§ CAPTAIN STACPOOLEsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for India, Whether, with reference to the pledge which had been given to this House—that all the public and bonâ fide claims against the late State of Oude would be paid out of the Revenues of the country—it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to place the Report of the Commission appointed to inquire into those claims, and the decision of the local government thereon, upon the footing of all other Reports and decisions affecting the rights of individuals in India, and to allow the same to be reviewed by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council?
VISCOUNT CRANBOURNESir, these are claims that arose out of transactions that took place about eighteen years ago. They are claims of a moral, and not of a legal character, and they depend, as I am informed, upon proof that falls very far short of legal proof. There is no doubt by the statute a power enabling Her Majesty to refer to the Committee of Privy Council any matters which she pleases, but I imagine there would be a very great difficulty in referring matters of this kind to a judicial tribunal, and certainly I cannot pledge myself generally to do so. If references are made, it must be on each individual case, on cause shown, and on a full review of all the circumstances.