Sir, I do not regret the omission of the provision relating to the manner in which the period that I have referred to repeatedly should be reckoned, but if there is to be a Second Chamber, we should consider what should be the reasonable period allowed to it to consider measures that it receives from the Lower House. Is the period of six months laid down in the Draft constitution excessive or have the present Legislative Councils in the provinces shown any tendency to hold up unreasonably the consideration measures in order to delay their passage or to make their consideration impossible? So far as I remember, there have been no such instances. In the United Provinces to which I belong, very contentious measures have been considered by the Upper House but so far as I am aware no complaint has been made that it has used its position to defer unreasonably the consideration of important measures in order to prevent the representatives of the people from passing laws that are in the best interests of the people. I doubt whether more contentious measures can be introduced in any legislature than have been introduced in the United Provinces Legislature and if in practice it has not been found that the present procedure has been abused, then the responsibility for showing that a change in the period suggested in the Draft is necessary lies on the Drafting committee. I think considering the changes that have been made by the Drafting Committee itself from time to time there is no principle on which it is proceeding. My honourable Friend Dr. Ambedkar says there is a very good principle.
