Acts and Codes

This series comprises collections of the acts, regulations and ordinances of the central and provincial governments of India, including a set of acts reprinted as modified by subsequent legislation. There are also successive editions of British Statutes relating to India, British Enactments in force in Native States, and provincial codes embodying the local and relevant central legislation.

Copies of bills and acts sent to the Secretary of State were received in the Public and Judicial Department and may be traced through its registers and indexes. Normally the select committee report and extracts from the printed proceedings of the legislature are attached. L/P & J/5/1-116 contains a collection of acts bound in chronological order together with the bills, statements of objects and reasons, select committee reports and legislative proceedings. This series includes legislation of: India 1862-1921, Bengal 1862-1875, Madras 1862-1871 and Bombay 1863-1872.

Unrestricted

The enacted law of British India consisted of the following: Acts of Parliament extending to India Regulations to 1834 promulagated by each Presidency prior to the coming into force of the Government of India Act 1833 which vested sole legislative powers in the Governor General in Council Acts of the Governor General in Council enacted under the Government of India Act 1833 and subsequent statutes Acts of Local Legislatures enacted under the Indian Council's Act 1861 and subsequent statutes Regulations made by the Governor General under the Government of India Act 1870 for the administration of less developed areas, and by Governors under the Government of India Act 1935 Ordinances made by the Governor General under the Indian Councils Act 1861, and by Governors under the Government of India Act 1935 From 1834 draft acts or bills were published in the official gazettes. The practice of referring bills to select committees was introduced in the standing orders of the enlarged Legislative Council in 1854 but the select committee reports were not published. The simplified rules of business adopted for the Legislative Council in 1862 provided for the publication of the select committee reports in the official gazettes and also for a statement of objects and reasons to be published with each bill.