The Sun.
London, England, 1870-04-30 00:00:00

LOCAL TAXATION.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, FRIDAY.
The select committee upon local taxation resumed the"
inquiry this afternoon, the Right Hon. Mr. Goschen in
the chair.

Mr. C. Grey Grey, of Hexham, agent for the Green',
wich Hospital estates, gave evidence strongly in favour et
dividing the local taxes between landlord and tenant. ,
Dr. Hancock, the chief officer of the Irish statistical
department, described the difference between the local
taxation in that country and Englond. There the land
was only valued every fourteen years, while here there
was a new valuation every three, but B°'
far as the occupier merely was concerned,' the farms
were valued annually. In England the local taxation
amounted to £1 Os. 3d. per head of the population, while
in Ireland it was only 9s. 2d.; but so far as the land WO
concerned, the rate was higher in Ireland than
it was in England. The total amount paid
for the police in Ireland was £832,000, and half of the,
was allowed as compensation. At present the cost or
lunatic asylums was paid for by the occupiers of houses
and land. It was proposed last year to be defrayed out
of the Imperial taxes. He did not think there would be
any strong opposition to a proposition to divide
the local taxes between the landlords and the occupiers
Ireland. Certainly he thought the landlords would not
object to it, for' the simple reason that it would have 16
tendency to raise their rent. He was of opinion that
sooner or later the incidence of the tax fell on the eviller
of the property and not on the occupier.
The committee adjourned at four o'clock.

THE EXPEDITION TO ABYSSINIA.
HOUSE OF COMMONS, FRIDAY•

After an interval of some weeks, the select committee
to enquire into the cause of the excess of the cost over
the estimates of the Abyssinian expedition, re-assembled
this morning, Mr. Candlish in the chair.
The first witness called was General Sir G. J. Jameson/
the President of the Finance Commission in the
Indian Office. He said : I have compared the esti-
mates of October, 1867, with those of March, 1868'
with a view to attempt to discover in what way the excess
arose. The principal items I examined were the estimate
3
for sea transport, for the purchase of pack animals, and
for rations and stores. My estimate for the sea transport
was £2,730,000, but that estimate was exceeded
by £642,000, which was owing to the necessity
of providing for a large transport of anitao
at Suez, which increased the estimate by °llci
fourth of the whole. The whole of that tonnage Nvoul,
have been returned to Bombay and saved if they k 1";
made a double trip, and probably the heavy charge 1.,,,°t
demurrage in Bombay during the monsoon nigh
have been avoided. I estimated the purchen
of baggage-animals at £450,000, but the araoiluZ
was £471,469 in the second. The returns in the blue-boffr
shewed that of those 7,421 only were returned from DIA'
shewing a loss of 47,579 wholly unaccounted for in these
accounts, that is to say, that there was absolutely no
return for them in money. The loss may
thus shewn. Lost in Europe, £200,000; lnat
£171,469 ; total, £671,469 ; and the recovery by anima ;
returned was £55,804, shewing an absolute loss by ba_ggac;-
animals of £607,459. With respect to the rations, 1
mated £2 per man for Europeans for rations in Ahib
sinia, which was about double the cost of victualling e 3
European soldier in the Madras Army in 1859. Taking the
most expensive rations, and, comparing it with the et-
allowed, I thought there was reason to believe that the
estimate was ample. It was expected that sheep
bullocks and animal food generally would be obtainable 1:
Abyssinia at a cheap rate. The Deputy-Commissari°
General reported to Lord Napier that cattle ant
sheep were plentiful on the coast, and suffiel!lrla
grass was expected to be found on the high land. Liu of
Napier reported that forage was brought in at the rate t
17,0001b5. a day. The quartermaster-general wrote til,,
at Senape forage was abundant for the cattle, goat!'
and sheep. Each animal would consume about 2011111:
of forage a day, which would supply 850 animals. "Wll
regard to the rations for the troops, I allowed
for the natives 100 per cent. over the us"'
cost for the troops in India. I estimated £1 per mensal'
The, total number of the expedition was 12,424, includil,
the followers • ' and it was understood that Lord aPI v-
would reduce the number of the followers by a miram'rnr
as he advanced, and, as I allowed 228,000 ri
the whole, being at the rate of £2 each, I though',
made an ample allowance when I added 100 per eell",„,"'
judging from our experience in the China expecli'°io
This witness said he could not see anything at present
enable him to account for the cost being double a'
estimate.
The committee adjourned at four o'clock.