his special responsibilities.
Governor’s Legislative Powers He also exercised important powers in the
legislative field.
• He could summon a meeting of the legislature or a joint session of the
two houses whenever necessary.
• He determined rules of procedure of the legislature; address a meeting
thereof or send messages to it.
• He could give his assent to a bill passed by the legislature, withhold
assent, return it for reconsideration or reserve it for consideration of
the Governor General.
• He could prorogue the two houses or dissolve the lower house.
• His prior consent was necessary for introducing bills relating to any
Governor’s Act or Ordinance promulgated by him in his discretion, or
regarding any matter relating to the police force.
• He could issue ordinances when the legislature was not in session; or
even when the legislature was in session, in regard to certain subjects;
or enact the Governor’s acts which had the force of law.
• The Governor was not to issue such ordinances without the previous
sanction of the Governor General, but if he was not able to contact the
latter, he could issue the ordinance and then report.
Executive Responsibility to Legislature The real test of a parliamentary
system generally lies in the extent of responsibility of the executive to the
legislature.
• Either the executive is responsible to the legislature or the latter is
dissolved and a new legislature elected whose confidence the
executive gains.
• Under the 1935 Act, however, a third alternative was provided. If at
any time, the Governor was satisfied that a situation existed in which
the government of the province could not be carried out in accordance
with the provisions of the Act, he could, by proclamation, take upon
himself the administration of the province.
• In view of this, it has been remarked that the parliamentary system in
the provinces was of a ‘controlled’ type, with its primary strings in the
hands of the Governor.