CLOTHING FOR THE ARMY— QUESTION. (Hansard, 9 February 1855)

§ MR. W. WILLIAMS
said, he put a question to the right hon. Gentleman the Exchequer yesterday which he was afraid the right hon. Gentleman misunderstood. He asked him whether the sum which the House had just voted for warm clothing and other comforts for the army in the Crimea had already been expended, and whether the money was required for the payment of articles already furnished to the troops. He understood the right hon. Gentleman to state, in reply, that the amount just voted was for the purpose of supplying the army with the articles mentioned; but in that he must surely have misapprehended the statement of the right 1394 hon. Gentleman, because the troops would not require winter clothing to the amount of 1,000,000l. in the summer, which was so near at hand, and it could hardly be said that the articles were wanted for the next winter. He therefore begged to ask the same question again, with the view of clearly understanding whether he was mistaken or not.

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER
said, he was very sorry there was any misunderstanding between the hon. Gentleman and himself respecting the question he had put yesterday. What he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) intended to state was, that all the payments that had been made by the Ordnance Department up to the present moment had been made out of grants which had already received the sanction of Parliament. That, he believed, was strictly and literally true. He now understood the hon. Gentleman to ask him whether any obligations had been contracted by the Ordnance Department, to the fulfilment of which the vote granted yesterday would be applicable. He had no doubt that the necessities of the service had compelled the Ordnance Department, upon their own responsibility, subject to the sanction of the Treasury, to contract obligations to which the Vote of yesterday would be applicable.

§ Mr. W. WILLIAMS
said, the explanation of the right hon. Gentleman was perfectly satisfactory.