Then again in clause (2) of the Amendment, it is provided that if the Upper House fails to pass a Bill within two months, the result would be that the Lower House will again consider it and pass it with or without any Amendment and then it is placed again before the Upper House. It is provided in this clause that if a Bill comes up before the Upper House and if it is not passed within one month of its being laid before the Council, then the Bill as it was passed by the Lower House will be deemed to have been passed by both Houses. I submit, Sir, that in the example I have cited, on the first occasion the Upper House has no chance to consider the Bill and on the second occasion the Upper House will not be able to give it sufficient thought; it cannot discharge its functions within one month and may not in a similar contingency have any opportunity to consider it at all. First of all; the Bill may be complicated; the Bill may be difficult; it may be controversial. It may be necessary to send it to a Select Committee or to send it for circulation. In fact, we cannot foresee the varieties of situations that may arise. Let us suppose that the Lower House and the Upper House both function honestly as I have no doubt they will. The Upper House may decide that the bill should be considered by a Select Committee or it must be examined by experts. On the second occasion, we put a limit of one month. I submit that these rigid limits would frustrate the very object of the Second Chamber. I therefore submit that the Article as it originally was in the Draft Constitution was good. Somehow or other, the Drafting Committee, burdened as it is with heavy work, has got despaired and is ready to accept any compromise or suggestion whatsoever. I submit these are important matters, and require careful consideration. Artificial limits of two months and one month are too rigid and would prove impracticable in actual working. The matter should be left to mutual goodwill. I submit this is a fundamental objection, would frustrate the object of the Upper House and would reduce the Upper House to nullity and insignificance. With these few words, I oppose the Amendment.
