HC Deb 11 August 1832 vol 14 cc1333-4
Lord Althorp

moved that the Secret Committee appointed to inquire into the affairs of the Bank of England should have leave to report the minutes of evidence taken before them.

Agreed to.

The noble Lord brought up the Minutes of Evidence, which he moved should be printed.

Mr. Sadler

asked whether the Minutes contained the whole of the evidence taken by the Committee?

Lord Althorp

said, that they did contain the whole of the evidence with the exception of some small part which referred to the private affairs of individuals who had been examined. Indeed, the whole of the omissions consisted of two questions which had been asked of one witness, and which related to his private affairs.

In answer to another question by an hon. Member,

The noble Lord stated, that all the documents produced before the Committee were given in the Minutes, with the exception of those which were repetitions.

Mr. Hughes Hughes wished

to ask the noble Lord whether he had the sanction of the witnesses to the publication of their evidence? The reason why he asked the question was, that he was the other day in company with a gentleman who had been examined before the Committee, and who stated, that considering it a committee of secresy, he had given evidence which he should not wish to have done if he had thought it would be published.

Lord Althorp

felt the difficulty to which the hon. Member alluded, and to obviate any objection on that ground, the question was put by the Chairman of the Committee to every witness examined, whether he had any objection to the publication of his evidence, or whether there was any part of it which he would wish to have omitted. The answer from every one of them was, that they had no objection, except in the case of the two questions to which he had before alluded.

Mr. Sadler

wished to know, whether those omitted questions related to any important public matter.

Mr. Hudson Gurney

did not think the question a fair one, considering that this was a Secret Committee.

Lord Althorp

repeated, that the matters related to the private affairs of the individual under examination, and which were given in illustration of the general question. The noble Lord added, that he should not do justice to the witnesses if he did not say that the whole of their evidence was given with the utmost candour and fairness.

Evidence to be printed.