HC Deb 19 June 1882 vol 270 cc1600-1
MR. O'DONNELL

asked the Secretary of State for India, Whether, since he stated that Mr. M. Finucane, Bengal Civil Service, "bad never been manager of the Durbungha Raj," he has learned that Mr. Finucane appears in the India List for 1880 as assistant magistrate at Durbungha, in the India List for 1881 as "manager of the Durbungha Raj," and in the India List for 1882 as "manager of the Durbungha Raj;" whether be will inquire why the letter of resignation which Mr. Finucane addressed to the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal, Sir Ashley Eden, declining to carry out enhancements of rent on the estates of the Maharajah of Durbungha, cannot now be produced; whether he will inquire if the salary of Mr. Finucane, while attached to the administration of the Durbungha Raj, was 1,500 rupees a month; whether he will inquire if the salary of the relative of Sir Ashley Eden, appointed to the administration of the Durbungha Raj, is 2,000 rupees a month; whether Sir Ashley Eden is now a member of the India Council in London; and, whether he will inform the House the name of the Indian official on whose authority he stated that Mr. Finucane was never manager of the Durbungha Raj?

THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON,

in reply, said, he had had the facts relating to these appointments before him; and was satisfied that the statements contained in the Question were inaccurate, He had all the particulars of the ap- pointment of this gentleman; but he trusted the House would not consider it necessary for him to go into the details of dates and figures. If the hon. Member thought it worth while to raise the question on any fitting opportunity, he had no doubt he should be able to satisfy him that a former reply he had given the hon. Member on the subject was correct. As he had said before, nothing was known of the letter of resignation, and ho could not undertake to make inquiries with regard to a letter of the existence of which he knew nothing. By referring to the Returns the hon. Member would see what the salaries were.

MR. O'DONNELL

said, that he was prepared to accept the challenge of the noble Marquess on the very first opportunity he could give him.