File 4673/1919 Pt 1 ‘Persian Gulf:- Visit to England of the son of the Sheikh of Bahrein + party. General arrangements + proceedings. Incidence of cost.’ [‎254v] (486/494)

4
No. 2.
Letter from the Treasury to the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. , No. 12,052, dated
15th August, 1902.
The Lords Commissioners of His Majesty’s Treasury have had before
them your letter (F. 4643) of the 23rd ultimo, relative to the expenses incurred
by the Secretary of State for India in Council on account of the visit to this
country of Indian Princes, delegates, and troops to be present at the Coronation
of His Majesty the King. The Secretary of State now represents that, inas
much as the postponement of the ceremonial has led to additional heavy
expenditure, the Treasury should defray at least a substantial portion of, if not
the whole, cost of entertaining those who had been invited.
My 1 jords have received this communication with some surprise, as they
had understood that the Government of India were prepared to defray the entire
charge for this service from Indian funds—a course which would have been in
accordance with all previous precedent.
My I jords, however, now leirn that the matter has been again considered
by His Majesty’s Government, who have come to the conclusion that the repre
sentative visitors from India attending the Coronation should be provided for
in regard to the cost of their entertainment in the same manner as those who
represented the other great dependencies and Colonies of the Empire.
On this ground, therefore, and in view of the strong opinion expressed by
the Secretary of State for India in Council, my Lords will be prepared to ask
Parliament to provide in the estimate for the next financial year the sum
required to repay the whole expense of the service.
My Lords understand that the sum of £86,700 provided for purposes of
entertainment, and the £2,000 already allotted from Imperial funds, have
proved insufficient to meet the expenditure actually incurred. They request
to be turnished with a statement of the actual expenditure at the Secretary of
State’s earliest convenience.
I am, &c.,
(Signed) FRANCIS MO WATT.
No. 3.
Letter from the India Ojjice to the Treasury, No. F. 5116, dated
4/A September, 1902.
I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 15th of
August, No. 12,052, and to express the great gratification with which the
Secretary ot State for India in Council has learnt that the Lords of the
treasury are prepared to exempt Indian revenues from anv charges incurred
in this country in connection with the Coronation festivities, by asking Parlia
ment to provide in the estimate for the next financial year the sum required to
defray the cost of entertainment of the representative visitors from India
attending the Coronation, in the same manner as was done in the case of
representatives of other parts of the Empire.
A statement of the actual expenditure will be prepared as soon as possible;
but, as a portion ot the expenditure in this country has been met from advances
for which accounts will be rendered in India, it will be necessary to
communicate with the Government of India on the subject.