The Diwan of Cochin has published the draft rules for the State Legislative Council and the people of the State do not appear to be much delighted over them. After the recent riots at Trichur the Diwan has fallen so heavily in prestige and public estimation that popular judgment on anything of his doing must naturally begin with prejudice. While therefore the public of the State would tend to be hypercritical, the Diwan it will be felt, had a splendid opportunity in the drafting of the rules, not merely for recovering lost position but even for inspiring fresh confidence. Mr. Vijiaraghavachariar has apparently not troubled himself about these points of view and has presented Cochinites with a set of rules which complete the Morleyan hesitancy of the proclamation regarding the Legislative Council. For the most part, the rules read like echoes of what we are familiar with in these parts, but there is often an attempt at originality and ample room is left for reasonable dissatisfaction.
