The Express.
London, England, 1868-05-06 00:00:00

NATIONAL. EXPLNDITULE,

The Times deplores the futility of its attempt' to rouse
the public to greater interest in the national expenditure.
Referring to the recent discussion between Mr. Gladstone
and Sir John Pakington as to the responsibility for tz:re.me
in the national expenditure, our contemporary admits
that the former is perfectly justified in calling ater.tion
to the subject, but cannot join him in fixing all the blame
on the present administration. The actual ministers had
much reason on their side when they declared that they
had merely inherited the schemes of their opponentv.
Not, indeed, that this justifies them in the aletratt,
or to the great body of their countrymen, L.:.
it should at least temper the criticism of
members of the late government. It is in the
immense coat of modern armaments that the secret
of Inc eased expenditure is to be found, and those
who laid the foundations must not be surprised h.; the
vastness of the fabric which is rising on them.
The Daily News contends that the feeble defence of Mr.
Ward Hunt, when Mr. t tladatone first called attention to
the subject, was not much helped out by the defence of
their special departments made on Monday night by the
ministers for the army and navy. Mr. Gladstone showed
that large as was the expenditure under the Palmerston
government, it was at least steadily diminishing, and had
sunk from 71,630,0001. in 1861—which included the cost
of the preparations that followed the seizure of Mason and
Slidell—to 65,914,000/. in 184.11. But nniler tie present
ministry the process has been reversed. Every year
the estimates have been rising, till now they stand (ex
eluding Abyssinian charges) at 70,478,0001. Thus the
excess in the two years over which they have lad
control amounts to a total of not lees than 7.000,000/.
The plea of Sir John Pakington that the increased ezpen-
diture is attributable to the cost of the inns with which
it will be necessary to arm the new fornicatior.s,
to the increase of pay to the army, and
to the cost of converting the Snider rite, is
not sufficient to account for the excess, and it is impossible
to admit that the right honourable baronet has made out
his case. Nor did Mr. Cony give any more satisfactory
explanation. Nees General Peel refused to accept
the responsibility of constructing fortifications that
are admitted to be useless, although he gave no
explanation of his reason for carrying them on
when in office ; but, says the Daily Near, to decline,
responsibility for everything is the rale of the conservative
government ; and as we cannot go on p •ying three millions
extra a year for the privilege of supporting a governinvnt
that is not responsible, the. sooner we resort to old-
fashioned principles of controlling t'e expenditure by
putting an economical government in offioe the better
it be for all payers of inoome.tax.

The First Lord of the Admiralty held his first
levee yesterday afternoon, at the Admiralty, Whitehall.
Among the oMosn present were : Admirals, the Earl of
Lauderdale, Giffanl, Smyth, Sir W. Hall, mind Sotherby ;
Captains C. F. Boughey, C. C. Forsyth, H. IL Elliot, J.
Bork's. S. Douglas, FL Phelps, J. *leonine, E. H.
Howard, and IV. G. 11. Johnston ; Commanders, A. G.
Wootton, A. C. Curtis, J. N. Nornatui,W. S. de Kautiow,
E. D. Fitzroy, R.Adams, S. MacDougall 1. P. Thurbara,
and J. S. Keats ; Lieutenants E. B. Zlooleez, .1. G. S.
Clark, and IL Golden, sod It. McCormick, Deputy Innate-
tonGenend of Hospitals.
ATTEMPTED MURDER. —A shocking affair is re-
!from Lowestoft. A fellow canted Isaac
ad seduced a girl named Anna Maria Simpson, and was
ordered to pay for the support of a child to which she
had given birth. He met beg by appointment for the
purpose of paying her some money, persuaded her to go
with him into a field, and there made a frightful gash in
her throat. Soon afterwards another young man met
Marko, and, observing that hie hands were bloody, asked
him whether he had been fighting. Clarke replied that be
had murdered a young woman, and told the young man
whew she was lying. Assistance was procured, and- sum,
having been administered be the apparently lifeless
girl, a resorered suMoiently to state that it was Chats
who had cut her throat. Some hopes are now entertained
that the poor girl trill mower. Clarke is to be brought
before lire loati magistrates to-day.
Walker's Half-Guinea Hats equal in anpeatanoe
awl durability those generally add at 14e. (A. each of the usual
reed! loseow Walker, setter,* Crawford street, ltar/liesao
lAarertimmist