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On his majesty's secret service: accounting for the secret service in a time of national peril 1782-1806

Funnell, Warwick N. (2010) On his majesty's secret service: accounting for the secret service in a time of national peril 1782-1806. Accounting Historians Journal, 37 (1). pp. 29-52. ISSN 0148-4184. (doi:10.2308/0148-4184.37.1.29) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:28537)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
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https://doi.org/Academy of Accounting Historians

Abstract

Abstract: Reforms to the civil list in the late 18th century in England sought to deny the Crown opportunities to use its civil-list funds and sinecures to buy influence in Parliament and, thereby, diminish constitutional protections for liberty. Among the most important reforms were tighter accounting requirements for civil-list spending, including that for the secret services. The unique nature and purpose of the home and foreign secret services, which were the responsibility of the Crown and paid from civil-service funds, resulted in accounting controls which depended upon additional measures to provide Parliament with greater control over spending and enhanced accountability. These enhancements to accountability were especially important at a time of almost continual war between England and France in the decades spanning the close of the 18th century, resulting in significant increases in spending on the foreign secret service.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.2308/0148-4184.37.1.29
Subjects: H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Divisions: Divisions > Kent Business School - Division > Department of Accounting and Finance
Depositing User: Karen Finch
Date Deposited: 09 Dec 2011 15:32 UTC
Last Modified: 09 Mar 2023 11:32 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/28537 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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