HC Deb 21 May 1880 vol 252 cc230-2
MR. LAING

asked the Secretary of State for India, Whether, in view of the grave errors discovered in the Financial Statement of the Government of India, he proposes to make any statement as to the actual financial position of India, and the amount and nature of the aid, if any, to be given by England towards defraying the cost of the Afghan War; and, if so, whether he can indicate any date when it is probable that such statement may be made?

MR. BAXTER

asked the Secretary of State for India, If it is true that a very serious error has been made in estimating the expenses of the War in Afghanistan; that the Indian Financial Statement of the year, instead of showing a surplus, as was represented, will exhibit a very heavy deficit; if he is in a position to inform the House what the true figures are, when the mistake was discovered in India, and on what date information was received of it by the Government at home; and, if he can further state what is the estimated monthly cost of the present campaign?

THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON

It is a fact that the Viceroy has telegraphed from India to the effect that the cost of the Afghan War has been seriously under-estimated; and it is now stated that the charge for that war for the year 1880-81 will probably exceed the Estimate by about £4,000,000. In that case, the anticipated surplus of £417,000 will be turned into a deficit of nearly £3,000,000. The present monthly expenditure is estimated at £500,000. I am asked at what date these facts became known to the Home Government? The addition of £3,500,000 or £4,000,000 to the Estimates was announced in a telegram of the 20th of April as likely if the war continued for six months on the present scale; but a telegram of the 23rd of March had led to the belief that some excess was anticipated beyond the Estimates, and one of the 8th of April spoke of the outlay for the war as very alarming, and as far exceeding the Estimates. The communications that have passed between the Government of India and the Government at home have been, up to the present time, chiefly carried on by telegraph, although my Predecessor had already forwarded two important despatches to the Government of India on the subject. I expect that by the 26th of this month a despatch of an explanatory character will be received from the Government of India, and as soon as that despatch is received I propose to lay all the Papers that I possess upon the Table; and I hope the House will not be disposed to enter into any detailed discussion of this question until we are in possession of that information. I have received a telegram during the last day or two which leads me to believe that a further despatch—the receipt of which we cannot expect until the 10th of June—will contain further explanations, which the Government of India consider necessary. Under these circumstances, it will probably not be possible for me to make any statement as to the financial position of India until that despatch has been received; but I do not think it would be right to delay the production of the Papers any further than till the receipt of the despatch which we expect on the 26th of May. I trust, however, that the House will be willing to postpone any formal discussion of this important question until the fullest information has been received from the Government of India.