§ MR. SALISBURYsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for India if the Despatch No. 5, 1858, dated the 9th December, having been submitted to the Indian Council for consideration before its transmission to Lord Canning, had met with the sanction and approval of that body or otherwise?
LORD STANLEYsaid, in reply, that he had stated on the previous day that the Despatch in question was sent out in the Secret Department; that was to say, it was sent upon the responsibility of the Secretary of State alone. It was communicated to the Council for information; that was to say it was shown to the Members of the Council before it was sent out, but it was not submitted to them for consideration, nor did they express any opinion upon it.
§ MR. SALISBURYDid not the Council protest against the Despatch before it was sent out?
SIR GEORGE LEWISsaid, he wished to ask the Secretary of State for India, if his despatch to the Governor General of India, dated the 9th day of December, 1858 (which has lately been presented to the House) was sent under the 27th section of the Act for the better Government of India (21 & 22 Viet. c. 106), by which the power of the Secret Committee is continued. He was not quite certain whether the noble Lord had not already answered this question; but what he wished to know was, whether this despatch, not relating to war or to the Foreign relations of our Indian Empire, had been sent out in conformity with the statute?
LORD STANLEYsaid the former correspondence having passed in the Secret Department, this Despatch, as he had already stated, had also been sent out in the same Department.