§ On the question, that a sum not exceeding 39,200l. be granted, to defray the charge of her Majesty's foreign and other secret services.
Mr. Williamssaid, he must object to any vote of the public money under the term of "other secret services." He admitted that it might be necessary to appropriate a sum of money for defraying the charge of foreign secret services, but he considered that no money ought to be voted for such purposes in this country. Such a vote could only be applied for the employment of spies, who were frequently the instigators and promoters of riots and disturbances. Three or four years since a return was made to the House of sums of money expended for foreign and home secret services respectively, and it appeared from that return that, the amount appropriated to purposes of this nature at home exceeded that which was expended for secret services abroad. He would move that the vote be reduced by 20,000l. If, however, the right hon. Gentleman, the Chancellor 300 of the Exchequer, would postpone the vote, and would lay before t e House a statement of the amount expended respectively by the three Secretaries of State, he would not divide the House.
§ The Chancellor of the Exchequerdeclined to accede to the proposition of the hon. Gentleman. The hon. Member laboured under some misapprehension on this subject, for he could inform him that the secret service money required by the Home and Colonial Secretaries was just one-sixteenth of the amount required by the Foreign Department.
§ Mr. Humeobserved that it was a singular circumstance that for several years past the same sum, 39,200l., had been required for this purpose.
§ The Chancellor of the Exchequersaid, that the Government asked for the amount which they conceived would be needed, and if the whole of the amount voted was not required it went t the credit of the public.
Lord Stanleysaid, this was practically a question of confidence in the Government. The whole of this money was expended by the Secretaries of State for particular purposes, which purposes were specified— such as the discovery of treasonable conspiracies, or for obtaining information with respect to foreign states. A comparatively small portion was required for the current service of the current year. What was required for each year was precisely what Government could not communicate to the House.
§ The committee divided on the question that the sum be 19,200l.—Ayes 13; Noes 100: Majority 87.
| List of the AYES. | |
| Barnard, E. G. | Pechell, Capt. |
| Brotherton, J. | Plumridge, Capt. |
| Crawford, W. S. | Strickland, Sir G. |
| Ewart, W. | Trelawny, J. S. |
| Fielden, J. | Turner, E. |
| Hatton, Capt. V. | TELLERS. |
| Hume, J. | Williams, W. |
| Morris, D. | Bowring, Dr. |
| List of the NOES. | |
| Allix, J. P. | Broadley, H. |
| Arkwright, G. | Browne, hon. W. |
| Bailey, J. | Buckley, E. |
| Baillie, Col. | Chapman, A. |
| Baring, hon. W. B. | Charteris, hon. F. |
| Baring, rt. hn. F. T. | Chetwode, Sir J. |
| Bentinck, Lord G. | Clerk, Sir G. |
| Bernard, Visct. | Colquhoun, J. C. |
| Blakemore, R. | Colvile, C. R. |
| Boldero, H. G. | Coote, Sir C. H. |
| Botfield, B. | Copeland, Mr. Ald. |
| Corry, rt. hon. H. | Knight, H. G. |
| Cripps, W. | Lawson, A. |
| Darby, G. | Lefroy, A. |
| Dick, Quin. | Lincoln, Earl of |
| Dickinson, F. H. | Lockhart, W. |
| Douglas, Sir H. | Mackenzie, W. F. |
| Douglas, Sir C. E. | Mainwaring, T. |
| Douglas, J. D. S. | Manners, Lord J. |
| Eliot, Lord | Marsham, Visct. |
| Escott, B. | Martin, C. W. |
| Evans, W. | Maxwell, hon. J. P. |
| Ferguson, Sir R. A. | Mitchell, T. A. |
| Flower, Sir J. | Mundy, E. M. |
| Fuller, A. E. | Nicholl, rt. hon. J. |
| Gaskell, J. Milnes | Norreys, Sir D. |
| Gladstone, rt. hn. W. E. | Pakington, J. S. |
| Gordon, hon. Capt. | Peel, J. |
| Goring, C. | Plumptre, J. P. |
| Goulburn, rt. hon. H. | Pringle, A. |
| Graham, rt. hn. Sir J. | Protheroe, E. |
| Greenall, P. | Rice, E. R. |
| Grimsditch, T. | Rose, rt. hon. Sir G. |
| Halford, H. | Round, J. |
| Hampden, R. | Sibthorpe, Col. |
| Harcourt, G. G. | Smith, rt. hn. T. B. C. |
| Hardinge, rt. hn. Sir H. | Stanley, Lord |
| Hardy, J. | Stuart, H. |
| Henley, J. W. | Strutt, E. |
| Hepburn, Sir T. B. | Sutton, hon. H. M. |
| Hervey, Lord A. | Tennent, J. E. |
| Hodgson, R. | Tollemache, J. |
| Hope, hon. C. | Towneley, J. |
| Hope, G. W. | Trench, Sir F. W. |
| Horsman, E. | Trotter, J. |
| Hughes, W B. | Wellesley, Lord C. |
| Humphery, Mr. Ald. | Yorke, H. R. |
| Hussey, T. | Young, J. |
| Jermyn, Earl | |
| Jocelyn, Visct. | TELLERS. |
| Kemble, H. | Freemantle, Sir T. |
| Knatchbull, rt. hn. Sir E | Baring, H. |
§ Original vote agreed to.