HL Deb 22 March 1861 vol 162 cc201-2
THE EARL OF ELLENBOROUGH

wished to inquire of the noble Earl the Under-Secretary of State for India whether there was any objection to lay upon the table the last despatch received by the Government having reference to the financial affairs of India

EARL DE GREY AND RIPON

said, he did not think it would be desirable to lay the last financial despatch received from the Government of India upon the table unaccompanied by the letters connected with it; but the whole of the Correspondence would be produced as soon as the Government were in a position to lay it upon their Lordships' table.

THE EARL OF ELLENBOROUGH

inquired whether the subject of railways would be comprised in the documents which the noble Earl intended to produce

EARL DE GREY AND RIPON

said, that full information as to the state of the railways, financially and otherwise, would be found in the Annual Report which he hoped to be able to lay on the table in the course of about a fortnight.

LORD MONTEAGLE

entered his protest against the neglect of the Government in not producing to Parliament the Annual Reports on the financial condition of India, which they were legally bound to furnish. This was no light matter, and every day it became more dangerous that the people of this country should be kept in ignorance of what was going on in India. If after the recess there was not something said or done to account for the refusal to carry into effect the law of the land on this subject, he should, probably, take the liberty of moving an Address to the Crown on the subject.