Cour
185
which their Lordships desire to be furnished I am too brief that the period which had elapsed between the exchange of the Ratification, and the date of Sir H. Pottinger's last despatches is so short, that it would have been impossible for him, even if he had anticipated their Lordship's decision previous to the Ratification, to procure any account of the expenditure subsequent thereto as to its probable amount. But Lord Stanley has suggested to Sir H. Pottinger to furnish at his earliest convenience an account of the expenditure between the exchange of the Ratifications and the 31st March 1844, in order that the sanction of Parliament may be obtained together with the best estimate which he may be able to form of the Contingent expenditure for the year ending 31st March 1845, that charge be submitted to Parliament with the Schedule of Establishments already approved by their Lordships.
With respect to the Union of the Secretariats to which their Lordships desire that Sir H. Pottinger's attention should be called, Lord Stanley desires me to express his apprehension that such an arrangement could not be effected without introducing confusion into the public correspondence. He has however directed Sir H.