§ Order read, for resuming Adjourned Debate on Question [19th May], "That the Bill be now read a second time."
§ Question again proposed.
§ Debate resumed.
§ MR. ONSLOWobjected to the Bill being read a second time, inasmuch as he had asked the Under Secretary of State for India whether a Committee could not be appointed to consider the expenditure upon the Indian Marine? The Marine expenditure was increasing very much in India, and money was not only spent upon it, but also upon the Royal Navy. He thought that the expenditure upon the Indian Marine and upon the Royal Navy performing duty in Indian waters should be considered before this Bill was passed. If his hon. Friend could give an assurance that there was not to be a double expenditure in respect to the Navy in India, and that an Indian Marine was required to do the same duties that the Royal Navy was now paid for performing, he should have no objection to the Bill passing. But, as the matter at present stood, this Bill seriously affected the finances of India.
§ MR. E. STANHOPEsaid, that this Bill raised no question of finance at all. The Bill was only for the purpose of enabling discipline to be enforced upon such part of the Indian Marine as it was found necessary to employ in addition to the Royal Navy. He would propose an Amendment to strike some words from the Preamble of the Bill, which he 2029 thought would meet the objections which I his hon. Friend had made. He should be very glad for inquiry to be made into this matter; and he thought it might be shown that not a single farthing of expense in India was incurred by this Bill.
§ Question put, and agreed to.
§ Bill read a second time, and committed for To-morrow, at Two of the clock.