MR. CROSSasked the First Lord of the Treasury, When he will be prepared to make any statement to the House as to the apportionment of the expenses of the Afghan War between the Treasuries of England and India?
MR. GLADSTONESir, I do not think the information is yet sufficiently matured to allow me to give a very dis- 324 tinct answer on this subject; but undoubtedly what I hope is that we shall be able to put the House in possession of our views on the matter within a reasonable time. That reasonable time I am afraid, however, cannot arrive until after the expected arrival of certain despatches alluded to the other evening by my noble Friend the Secretary of State for India, and until we have had time to consider the contents and bearing of those despatches.