§ SIR W. WEDDERBURN (Banffshire)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India what official maps of India show for each of the years 1858–9, 1874–5, 1884–5, and 1894–5, the external frontiers of Her Majesty's Indian Possessions, for the purposes of Section 55 of 21 and 22 Vic., c. 106, the Act for the Better Government of India?
THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. GEORGE RUSSELL, North Beds), replying in the absence of Mr. H. H. FOWLER: No official maps are in existence to show the external frontiers of Her Majesty's Indian Dominions, with reference to Section 55 of the Act for the Better Government of India.
§ SIR WILLIAM WEDDERBURNI beg to ask the Secretary of State for India (1) how much of the following sums, namely, Rx.159,116, Rx.2,121,086, Rx.116,055, Rx.4,825, and Rx.143,730, shown under the heading of "Expeditions and Explorations, Expenditure in the Military Department," in a Parliamentary Return entitled "East India (Military Expenditure beyond the Frontiers)," and dated India Office, February 1895, relates to Military Expeditious beyond the West and North-west Frontiers of India; and (2) whether expenditure on Military Expeditions beyond the West and North-west Frontiers of India is included within the words of Clause 55 of the Act for 722 the Better Government of India, namely, Expenses of any military operation carried on beyond the external frontiers of Her Majesty's Indian Possessions; and, if not, upon what grounds?
MR. GEORGE RUSSELLA Return of the 8th June 1894, No. 20, East India (Military Expenditure) shows the occasions on which the expenditure referred to was incurred, and its amount under each head. It will be seen from that Return that in 1884–5 the bulk of the expenditure was incurred at Quetta in connection with the demarcation of the Russo-Afghan frontier; and that in the three years 1888–89 to 1890 there was expenditure on the Black Mountain expeditions and also in the last of those years on an expedition against the tribes on the Miranzai border. As to the second paragraph of the question, the Secretary of State has nothing to add to the explanation given on the 28th March in answer to a similar question of the hon. Baronet's.
§ SIR W. WEDDERBURNI beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether the Military operations in Afghanistan, involving during the years 1878–9 to 1882–3 an expenditure of Rx.18,190,132, as shown in a recent Parliamentary Return, were Military operations carried on beyond the external frontiers of Her Majesty's Indian Possessions, within the meaning of Section 55 of 21 and 22 Vic., c. 106, an Act for the Better Government of India; whether the consent of Parliament was obtained for the expenditure on these Military operations of the following sums: Rx.600,270 in 1878–9, Rx.4,642,143 in 1879–80, Rx.11,297,926 in 1880–1, Rx.1,631,924 in 1881–2, and Rx.17,869 in 1882–3 (shown in the Parliamentary Return above referred to); and upon what date, with reference to each of the sums mentioned in the previous question, was the consent of the House of Commons and of the House of Lords, respectively, obtained for such expenditure?
§ SIR W. WEDDERBURNI beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether and upon what date was the consent of the House of Commons and of the House of Lords respectively obtained for the application of the revenues of India to defray the expenses of Military operations in Egypt, being 723 Rx.1,176,142 in 1882–3, and Rx.47,874 in 1883–4, as required by Clause 55 of the Act for the Better Government of India; and whether and upon what date was the consent of the House of Commons and of the House of Lords respectively obtained for the application of the revenues of India to defray the expenses of the annexation of Upper Burma, the military operations connected therewith involving the following expenditure, Rx. 631,000 in 1885–6, Rx.1,517,800 in 1886–7, and Rx.1,475,300 in 1887–8?
MR. GEORGE RUSSELLThe following are the dates of the Resolutions in both Houses of Parliament, under which, in accordance with Section 55 of the Act for the Better Government of India, the expenditure mentioned in my hon. Friend's questions was incurred:— Military operations: Afghanistan, Lords, 10th December, 1878; Commons 17th December, 1878. Egypt, Lords 25th July, 1882; Commons, 31st July, 1882. Burma, Lords and Commons, 22nd February, 1886.