MR. H. ROBERTSI beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether the municipality of Poona has been assessed by the Accountant General with four lakhs of rupees as its share of the plague expenditure up to 1st June, 1898, and whether another lakh is added as the estimated further expenditure; whether he is aware that the Poona municipality has no cash balance with which to meet this apportionment, and that the collector of Poona is urging the municipality to raise a loan of five lakhs; whether he can state whether the punitive police force, placed upon Poona at the time of the murder of Messrs. Rand and Ayerst, is still there, and what has been the total cost of that force to 695 Poona from its imposition to the present time; and whether, in view of the financial difficulties of the municipality of Poona and that no evidence whatever was forthcoming at the trial of Damodar for the murders connecting the municipality with their inception, he will order the removal of the punitive force and remit the cost to the municipality?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIAI have no information as to the share of the plague expenditure which has been assessed on the municipality of Poona, nor as to the cash balance at present available. With regard to the cost of the additional police, I have repeatedly stated its estimated amount; the actual amount is probably less, but I am not in a position to give particulars. At the recent trial the question whether there had been a conspiracy was not investigated; there was but one prisoner, and the only evidence adduced was directed to show that he had committed the murders. The absence of evidence implicating others does not, therefore, seem to be a sound ground for ordering the withdrawal of the additional force.
MR. H. ROBERTSWill the right honourable Gentleman make inquiry as to the actual financial position at present?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIAProbably the information will come home in the ordinary course. The honourable Member must recollect that Poona is not the only case of the kind.