"حياة ومراسلات اللواء السير جون مالكوم، قائد فرسان وسام الطُهر، المبعوث السابق إلى بلاد فارس وحاكم بومباي؛ من رسائل ومذكرات غير منشورة. في مجلّدين. المجلد II." [‎٥‎٧] (٦٥٤/٧٤)

EXPENSES OF THE PERSIAN MISSION.
57
so justly reposed in you cannot exempt Government from the
duty of forming its opinion of tlie necessity and moderation of
charges incurred even under all the latitude of discretion so pro
perly allowed you, as far as it has the means of forming one."
In this same letter Mr. Edmonstone frankly stated
that, in the opinion of Government, the general expendi-
arnmois- ture of the Mission was excessive, and that it was in-
iselftojujj tended to record an opinion to that effect:
" That the general scale of your expenditure," he wrote, " might
have been materially reduced without injury to the public service,
I am allowed candidly to tell you, is the opinion of Government.
It has been the duty of Government to record that opinion; but
this only involves a difference of sentiment regarding the correct
ness and policy of the principles which governed this expenditure.
It does not impute to you an inconsiderate and careless expenditure
of the public money. Government will not refuse to admit that,
with reference to the principles themselves, you have not neglected
the obligations of attention, prudence, and discretion. But it
cannot reasonably be expected that Government should deny
itself the liberty of judging, according to the lights which it pos
sesses, on a point so fundamental as the principles which have
regulated the conduct of its representative in the expenditure of
the public money; nor can it be supposed that Government di
vested itself of this privilege, or rather duty, by declaring, and
actually feeling, an implicit confidence in your discretion, expe
rience, and honor."
That the expenses of the Mission were very heavy is
not to be denied. But Malcolm maintained that this,
however greatly to be deplored, was inherent in the very
nature of the service entrusted to him, and that with
out such expenditure he could not have carried out
the objects of his mission. It is right that in this place
his explanation should be suffered to speak for itself;
" The number of officers attached to my Mission was one and
no inconsiderable cause of additional expense ; but it will be re-