Write about the Tamil Nadu State legislative assembly and it's functions
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The State Legislature - Origin and Evolution
Brief History Before independence.
The genesis of the Legislature in India can be traced back to the eighteenth century, when the present Tamil Nadu was a residuary part of the then erstwhile Madras Presidency. The said Presidency comprised of the present Tamil Nadu some parts of the present states of Orissa, Kerala, Karnataka and present Andhra Pradesh excluding the former native state of Nizam. Besides, Madras Presidency, there were two other Presidencies, viz, Presidency of Bombay and Presidency of Calcutta. Each Presidency was in charge of a Governor and were independent of each other. In 1773, the British Parliament enacted the Regulating Act, 1773, whereby the Governor of Bengal was designated as the Governor-General and made the supreme head of all the Presidencies. At about the same time, the legislative power in the Presidencies was also recognized.
The Charter Act of 1833, provided for the addition of a fourth member to the Governor-General in Council for the sole purpose of Legislation, and concentrated all the legislative powers in the Governor-General-in Council. It deprived the local government (Presidencies) of their power of independent legislation. The Presidency Governments were authorised merely to submit drafts or projects of any laws regulations deemed expedient or necessary to the Governor-General-in Council.
53, which marked the next stage in the evolution of the Legislatures, made the Law Member of the Governor- in-Council a full member and enlarged the Governor-General's Council for legislative purposes by the addition of the Chief Justice of Bengal, one other Supreme Court Judge and one paid representative of each Presidency or Governor's Province. In all the Governor-General-in Council consisted of 12 Members. This enlarged Council paved the way for establishing the first Legislative body in India . From 1833 to 1861, the Governor General in Council was the sole administrative as well as the Legislative authority.
The Indian Councils Act of 1861 constituted a great landmark in the growth and development of the Legislatures. The Act for the first time associated with the Governor-General's Executive Council and the Executive Councils of Madras and Bombay, a small number of additional members half of them being non-officials and provided for the addition of not less than six and not more than 12 nominated members to the Governor-General's Council and the functions of the new Legislative Council were limited wholly to legislation. This Act restored the legislative power taken away by the Charter of 1833. The Legislative Council of the Madras Presidency was given the power to make laws for the "peace and good government." The Council of the Governor of Madras was enlarged for the legislative purposes by the addition of the Advocate -General and four to eight adhoc members of whom atleast half were to be non-officials nominated by the Governor for a period two years. The Act thus sowed the seed for the future Legislative as an independent entity separate from the Executive Council. The Provincial Legislative Councils established were mere advisory bodies by means of which Government obtained advice and assistance. The Provincial Legislative Council could not interfere with the laws passed by the Central Legislature.
The next milestone in the evolution of the Legislatures was reached when the Indian Councils Act of 1892 was passed by which the number of additional members of the Central Legislature was raised to a maximum of 16 and the number of additional members of the Madras Legislative Council was raised to a maximum of 20, of which not more than nine had to be officials. Non-official Members were recommended by the district boards, universities, municipalities and other associations. This Act enlarged the functions of the Council in two respects, namely, the Council could discuss the annual financial statement and ask questions subject to certain limitation. Members were to hold office for two years.
The seed sown by the Act of 1861 was quickened into life by the Act of 1909, popularly known as Minto-Morely Reforms. The Act still further enlarged the Legislative Councils both of the Governor-General and of the provinces. It introduced for the first time the method of election, though not direct election, and thus helped to quicken into life the seed of representative institutions. It dispensed with official majorities in the Provincial Legislative Councils and gave them power to move resolutions upon matters of general public interest and also upon the Budget and to ask supplementary questions. The additional members of the Governor-General Council were increased from 16 to a maximum of 60 and those of the Madras Council from 20 to a maximum of 50. Thus the Act carried constitutional development a step further.