§ SIR STAFFORD NORTHCOTEsaid, he would beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for India, What restrictions are imposed by Law, or by the authority of the Secretary of State in Council, upon the power of the Governor General of India in Council, with respect to the expenditure of the Revenues of India; and. whether he can lay upon the Table of the House any Regulations that have been made, or any Correspondence that has taken place since 1858 between the Secretary of State and the Government of India on this subject?
MR. GRANT DUFFreplied that, in matters of expenditure, as in all others, the Governor General of India was entirely subject by law to the Secretary of State in Council, and any wilful neglect of or disobedience to orders was punishable as a misdemeanour. It had not, however, been the practice, and he trusted it never would be, to exercise a vexatious control over this great functionary, who constantly acted on the tacit assumption that his acts would be sanctioned by the Secretary of State in Council. For all practical purposes the control of the Home Government was complete, because in case of any new and serious expenditure the Governor General consulted the Secretary of State by telegraph.