The Press.
London, England, 1856-04-12 00:00:00

INDIAN FINANCE.

The Marquis of CLANRICARDE, on Tuesday, moved
that the return of the territonal revenues and dis-
bursements of the East Indian Company, lately pre-
sented to the house, be printed, and asked fix a

return of the military disbursements during the
7 ars included in the foregoing return, specifying
the Presidencies and provinces in which they have
b..en incurred. The papers laid before Parliament
contained no account of this expenditure. He
thought it was time to consider the financial state
of India, as it appeared the present annual deficiency
of the revenue exceeded 2,000,000/. The question
to be answered was whether the income was increas-
ing and the expenditure decreasing or the reverse
The return for the years 1853.54 showed a deficit
amounting to the sum of 2,044,0001., and in 1814.55 that
deficiency had increased to two and a half millions. He
feared, ton, that the next account, namely, the one for the
year ending on the first of the present month, would
exhibit a like deficiency. The largest expenditure yet
obtained was that of last year, arno-nting to 22,915,0001.
The revenue of 1851-52 was 25,536,0001., whereas that of
1864.55 had fallen to 20,371,000/. These facts furnished,
he thought, matter for grave consideration; it might,
however, be supposed that, as our territories in India had
increased in extent, the revenue derivable from them had
also increased. This was not the case. The territories
most recently annexed, namely, those of Maghore, Scinde,
Saltara, the Punjaub, and the Burmese territories, occa-
sioned a loss of 146,9361. The revenue of Maghore
showed a surplus over expenditure of 106,8951., that of
the Burmese territory a surplus of 135,6901., the revenues
of Scinde, Salters, and Punjaub deficits amounting re-
spectively to 307,7371., 22,0341., 59,75 W. The last named
sums amounted to a total deficiency of 389,521/., from
which, deducting the surplus revenue of Maghore and the
Burmese territory, viz., 242,5851., a total defiers was arrived
at of 146,9381., exactly the sum which we were out of
pocket by those annexations.

The Duke of ARGYLL said there would he no ob-
jection on the part of the Government to furnish all
the information it possessed ; the military expendi-
ture in the several Presidencies might be given, but
there would be some difficulty in going into the
detail required to distinguish that of the different
provinces.

The motion was agreed to after a discussion, in
which Lord Nonteagle, the Earl of Ellenborough,
and Lord Harrowby took part.

THE CURRENCY.

The Earl of EGLINTON, on Monday, called the
attention of the Government to the expediency of
issuing a commission to examine the currency laws.
The noble earl accompanied his motion by a detailed
analysis of the past course and results of the trans-
actions in which the Bank of England had been con-
cerned since the last renewal of the charter in 1844.
The subject, he insisted, required a thorough investi-
gation, especially with the view of discovering the
means of safely enlarging the currency, and of re-
modelling the constitution of the Bank directorate.
Some conversation ensued, in the course of which

The Earl of HARROWBY and the Duke of ARGYLL
intimated that the Government were perfectly satis •
fled with the operation of the Bank Act, which they
had no intention to alter, and into which they saw
no present necessity for inquiry. They would, how-
ever, interpose no objection to the appointment of a
committee, it such a step appeared desirable to inde-
pendent members in either House of Parliament,
although they thought the present moment, just at
the conclusion of a war, most undesirable for such an
inquiry.
The motion was then withdrawn.

STATISTICS.

The Earl of DERBY, on Monday, on the report of
this bill being brought up, pointed out the inconve-
nient (late fixed (Ist February) for sending up the
books containing the names of all occupiers, while
the returns commenced from the Ist of June, be-
tween which dates Lady-day intervened. The noble
earl suggested the Ist of May as the fixed date.

Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY promised to do so,
and also, on the request of Lord Malmesbury, said
there was no objection to modify the penalties of the
act if they were too severe.
The bill was read a third time on the following
day, after a protest from the Duke of Richmond.

THE STEAM FLEET AT SPITHEAD.
The Earl of HARDWICKE, on Tuesday, in present
ing a petition from Van Dieman's Land, praying for
the establishment of a monthly steam mail service
between the Australian colonies and England, called
the attention of the Government to the excellent
opportunity now afforded them by the assemblage
of so powerful a steam fleet at Spithead of making
experiments to test the qualities, powers, and pecu•
liar advantages of the different model vessels with
respect to their speed, their build, the construction
of their engines, and other points of great importance
in steam navigation. He thought it would be most
desirable if a certain classification of machinery,
such as existed with respect to spars in point of
dimension, dec., could be effected for steam engines.
He would also wish to see what these floating bat-
teries really were fit for, and whether our gun boats
could stand a thirty-two pound shot. The Govern-
ment, the noble earl concluilod, ought certainly not
to let slip the present opportunity of determining
these points by actual oxperiutent.

THE PRESS.

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