HC Deb 06 May 1889 vol 335 cc1227-8
MR. BRADLAUGH (Northampton)

asked the Under Secretary of State for India whether Her Majesty's Government have taken any, and what, steps to give effect to the official declaration made in 1886, and formally recorded in the Resolution No 34/1573-980 Simla, 4th October, 1886, that it was then the intention of Her Majesty's Government, at an early date, to undertake a Parliamentary inquiry into Indian affairs; and, whether he will state the reasons for the delay in undertaking such Parliamentary inquiry?

*THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Sir J. GORST,) Chatham

An immense mass of information has been obtained by the Indian Finance Committee and the Indian Public Service Commission, and their reports have been laid before Parliament. This fact, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, has rendered a Parliamentary inquiry into Indian affairs at the present moment inexpedient.

MR. BRADLAUGH

Let me ask whether the Government, when it made the declaration referred to in my question, had not in view the investigation of those Commissions, and had not expressly declared that it was its intention that a Parliamentary inquiry should follow that of the Public Service Commission?

*SIR J. GORST

Yes, Sir. The Government had those inquiries in view, but they had no idea how completely the result of those inquiries would exhaust all information that it was necessary to obtain on the subject.

MR. BRADLAUGH

Do I understand the hon. Gentleman to mean that the whole of the matters as to which the Government on the 4th of October, 1886, intended and expressed its intention then to inquire into has been exhausted in the two inquiries he has mentioned?

*SIR J. GORST

The hon. Gentleman is quite right in concluding that in the opinion of the Secretary of State the inquiry is now exhausted. Any further inquiry would merely obstruct the necessary reforms in India.

MR. BRADLAUGH

I beg to give notice that if I cannot obtain an opportunity before, I will call attention to the subject and ask for further information upon the statement of the hon. Gentleman in reference to the Indian Budget.