The Sun.
London, England, 1840-09-24 00:00:00

SECRET SERVICE MONEY.

The CHAIRMAN then coiled upon Mr. Lewis, who
had given notice of a motion on the subject of the dis-
bursements for secret services.

Mr. LEvvis rose to bring under the consideration of
the Court the following resolution :
" That, adverting to the unusually large disburse-
ments made from the funds of the East India Company
during the last two years, amounting to the sum of
11.5,7301., and to the proceedings of a former Court
un this ii4ortant subject, this Cou t is of opinion that
'the Legislature could not have intended to in'est the
Secret Committee, under the direction of the Presi-
dent of the Board of Control, with the unconstitutional
power of disbursing such funds to an unlimited extent,
and that such disbursements ought to be subject to the
approval of the Court of Directors. This Court,
therefore, recommends the Court of Directors to adopt
uch measures as may be necessary to ascertain the
state of the law on this important question, with the
view of petitioning Parliament to define such power,
and to place it under constitutional control."
The HoN. PROPRIETOR briefly alluded to the dis-
mssion that had taken place in that Court on the last
,oz,.casion the subject now under consideration was
limught forward, and he then adverted to a return that
b:en made of the amount of money expended
undar the head of secret service-, extending over a period
from 1782 to April, 1839, or fifty•seven years. In
:ooking over tha return, the Hon. Proprietor found that
ti'ere were items of expenditure for secret service
hich must astonish them, especially as most of them
usd been surprised when formerly informed that as
-Lucia as 53,000/. had been so spent in one year. It
appeared from the returns in 1784, the expenditure of
the Secret Committee had been 64,563/. IBs. 6d., and
In 1797 it was 61,5491. &c. It was necessary, he
Mr. Lewis) thought, that some attempt should be
made to protect the revenues of India from such a
wasteful expenditure for the future. In the last Court
some discussion bad taken place upon this important
subject. An Hon. Director then expressed his doubts
as to the power of the Board of Control to expend
such large sums of money, but it would seem dot the
Secret Committee was bound to follow the orders of the
Board of Control. A member of that Secret Com-
mittee (Mr. Astell) had further expressed his readiness
to join in a petition to Parliament on the subject.
. . .

Mr. AsTELL denied that he had expressed any .such
opinion.
Mr. LEWIS had understood the Hon. Director to
have so stated, 'out there were other Directors who
thought that the power was likely to be abused. Un-
der these circumstances he (Mr. Lewis) had thought it
proper to bring the subject before the General Court,
in order to provide a remedy. He proposed that the
Court should recommend the Directors to adopt such
measures as may be necessary to ascertain the state of
the law on this important question, with the view of
petitioning Pariiament to define such power, and to
place it under constitutional control. He contended
that the President of the Board of Control had not the
power of calling upon the Secret Committee of the
Court of Directors for money to carry out those ob-
jects he might have decided upon it as being necessary
for the welfare of India. This was a power for which
there was no legal right whatever. The provisions
of the Act of Parliament in favour of the charter gave
no such power. Those Acts gave a power of suspen-
sion—a superintending power—over the acts of the
Court of Directors, but nothing more. The power '
exercised by the Board of Control in calling upon the
S,•cret Committee to furn:sh money to carry out the
objects of the President, ought not be assumed by the
Poard. It may be assumed that the President of the
P.eard of Control having the power to send, through
Lee. Secret Committee, orders and despatches relative to
affairs of India, that, ex necessitate, he has the
rif,)it to call on that Committee to supply such money
as be might consider was requisite for the secret ser-
vice. The right of making peace or war was vested
in the East India Government, whose acts were under
'lie supervision of the Board of Control. Could it,
then, be contended that the Board of Control had a
rielit to call upon the Secret Committe to supply
what money was required to carry out such objects
r:s the President of that Board might think neces-
sary ? He (Mr. Lewis) hoped to have the feelings
of ?he Court of Proprietors with him, that the posses.
of this irresponsible power was inconsistent and
remostituti.onal. The East India Company ought to
leiee severity against the exercise of such an authority,
though intended for the good of India, might
hese. results directly the reverse.-e( Hear, hear.) The
Arned Proprietor commented at some length, bat in
inc of voice which rendered him inaudible at times,
titeei the injury which the exercise of a power wholly
eecontroilable must inflict upon the '.aterest.s of India.
wits, he contended, too mueh to burden the re-
.iources of India with such wasteful and unnecessary
eepeediture. There had been lately an unnecessary
.Ind nussise war in 14th:, which would oecesiou addi-
tional charges on tlie revenues of that country. We
had an unnecessary and impolitic war in Chime : our
troops were 1e be employed in it, anal thus a further
charge we:rid be made upon the resources of India.
It was, then, the duty of the Proprietors to knock off'
ever, eitraordinary charge upon India, and to protect
its .esourees tom the possibility of • " bus e
Sir CHAS. 1704SES rose- witwithpleasure.to second the
motion of his ilonou able and Learned Friend.
It
peared from May Isoo * than 63 to May 1840, no less a sum
.otlo/. had been expended in secret services.
Such a disbursement
havewasteful and unwarrantable.
The Preprierors were tothe explanation (as
at tire last Court) that the money had been expended
for Coe purposes of selicueri(nsgir teFrn and Western
preainces of India.
provinces were Charles o;bes,i, wished to
were,h
iesk where the Western
perhaps, somewhere between Pekin and St. Petheersyb
Committee hid
It appeared, however, that the Secret
only to obey orders—that Sir John Hohhouse
its the President of the Board of Control, lied most,
uncoustitutional power. Could the Proprietors re-
ntals) quiet under such a state of things? They
Must take weans to have the matter put upon a
mare
coogdtutionai footing ; and he hoped that the
Court of Directors would lose no time in haviog a clear
Und. tstanding as to the potter of ‘he Directors ought to tho B .ard of Con-
trol and the Secret Committee. 1
have a short Act defining those powers, and thus to pro-
tect the funds of the Company—so called—hut of India
from being p:undered—he (SrSi Charles
_Forbes) was
aboot to say, from being improperly expended. It had
been stated that the money w.is expended for the be-
nefit and security of India. Ia one year there had been
60,000/. expanded by the Compiiny ,u raising seamen.
This Was a shameful abuse. lie had the best informa-
tion, that such a power as that now exercised by the
President of the Board of Control was never contem-
plated by the ell'arter.
The CuitiastANaa h
of the Hon. arid Learnedt ~t.
regard to the motion
Proprietor (Mr. Lewis), the
Court of Directors could
satisfied, under legal advice, that this outlay under the
bead " gal Sciirdvieecedi"
under
necessary. Under present
circumstances, or i
circumstances, the
Court of Directors did not th:nrkiatni‘:ight to petition Par-
liament on the subject brought forwardw.uld by the Honour-
able Proprietor.. The Company
porting
nothing by
such a course, and they might lose a
the little
power they potisesstd. It swim n of.
• gwritiarY, therefore,