The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-08-01 00:00:00

SUPPLY.

The House then went into Committee of Supply,
and was engaged till a late hour in completing the
Army Estimates. .

On the vote for provisions' transport, &c., Sir G.
Campbell made some remarks on the condition of
affairs in Bechuanaland, and Mr. Forster asked for
explanations of the South African policy of the
Government, but the Chairman ruled that the subject
was not germane to the vote, whereupon Colonel
Stanley promised that an opportunity for discussion
should be afforded on another vote.
Dr. Cameron renewed his complaints as to the failure
of the Commissariat and Transport Department during
the Egyptian campaign. Mr. Darnay admitted that
mistakes had been made, and promised that they should
not be repeated. Mr. Brand exonerated the War De-
partment from blame, by Mr. Rylands, who expressed
dissatisfaction with the explanations given, maintained
that considerable corruption must have existed. Mr.
Barclay, Mr. Gourley, and Mr. A. O'Connor joined in
the discussion, and Mr. W. H. Smith undertook that
further inquiry should be made.
On the vote for works, buildings, and repairs at home
and abroad, Mr. W. H. Smith made a lengthy and de-
tailed statement with respect to the expenditure pro-
posed for naval armaments, land service armaments,
and submarine mine defences and coaling stations.
The total number of breechloading guns, he said, made
or to be made up to March 31, 1886, for the navy was
975; the total expenditure on naval armaments
would amount to £1,417,000. Expenditure had
been authorised for the fortification of 10 coaling
stations, and £248,600 would be expended on sub-
marine mine defences. Having explained the plan
proposed for our coast defences' an important
feature being the development of the volunteer
system, he said the Government proposed to
allocate 10 companies of the Royal Engineers and four
companies of Submarine Mining Militia to our military
ports, and four companies of Volunteer Engineers,
under the supervision of a detachment of the Royal
Engineers, for the defence of the Tyne, the Mersey, the
Clyde, and the Severn. The estimate for the navy and
coaling stations, he said, was £2,425,000, for armaments
and works for military ports £2,230,000, and for mer-
cantile ports £1,770,000. This, he pointed out, gave a
total of £6,425,000, of which £900,000 had been met out
of the estimates of the present year and the Vote of
Credit, leaving £5,525,000 to be provided in army esti-
mates within the next four or five years.
On the vote for miscellaneous effective services,
there was a short conversation on the Contagious
Diseases Act, Mr. Puleston and Mr. C. Bentinck corn'.
plaing of their suspension and the misrepresentation by
which it had been brought about. Mr. Whitbread
advocated a return to the voluntary system, and Mr.
W. H. Smith deprecated a discussion which could lead
to no practical result, as the Government had no in-
tention at the present moment of making any change
in the existing state of things. After some remarks
from Lord Hartington,who agreed with Mr.lNThitbread,
the vote was agreed to. The remaining Army Esti-
mates were also agreed to, and further progress was
made with Classes 111., IV., and VII. of the Civil Ser-
vice Estimates.