§ LORD MONTEAGLEpresented several petitions from Natives of Bengal, Behar, Orissa, Bombay, Madras, and Tanjore, respecting the operation of the income tax in India, and praying for the admission of Natives to the offices of Zillah Judge and Assistant Judge. The noble Lord was understood to urge upon the Government the necessity of the speedy production of the official documents relating to the finances of India, and said he wished to know whether the Government would lay on the table of the House the speech which Mr. Laing lately made in the Legislative Council of India, explanatory of his views respecting the finances of India. The similar statement made by the late Mr. Wilson, the predecessor to Mr. Laing, had been submitted to Parliament, and to render the present condition of India intelligible it was necessary that Mr. Laing's speech should be produced likewise. He also wished to know whether the reports of the moral and material progress of India would be laid upon the table according to the enactments of the Bill of 1853?
EARL DE GREY AND RIPONreplied, that most of the objects which were sought by the petitioners had already, to a considerable extent, been anticipated by legislation suggested by Her Majesty's Government in the course of the present year. The noble Lord had asked two questions. First, he had asked for a copy of the speech of Mr. Laing to the Legislative Council of India. It was true that a similar speech of Mr. Wilson's had been laid before Parliament; but that was done because it was an essential part of the question which had arisen with regard to the conduct of Sir Charles Trevelyan. But he would submit whether it was a desirable practice to lay on the table of the Houses of Parliament speeches made in the Legislative Council of India. The whole of the financial information which the noble Lord sought for would be laid before the House in the shape of financial dispatches. As to the other question, whether the statements with regard to the moral and material progress of India would be laid on the table he might say that the papers containing the information had been presented within the time prescribed, and they had already been printed and circulated, and he held a copy in his hand. They contained a detailed report of all the acts which had been passed by the Indian Legislature during the year.
§ LORD MONTEAGLEsaid, the book did not contain all the documents he wanted; and if the papers had been presented within the time required by the law this was of little avail if an undue delay occurred in the printing. In this case the printing was not finished till August.