be granted soon'; 'Recital of the Mandate and its purposes'; 'Reservations in favour of the Mandatory Power'; 'Reservations in favour of certain foreign subjects'; 'Religious liberty to be a constitutional right'; 'Council of State (or of Ministries)'; 'Legislative Assembly, Constitution'; 'Functions of the Legislative Assembly'; 'The Capitulations'; and 'Enquiry into working of systems of Government after a period of years'.
The report contains an appendix with the following sections: 'Method of Election to Legislative Assembly' and 'Qualification for Candidates of Legislative Assembly'.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (3 folios)
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: The foliation for this sequence commences at folio 112, and terminates at folio 114, as it is part of a larger physical volume; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between folios 7-153; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and can be found in the same position as the main sequence.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
Use and share this item
- Share this item
'Mesopotamian constitution. Bonham-Carter Committee: Summary of Proposals' [114r] (6/8), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/18/B343, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023576698.0x000008> [accessed 30 October 2024]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023576698.0x000008
Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.
<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023576698.0x000008">'Mesopotamian constitution. Bonham-Carter Committee: Summary of Proposals' [‎114r] (6/8)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023576698.0x000008"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000833.0x000331/IOR_L_PS_18_B343_0007.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000833.0x000331/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/18/B343
- Title
- 'Mesopotamian constitution. Bonham-Carter Committee: Summary of Proposals'
- Pages
- front, 112r:114v, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence