The Englishmen with no personal knowledge of India who took an interest in Indian affairs always comprised two categories: A Liberal group, typified by Burke and Mill, standing up for high ideals in the administration of India as a trust to be discharged by preparing India as early as may be for assuming the responsibilities of political independence in the modern world; an imperialist group which, without openly repudiating the ideals for which the Liberals stood, still calculated that four shillings in every pound of Britain’s national income came from India and hoped somehow to be able to keep its hold firm on this asset for all time. Both have influenced English legislation on India and Indian administration for good and for evil... Nevertheless, the Indian Independence Act 1947 deserves to be hailed as the triumph of the Liberal principles. England is truly the seed-plot of freedom, and the English Parliament the Mother of Parliaments...