The Express.
London, England, 1867-10-30 00:00:00

HOLBORN.

Tem Rerun°, FOR JANE. Mama H. J. Montague, Price,
Garden, Westland, sad OH. Wlddleontb: Mesdames Stephens,
Henrads. C. Maunders, Ism—And MARY TURNER; OR, THE
WICIOtS WILLIN. MIAs Josephs—With A.S.B. Mr. Ray.

sarninrt.t.
Tnis Emilia. THE RED LANCL—Mainton Le Grand
Stuns Wag and MIN L West—And BREAK, NOT
8E.:4 . Iln, & Lana.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE
rzei DAT —Mond.. 5iL111.... —Afternoon, Sh. 45m.
T,Xo&ko4l—Monger. ..A/Sernoma. 4k lets.

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30.

Tug Sunday Gazdie announces that the main-
tenance of the troops employed in the Abys-
sinian expedition will lie provided out of the re-
sources of India, the reason being that " these
" troops will not be replaced on the Indian gists-
" blishment, while if they had remained India
" would have to pay for them." Our contempo-
rary has too keen a sense of the value of the
quasi-official information he weekly purveys to
joke on such a subject as thin, and his statement
is meant in sober earnest. We do not question
its accuracy—the Government may have formed
such a resolution ; but we will venture to say
that no other Government that we have had for
the last fifty years would have been capable
of so mingling absurdity with injustice.
If we may charge our rice-eating fellow-
subjects with the maintenance in Abyssinia of an
army which might have been wanted for their
protection but is not, there is no reason why we
may not similarly make them pay for the victuals
of the troops at Aldershot, or the garrison of
Canada. Either the soldiers about to be withdrawn
from India are wanted there, or they are not.
If the former, they ought not to be taken away ;
if the latter, India should be relieved of the
burden of their support. This is not a case, such
as may be imagined, of making a certain Imperial
use of Indian troops, which, notwithstanding that
employment, remain part of the force which
directly guarantees the security of India. As
soon u a regiment has been transferred
to Abyssinia it will be lost to the special
purposes of Indian defence. To charge the sup-
port of a regiment thus situated to the revenues
of India is virtually to confuse the established dis-
tinction between the Indian and the Imperial
exchequers, and so far impair the security of the
Indian creditor. This Abyssinian war has grown
out of the complications of British policy, and the
British taxpayer must make up his mind to bear
its burden. No doubt there are ingenious and
plausible people who will undertake to show us
how to make war without paying for it, but we
must strongly repel their advances even if they
are made from the Treasury Bench. There is
nothing so dear in the end as dishonesty.
When this elementary duty is acknowledged,
the question will remain by what means the
cost of the expedition is to be met. Those who
have regarded this as a little war, and formed
their anticipations of the estimates accordingly,
should prepare to be surprised. Under the most
favourable circumstances, the expenditure must
be very heavy, but it is understood that between
blundering and gross extravagance it will be
enormously increased. Those who speak of four
or five millions as the sum required considerably
underrate the amount. But whether the sum be
greater or less, it must be met by taxation, and
the question is what form it should assume. The
theoretical advocates of direct and indirect taxation
already see a fine field opening for their discussions.
The question, however, is eminently practical,
and will put either the skill or the courage of the
CHANCELLOR of the Exameces to a severe test.
The one course consistent with sound finance is
too plain to permit us to hope that it will recom-
mend itself to Mr. DISRAELI'S tortuous mind.
The money ought to be raised by direct taxation,
assessed upon income. There are, however, poli-
tical objections to such a course which are calcu-
lated to have much weight with a weak Govern-
ment. To propose it would no doubt be to in-
crease the unpopularity of the war, and with it
that of the Government. An increase of the In-
come Tax would renew inconvenient discussions as
to the incidence of that burden. Besides, many of
the supportersof Lord Deattes Administration have
placed this war before the country as a kind of
sentimental luxury in which it is thought desirable
that we should indulge. We have been treated to
able essays on the propriety of loving war for its
own sake, and the healthier feelings which
arise whenever somebody is being killed, and so
on ; and for luxuries ready money is seldom paid.
Upon the whole, therefore, it seems much more
likely that Parliament will be asked to increase
the Customs duties on articles of general con-
sumption, than to make an honest, straightforward
addition to the Income Tax sufficient to yield the
whole or the bulk of the amount required.

PRUSSIAN FLAOR.—BOARD or TRADE, ikT. 25.
The Board oferade have received from the Secretary of
State for Foreign affairs a despatch, notifying that the
King of Prussia has entabliabed the new flags to be shown
aa the national colours by ship. of war and merchant
easels of the North German Confederation. The Board
of Trade will cause drawings of these flags to be publicly
exhibited at all shipping offices and custom-houses in the
United Kingdom for the information of mariners.-oazette.
Lord Lyttelton, lord-lieutenant of Worcester-
shire, on Monday att.:moon, distributed the prizes won at
the late county rifle meeting at Hartlebury-common, at a
meeting in the Shire-hall, Worcester.

OUli OONTEMPORARUCII.
(THIS DAY.)