§ 25. Mr. GINNELLasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether the refusal to give this House information in two specified instances of public expenditure incurred in pursuance of an illegal course is the refusal of the Treasury, or of the Comptroller and Auditor-General, or of the latter by direction of the former; and by what authority does the Treasury, as a spending department, make this rule for itself different from the rules it enforces upon other spending departments?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Masterman)I have no knowledge of what cases the hon. Member refers to in the first part of the question, or do I understand what rule he is referring to in the latter part of his question. As I have several times informed the hon. Member, the Comptroller and Auditor-General will take such action in due course as he deems to be his duty under the Statutes relating to his office, and it would certainly be improper for the Treasury to intervene in his action.