§ SIR WILLIAM WEDDERBURN (Banffshire)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether, with a view to a more systematic and effectual consideration of Indian Finance by this House, he will favourably consider a proposal to appoint each year a Select Committee of the House to examine and report upon the East India Accounts?
§ LORD GEORGE HAMILTONAny effective annual examination of the accounts of the Government of India by a Select Committee sitting in this country would raise many grave difficulties, would seriously interfere with the 494 administrative work of the Government of India, and would entail upon the revenues of India an expense which the results would in no sense justify. I cannot therefore hold out any hope of assenting to any such proposition.
§ SIR W. WEDDERBURNasked whether the noble Lord thought that the present arrangements did not admit of improvement?
§ LORD GEORGE HAMILTONsaid that he would have an opportunity of referring to this subject in introducing the Indian Budget. The control exercised over the East India accounts was, as far as he knew, a singularly effective control.