§ MR. OTWAYsaid, he rose to ask the right hon. President of the Board of Control whether he was aware of the proceedings that have recently taken place in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, in re Dyce Sombre, and of the judgment of the Judge, the Right Hon. Sir John Dodson; and whether the Court of Directors of the East India Company have the power to disburse generally moneys from the revenues of India for any object or objects, including the discharge of law costs and expenses incurred by them in this country without his sanction and authority?
MR. VERNON SMITHsaid, that with regard to the hon. Member's question he did not rise to afford any further information on the case, as he knew nothing of it except what was accessible to everybody through the medium of the newspapers. With regard to the second part of the question, the East India Company had certainly not the general power alluded to by the hon. Member; but by the Act 3 Will. IV., cap. 35, the Board of Control was precluded from sending any question to the Court of Directors with regard to their law expenses, and from inquiring into any communications between the Board and its solicitor. Whether that provision applied to an extensive lawsuit, such as the one alluded to, was a question for the House to determine, and which he would take care to have inquired into.
§ MR. OTWAYAm I to understand that the Company can incur any amount of expense, say £100,000, without the authority of the Board of Control, provided it comes under the head of law expenses?