SECOND READING. (Hansard, 16 February 1891)

§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Viscount Cross)

I have to ask your Lordships to give a Second Reading to this Bill, the object of which is to allow certain high Officers of State in India, when it is absolutely necessary on public grounds that they should do so, to come home to England for the purpose of consultation without incurring the penalty which at the present moment is cast upon them of losing their commissions or appointments if they leave India for the purpose of coming home. Your Lordships will remember at the time of the Jubilee, in 1887, it was suggested that the Duke of Connaught should come over from India for the purpose of being present at the Jubilee, and it was found necessary to introduce a short Act of Parliament to enable him to come, because by the provisions of the old Act, 53 Geo. III, which are now to be found in the Act 3 & 4 Will. IV., it is enacted that the return to Europe or the departure from India with the intent to return to Europe of any Governor-General of India, Governor or Member of Council or Commander-in-Chief, should be deemed in law a resignation or avoidance of his office or employment. In my opinion, it is perfectly right that that Act should have been passed at the time it was passed. Your Lordships know as well as I that a journey to India was in those days by no means as easy as it is at the present moment, when passengers from India had to return to England round the Cape, and their absence from their duties must have been necessarily prolonged. It was then necessary to point out to officials that if they meant to keep their appointments they must not leave the duties of their office for the purpose of coming home for their own pleasure in any way. But now the time for which 650 they must be necessarily absent from their duties during their return to England is so greatly reduced that no inconvenience of that kind can take place. The Bill will only confer upon the India Office powers similar to those now enjoyed by the War Office, the Colonial Office, and the Admiralty, with reference to persons holding appointments under those Departments. I would remind your Lordships that there is no objection to the Governor of any of the Colonies, or any Commander-in-Chief of forces, either in Canada or elsewhere, returning home; and that the Foreign Office is entitled to call back its officers or Ministers of State for conference. In fact, that has been done by the Secretary of State for the Colonies. As Mr. Childers said in the other House when the Bill in reference to the Duke of Connaught was before it, he had called back the chief naval commander from the China station, and also the chief naval commander from the Pacific station, for the purpose of consultation with him. When the Bill which enabled the Duke of Connaught to come home was before the other House of Parliament, Mr. Childers, who then spoke upon the matter, said he saw no objection to his coming over, and that he would offer no opposition to the Bill provided Government would give a pledge to bring in a General Bill to accomplish his purpose in case of necessity. The Leader of the House gave that undertaking, and in pursuance of it, a Bill was brought in during last Session of Parliament, but could not be proceeded with further on account of the state of business. It is that identical Bill to which I am now asking your Lordships to give a Second Reading. I think your Lordships will see, upon looking at the provisions of the Bill, that there are ample safeguards to prevent abuse. In the first place it says that, "It shall be lawful for the Governor General of India in Council" to consent. It would, therefore, be necessary for the request to pass through the Council in India; and it could not come before the Council in India, unless at the request of the Secretary of State for India at-home. Then the request can only be made on public grounds; if it is required on public grounds, any of the said officers specified in the Schedule may leave India 651 for the purpose of proceeding to Europe. Therefore, I think your Lordships will see there is ample security against abuse; in the first place, the request rests upon the responsibility of the Secretary of State for India here; then it has to pass before the Council of the Governor General in India; and lastly, it can only be made on public grounds. For those reasons, I venture to ask your Lordships to give the Bill a Second Reading.