HC Deb 06 December 1878 vol 243 cc202-4
MR. FAWCETT

asked the Under Secretary of State for India, Whether the consent of the Council of the Secretary of State for India has been obtained to any of the expenditure hitherto incurred in connection with the Military Expedition against the Ameer of Afghanistan; and, if so, when this consent was obtained and whether it was unanimous; and, whether any opinions have been recorded by the Council as to the justice of throwing these charges upon the Revenue of India; and, if so, whether there will be any objection to lay the record of these opinions before Parliament?

MR. E. STANHOPE

On Tuesday last a proposal came before the Council of the Secretary of State for increasing the Native Army in India. It was agreed to by a unanimous vote of the Council. Since that time certain opinions and reasons have, I understand, been prepared, but have not yet been recorded in the proceedings of the Council. When they are so recorded, if the hon. Member likes to move for them, there will be no objection to their production.

MR. FAWCETT

I will move for them; but the Under Secretary of State has not answered my Question. It was, Whether the consent of the Council has been obtained to the expenditure which has been incurred in Afghanistan; and, if so, on what day?

MR. GOSCHEN

I would ask a further Question, and that is, whether the Council of India has been consulted on any single point connected with the outbreak of this war before Tuesday last?

MR. E. STANHOPE

Perhaps the right hon. Gentleman will be good enough to give Notice of that Question. With regard to the Question of the hon. Member for Hackney, as I understand it, the object was to know whether certain dissents of the Members of the Council had been made, and whether we knew of them. I have already told him that when such dissents are entered upon the records, if the hon. Member moves for them, they will be presented to Parliament.

MR. FAWCETT

I am extremely sorry to trouble the Under Secretary of State for India, but my Question is divided into two parts. The Under Secretary has answered the latter part of the Question; but the first part is absolutely distinct, and refers to the expenditure "hitherto incurred." What I want to know is, whether the consent of the Council of the Secretary of State for India has been obtained to any of the expenditure hitherto incurred in connection with the military expedition against the Ameer of Afghanistan; and, if so, when that consent was obtained, and whether it was unanimous?

MR. E. STANHOPE

I have to say that the consent of the Council has not been necessary in any case that has hitherto occurred. The only occasion in which any reference to past expenditure has come before the Council was on Tuesday last.

MR. FAWCETT

Then I will ask—and repeat the Question on Monday, if necessary—if the consent of the Council of the Secretary of State for India has not been obtained to the expenditure which has hitherto been incurred—considering it is distinctly provided by the 41st section of the Government of India Act that no expenditure of the Revenues of India, whether in India or elsewhere, can be allowed, except by the consent of a majority of the Council of the Secretary of State for India—by whose authority this expenditure has been incurred?

MR. E. STANHOPE

I think the House will at once see that that is an argumentative Question. At the same time, I may say that I do not at all agree with this reading of the statute; and I shall at the proper time be prepared to argue the matter at much greater length than I could devote to it now.

GENERAL SIR GEORGE BALFOUR

asked, if it was the intention of the Government to lay Papers on the Table connected with the assumption of the Ameer of Afghanistan in respect to Quetta?