MR. J. B. SMITHsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for India, When the Financial Accounts of India, which ought by law to have been laid upon the table of the House last month, will be presented to the House; and whether he will also present the Speech of the Finance Minister of India along with the Accounts; and when he intends to bring forward the Indian Budget?
§ SIR CHARLES WOODsaid, he laid the financial accounts on the table about throe weeks since—on the 13th of May. [Mr. J. B. SMITH: Are they printed?] He did not know, but he laid them, on the table at the proper time. They were long and elaborate accounts, and they always took about a month to print. With regard to the Speech of the Finance Minister of India, he could not lay it on the table of the House, any more than he could lay on the table the Speech of his right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. It was impossible for him to say, seeing so many Motions that were put down every day on the Motion for going into Supply —it was impossible for the Government to say—when the Estimates would be finished, and, until they had been voted, or were nearly completed, he could not name a day for bringing on the Indian Budget.
§ MR. HENRY SEYMOURsaid, he would beg to ask the right hon. Gentleman if he has any notion when the Accounts will be laid on the table?
§ SIR CHARLES WOODsaid, he had already answered that question. He had already stated they were laid on the table three weeks ago.
§ MR. HENRY SEYMOURsaid, he wished to know when they would be in the hands of hon. Members, and whether the right hon. Baronet has given orders for their being printed?
§ SIR CHARLES WOODsaid, the hon. Member must be aware that this was a point over which he had no sort of authority. All he could do was to lay the papers on the table of the House, and 1147 move that they be printed. That had been done, and they were in the hands of the printer, but as he was neither the printer nor the printer's master he could not say when they would be ready.