§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
160§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (The Marquess of SALISBURY), in moving that the Bill be read a second time, said, that it was one to repeal a Statute passed many years ago for the regulation of the expenditure of a Secret Service Fund, which was fixed by the Statute at a sum of £10,000 a-year. There was a discussion raised in the House of Commons during the last Session, and the distribution of the Fund by the Parliamentary Secretary was much commented upon. It was supposed that the money was used for purposes not suitable to the Secret Service. On investigation it was discovered that that was not now the case, and that as far as it could not be used for the Secret Service it was devoted to the payment of messengers, and so on. But, upon the whole, it had been thought desirable that the Statute, in respect to which many very unnecessary suspicions had been raised, should be repealed, and that a necessary sum should be placed under the control of Parliament by an Estimate in each year, like the Civil Service Estimates. There had been no opposition to the Bill in the other House, and he trusted that it would not meet with any in their Lordships' House.
§ Moved, "That the Bill be now read 2a." —(The Marquess of Salisbury.)
§ Motion agreed to; Bill read 2a accordingly, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Thursday next.
§ House adjourned at half past Four o'clock, to Thursday next, Two o'clock.