§ COLONEL BLAIRsaid, he wished to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether there was any foundation for the report which had appeared in the public journals, stating that a gross fraud had been practised in the forage contract for horses going to the East; and if it were true, whether the Government had any power to inflict punishment on the offending parties further than by the loss of their contract. The report stated that the hay was damped, to make it weigh heavier; that on opening some of the trusses, they were found to contain straw, and shavings, and all manner of filth; and that in one of them was a dead lamb!
§ SIR JAMES GRAHAMsaid, it was true that a fraud had been attempted, but not perfected. The attempt had been detected, and the hay rejected; and a fresh supply had been obtained, which was entirely satisfactory to the officers.
§ COLONEL BLAIRsaid, he must remind the right hon. Baronet that he had not answered the latter part of his question, as to the power of the Government to inflict punishment on the offending parties further than by the loss of their contract.
§ SIR JAMES GRAHAMsaid, that there would have been such a power if the fraud had been successful; but that, having been prevented, no further proceedings could be taken.
§ COLONEL LINDSAYsaid, he wished to know whether the party who had attempted to perpetrate this fraud still 1071 continued to supply hay to the Government?
§ SIR JAMES GRAHAMsaid, if he had had notice of the question, he would have been prepared to answer it; but his impression was that the contract was for one supply, and that the person alluded to had not been permitted to tender again, and, therefore, was not now a contractor. This he believed to be the fact; but he repeated that, not having had notice of the question, he could not speak with certainty.