HC Deb 13 July 1876 vol 230 cc1393-4
THE LORD MAYOR (Mr. Alderman Cotton)

asked the Under Secretary of State for India, If he would explain to the House why the Return (recently presented to Parliament, No. 213,) of property owned by the Ex-Chiefs of Kirwee is limited in title and contents to the undisputed and admittedly captured property, instead of supplying a full inventory, in compliance with the express terms of the Order of the House of Commons dated 24th July 1874, of the proceeds of all movable property of those Princes acquired by the local Government; why several items which are included in the earlier inventories of the Viceroy of India, consisting of debts, Nos. 181 and 182, due by the East India Company (Parliamentary Return, No. 298, of Session 1869, page 15), and payments by private debtors and proceeds of jewels (ibid, pages 48 and 49) are omitted in the account of the enemy's assets; when this Return, which was acknowledged by the Under Secretary of State for India to be incomplete, will be made complete so as to satisfy the whole requirements of the Parliamentary Order; and, whether there is any objection to produce Copies of all Correspondence subsequently to the 1st July 1875 to the present date on the subject of the Kirwee Booty, now on record at the India Office, and not included in any other Parliamentary Return?

LORD GEORGE HAMILTON

The Return alluded to gives all the information required by the Order of the House of the 24th of June, 1871, and if my right hon. Friend will read from pages 48 to 52 of the Return he will there find reasons stated why the items enumerated by him are not comprised by the terms of the present Return. I never stated this Return to be incomplete. In March, 1875, in reply to a Question, I said we had not then received information necessary to fulfil the Order of this Return. In May, 1876, the Return was laid upon the Table of the House; and, taken with other previous Returns, it gives the fullest and most complete information concerning the whole of the property owned by the ex-Chiefs of Kirwee. I have no objection to give any Correspondence not published between the Secretary of State and the prize agents.