The government is the great financier of scientific research. Although there is at present a fiscal expenditure with these surveys, in a long term analysis, the economy is positively affected. This is because research results in many areas bring benefits such as new patents, improvements in processes in many areas such as intelligence, and increases the productivity of production factors. That is, using resources in research is not exactly an expense, but a long-term investment.
The answer is B). They would have been executed for treason. These men were putting their lives at serious risk, because they were trying to gain independence directly against the king's consent.