§ MR. RAIKESI beg to give Notice that I shall to-morrow ask the Prime Minister, Whether he can state what precedents exist during the last 30 years for the submission to the House of the credits of extraordinary military expenditure for special expeditions among the ordinary Supplementary Estimates; and whether it is not the fact that the Votes obtained from the House for the Kaffir War in 1851–52; the Crimean War in 1856; the China War in 1860–62; the Abyssinian Expedition; the Russo-Turkish War, the Ashantee War, the South African War, and the last Mediterranean Expedition to Egypt, were not in every case brought forward on an Address from the Crown, or as Votes of Credit, and were not in any case discussed as Supplemental Estimates?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. CHILDERS)Although the right hon. Gentleman only gives Notice of that Question, I am in a position to answer it at once, especially as it may have some influence on the debate that probably will take place to-day. In 1880 the Public Accounts Committee pointed out that Supplementary Estimates had been taken by the late Government for the pay of Indian troops at Malta to the extent of £350,000, and expenditure on account of the anticipated difficulties with Russia to the extent of £1,845,000. The Public Accounts Committee say that these Supplementary Estimates may be taken to have been the first of the kind, as a few years ago a Vote of Credit would have been taken in each of these cases; and the Committee, therefore, inquired somewhat fully into the comparative advantages of Supplementary Estimates for special Services and Votes of Credit, with a view to ascertain in what way the greatest amount of information and control with respect to the expenditure for such. Services can be secured to the Treasury and Parliament. The Committee arrived at the opinion that in all cases of special service, when the De- 673 partment can make a fairly definite Estimate of the service and of the general heads under which the proposed expenditure will mainly fall, it is desirable that a Supplementary Estimate should be presented, as in the case of the Native Indian troops at Malta, and that Votes of Credit should, as a rule, be only resorted to when, from the nature of the services to be performed, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to give any fairly approximate Estimate of the amount required, and when, consequently, the attempt to do so would be practically useless and even misleading. In accordance with that recommendation of the Public Accounts Committee subsequent Estimates have been on more than one occasion framed on this principle.
§ SIR STAFFORD NORTHCOTEI would ask whether the Report of the Committee was not made before the adoption of the New Rule for preventing Motions coming on when Supply stands first?
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. GUILDERS)Very possibly, although the New Rule is only a revival of a former one. When, however, the present Rule was made there was no allusion in debate to its effect on this practice.
§ MR. RAIKESI did not ask the Question to-day; but it having been answered, I would further ask why the Government did not act upon the recommendations of the Public Accounts Committee with regard to the Expedition to Egypt in 1882?
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. GUILDERS)Although it was earlier in the year, and it was less easy to make an Estimate of the probable expenditure, yet that course was adopted in the Autumn Session of 1882, and the Supplementary Estimates were brought down and voted in the following February.