The features of this Act were as foIIows:

1. It increased the number of additional (non-official) members in the Central and provincial legislative councils, but maintained the official majority in them.

2. It increased the functions of legislative councils and gave them the power of discussing the budget5 and addressing questions to the executive.

3. It provided for the nomination of some non-official members of the (a) Central Legislative Council by the viceroy on the recommendation of the provincial legislative councils and the Bengal Chamber of Commerce, and (b) that of the provincial legislative councils by the Governors on the recommendation of the district boards, municipalities, universities, trade associations, zamin-dars and chambers.

'The act made a limited and indirect provision for the use of election in filling up some of the non-official seats both in the Central and provincial legislative councils. The word "election” was, however, not used in the Act. The process was described as nomination made on the recommendation of certain bodies6 .’