§ THE EARL OF ELLENBOROUGHI wish now to ask the noble Duke opposite (the Duke of Somerset), Whether he has received any information as to the probable expense of transporting troops and stores to China? I yesterday saw an extraordinary statement, in which it is said that there are 1091 at Hong Kong or in the Chinese seas 90,000 tons of shipping, in addition to 15 merchant steamers of great size, and 14 belonging to the Crown, the total expense of which was said to amount to the enormous sum of £170,000 per month; that all this tonnage has been engaged for between two and three months. If this be so, all the money which has already been voted will have been expended upon tonnage alone before the troops move to the north. In addition, it is stated that a vessel was chartered to bring on hay at 40 rupees, or £4 per ton measurement, when a cargo of that article might have been procured at San Francisco and taken to China for four dollars a ton. It is also said that a vessel was chartered at 22s. per ton per month, filled up with firewood at Whampoa, and despatched to the north, where the wood could have been obtained at one-fifth of the sum paid for freight. I am sorry that I have not by me the paper preceding the one from which I have been quoting, in which also there are some strange statements as to how matters are going on. Among other things, it is stated that the expedition was sent out without a provision of coin or bullion, and that the draughts which have been issued have pressed very heavily upon the commercial rate of exchange. It is also said that it had been omitted to order a sufficient quantity of coal for the steamships, and, unless certain speculators had sent up a huge quantity of that article of very good quality to Hong Kong, it would have been impossible for the steam-vessels of the expedition to move. It was stated, in the first instance, that various officers of what used to be called the East India Company's local army were sent out to superintend the Commissariat, and it appears that certain of those officers were sent back. Now, whatever may be the demerits of the local army of India in general, its commissaries have obtained the confidence and applause of every successive General who has held command in that country. These are the statements which I have to mention to the noble Duke opposite, and I shall be glad to have his answer.
§ THE DUKE OF SOMERSETAs I understand the noble EARL 's question, it is whether any Estimate has been received of the cost of transport for the force to be employed in China. He is probably aware that the amount taken in the Estimates for the expense of transport was £1,816,000. As far as information has as yet reached 1092 us, the cost of hire of transports taken up in England will be £15,932 per month; the cost of transports taken up in India £09,582 per month; and the cost of transports taken up in China £32,049 per month. Over the transports taken up in India and China the Government here can have no control. The noble EARL must see that the largest portion of the cost is for the transports so taken up in India and China; and that the total hire of transports, in-eluding those taken up in England, comes to £117,513 per month. Then I have a calculation as to the cost of coal for 22 steamers of 5,230 horse power for 30 days, say steaming twelve hours a day, and consuming 5 tons of coal per 100-horso power. The expense of this is £27,457. Then the item for mess, victualling, forage, bedding, &c, is about £20,000. I therefore reckon the entire expense in China since the 1st of June last to have been going on at the rate of £164,970 per month, or nearly £2,000,000 a year.
§ THE EARL OF ELLENBOROUGHJust within £6,000 per month of the amount I stated.
§ THE DUKE OF SOMERSETThis is the result, as far as I am able to make it out from our data. I think the noble EARL is mistaken with regard to the want of coal at Hong Kong and Singapore. Very large quantities were sent out to those places, and although we have received letters thence, we have not heard of any deficiency of coal either at Hong Kong or Singapore. We know also that coal has been obtained of very good quality from Japan, and has been supplied, I believe, for the force in Northern China.
§ THE EARL OF ELLENBOROUGHThe noble Duke has made a very full and fair statement very much corresponding to that which I have given from the newspapers; and I shall now pay more respect than I have done before to the information so circulated. I cannot help feeling great surprise that this expense should be so enormous. I had myself to frame an estimate in India of the cost of an expedition to China, and from a reference to the official papers published the other day, I find that my calculation was not more than £30,000 at fault. That was pretty well in regard to an entire estimate of £1,200,000. I think it doubtful whether it is expedient to send out Civil Commissaries from England.