§ Mr. MacNEILLasked the Under Secretary of State for India, from what revenues are the expenses of the military operations against the Abors being carried out beyond the external frontiers of His Majesty's Possessions in India by the Indian Army, having regard to the provisions of the 55th Section of the Act for the better government of India, 1858, which expressly provides that the revenues of India, except for preventing and repelling invasions of His Majesty's Indian Possessions, shall not, without the consent of both Houses of Parliament, be applicable to defray the expenses of any military operation carried out beyond the external frontiers of such Possessions by His Majesty's forces charged upon such revenues; and whether, having regard to the fact that such consent has not been obtained or asked for, the House of Commons will be informed, if the expenses of the Abor expedition are being charged on the Indian revenues, what is the explanation, if any, of a violation of the express provisions of the Indian Government Act, 1858?
§ Mr. MONTAGUThe expenses of the operations against the Abors are being defrayed from the revenues of India. As the Abor country does not lie beyond the external frontiers of His Majesty's Indian Possessions, there has been no violation of the Act of 1858.