§ MR. CHILDERSasked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, When the Estimate 1696 of the expenditure for the War in South Africa during the present financial year may be expected to be laid upon the Table?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERSir, I have been anxious not to lay the Estimate of the expenditure for the South African War before the House until I was in a position to form as accurate an idea as possible of the amount likely to be required. That depends on two circumstances—the expenditure per month, and the length of time which the war is likely to last. At the present moment we are in a position of some difficulty, especially in regard to the second of those considerations. The latest information that I have as to the actual amount of expenditure does not go down later than the 20th of April. The expenditure, according to the information I have to that date, was proceeding at the rate of somewhat more than £500,000 per month. We have, I hope, cleared up the expenditure to the 31st of March, and, therefore, if during the months of April, May, and June, the expenditure is to be taken as proceeding at the same rate, you would have an expenditure of £1,500,000 or £1,600,000; and if the war be concluded, as we hope it may, by the end of June, there would probably be nothing to disturb the calculations of the Budget. Of course, I am not at present in a position to say when we may hope for a termination of the war; neither am I in a position to say that the expenditure is now going on at the same rate as at the beginning of April. I think it is for the convenience of the House that I should defer laying any statement on the Table till I am in a position to make one that will command more confidence than any which I could make at this moment, and I think my right hon. Friend will see that it is better that I should defer it for some time longer. Of course, we must take a Vote some little time before the close of the Session, and when we do so, I shall be able to state the grounds on which the Estimate is based.
§ MR. CHILDERSDid we clearly understand from the earlier part of the right hon. Baronet's answer that up to the end of the last financial year the whole charge of the war has been met—not only the charge on the Exchequer which comes in the shape of drafts on home, but the whole real cost to that date?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERYes; so far as our accounts go, we believe that is the case. I always speak with some diffidence about accounts from a Colony at that distance; but as far as we can make out, we believe that charge is covered by what was advanced in the last financial year.
§ SIR GEORGE CAMPBELL, who had given Notice of his intention to inquire whether the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Estimate of £1,500,000 was likely to be exceeded, said, that after the statement just made, he did not think it necessary to put his Question.