§ MR. LABOUCHERE(for Mr. W. L. BRIGHT) (Stoke-upon-Trent)asked the Under Secretary of State for India, Whether his attention has been drawn to a statement reported to have been made by Lord Harris at Manchester on Saturday—
That the financial affairs of that country (India) were in so critical a state that not improbably it might be necessary to reimpose the import duties on cotton goods;and, whether the Government intend to reconsider their resolution to lay the cost of the Burmese War entirely upon the Indian Revenues?
§ MR. JENNINGS (Stockport)asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether his attention has been called to a statement made at a meeting near Manchester on Saturday by Lord Harris, Under Secretary of State for War, to the effect that—
The rulers of India might have to increase the revenue by reimposing a duty upon cotton goods, and that he hoped the people of Lancashire would look at it honestly, from an Indian point of view, for it was absolutely necessary for that country to have sufficient revenue;and, whether the Government have had under consideration the expediency of taxing English cotton goods imported into India?
§ MR. ADDISON (Ashton-under-Lyne)asked the Under Secretary of State for India, Whether the Indian Government contemplate reimposing any duty on cotton goods imported into India?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE (Sir JOHN GORST) (Chatham)My attention has been drawn to the statement by Lord Harris referred to. It appears from The Times' report that Lord Harris was careful to explain "that he had not been prompted in any way to say this; he only thought it was a possibility which might arise." Her Majesty's Government see no reason for reconsidering the resolution they have arrived at to charging the costs of 1471 the Burmese War upon Indian Revenues. Her Majesty's Government have not had under consideration, nor have the Government of India contemplated, the expediency of taxing cotton goods imported into India.