§ "That a Supplementary sum, not exceeding £100, be granted to His Majesty, to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1903, for Expenditure in excess of that provided for in the original Army Estimates for the year for the Pay, etc., of the Army."
§ * SIR CHARLES DILKE (Gloucestershire, Forest of Dean)said that he understood the Government to say yesterday that the expenditure in the present financial year in connection with the Somaliland Expedition would he about £250,000. There was often a great difference between the amount coming into course of payment in the financial year and the amount known to the Government to have been actually expended. He therefore desired to ask whether the Government had formed any idea of the amount of expenditure on Somaliland incurred in the present financial year, but which would not conic into course of payment until next year. From information he had received, he imagined the Government must know that the expenditure already greatly exceeded the £250,000 referred to yesterday.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. BRODRICK,) Surrey, Guildfordsaid that when they were dealing with the Indian Government in the matter of supplying troops and incurred expenditure, it was rather difficult, as the right hon. Baronet had suggested, to frame an accurate estimate, but the general estimate for the expedition, on the basis that it would last not longer than four months, was between £500,000 and £600,000. About £250,000 would become payable before 31st March, but some expenditure had no doubt been incurred which would appear in the Estimates to be circulated to-morrow.
§ MR. CHARLES HOBHOUSE (Bristol, E.)understood that £75,000 had already been paid in connection with the expedition, and that a further £185.000 would be expended before 31st March, and that in the estimates of money to be expended after 31st March would appear a further sum of about £500,000.
§ MR. BRODRICK£250.000.
§ MR. CHARLES HOBHOUSEsaid that that would not make up the original estimate of £500,000 or £600,000.
§ MR. BRODRICKpointed out that the first estimate was £250,000, and there was a previous sum of £250,000 taken by the Foreign Office which did not come into this account, but would appear in the Estimates to be presented to-morrow. Those two items made up the £500,000.
§ MR. COURTENAY WARNER (Staffordshire, Lichfield)supposed that if the operation lasted longer than four months the amount required would largely exceed the estimated £500,000 or £600,000.
§ MR. BRODRICKIf the expedition lasts for a longer period a further sum will be required, but we have no reason to expect that it will last considerably longer.
§ MR. WEIR (Ross and Cromarty), referred to the apppropriations in aid, consisting of proceeds of sale of cast and other animals, supplies and stores, and asked whether the sales had been by public auction or by private treaty.