The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-05 00:00:00

THE ABYSSINIAN EXPEDITION

On the motion for the house going iato committee of
supply,
Mr. WHITE called attention to the largo sum
that the house was now asked to give its con-
sent to for the expenses of the Abyssinian Ex-
pedition. It was said last year that the expense
of the expedition would be about £1,000,000, but
the expense ho believed had already amounted, with that
which had already been voted and that which was to be
taken that night, to no less a sum than .C 8,500,000. He
thought it right that the house should make the most
searching inquiry into the circumstances that had caused
such an enormous excess over that at first estimated. He
thought such an excess a disgrace and a scandal, and that
it tended to show that no reliance was to be placed in the
official estimates. _ _ _

Sir J. JENKISSON said he hoped they would have
some :nformation of the causes that led to the expedition
and of the mismanagement connected with it.
Sir S. NORT lICOTE sail the estimate • made by his
his right hon. friend when he was Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer that £1,000,000 would be the cost of the expedi-
tion, was made whit very imperfect information. The
then Government I:al no information upon which they
could rely with rorpoet. to the country to be traversed,
and when the trebps arrived on the coast a great de-
ficiency of water was ono of the first difficulties
to be overcome. It was absolutely necessary that
the expedition should be pushed on with the greatest
rapidity, and that, with the want of information, must be
considered in regard to the money now required. The
way in which the expedition had terminated with the
smallest sacrifice of human life, and human suffering, was
a matter of the greatest congratulation. He had on a
former occasion had to inform the house of the great diffi-
culty that was experienced in getting information from
India, and that was one of the matters that nrevented the
then Government of the day giving the house specific in-
formation. Ho hoped it was not to be imputed to the late
Government that they had published estimates that were
known to be inaccurate. The expedition had to be pushed
on in order to prevent the troops being detained in that
inhospitable country, and that doubtless had led to a great
deal of the expedition that had taken place.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in asking
leave to make a payment to the Indian Government, in
part payment of the cost of the Abyssinian expedition,
said that the accounts were not yet complete, but he might
say that the accounts he had received from Mr. Turner,
who was sent out to superintend the expenditure, showed
the following items :—The War-office had spent .£lOl,OOO,
the Admiralty £1,262,000, and the Government of India
£7,040,000, in all £8,701,00 Owing to the incomplete
state of the accounts he could not say that more would not
be required, but ho hoped it would not be his unpleasant
duty to make any further announcement that more money
was necessary. The right hon. gentleman then gave the
details that made up the gross sum he had mentioned
and moved a resolution that £3,500,000 be granted in part
payment of the expenbes of the Abyssinian Expedition,
£5,000,000 having been already paid.
Mr. W. HUNT defended the late Government from
any imputation of negligence during the time the expedi-
tion was going on.
Mr. WHI2E willingly acquitted the late Govern-
ment of any intention to deceive the House of Commons.
What he found fault with was the want of informrtion
th
sa they
rp.os, hßoßwi eEdNd us
said
dn g
hteh evrwhole
sorrythat
texpedition.
he
hon. mom-
ber for Brighton did not conclude his observations with
cost somethintghoperaxcpteicadithionW vihoeunld he,
ten millions they were with others, last year
declared
laughed at.

The vote, after some further discussion, was agreed to.
PARLIAMENTARY AND MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.
Mr. BRUCE moved that a Select Committee be appointed
to inquire into the present modes of conducting parliamen-
tary and municipal elections, in order to provide further
guarantees for their tranquillity, purity, and freedom,
which was agreed to.
The house shortly afterwards adjourned.

Bank of England Returns.

, An Account, pursuant to I
cap. 32, for the week ending

ho Act 7th and Bth Victoria,
Wednesday, March 3, 1869.
'ARTMENT.
Govornuit. Debt £11,015,1110
Other Securities 3,984,900
Gold Coin and
Bullion
Silver Bullion

ISSUE DEI
Notes issued ....431,927,110

V 1,927,110

.031,927,110
131NKING D.

Proprietors' Capi-
tal £14,553,000
Rest
Public Deposits
(includingEx-
chequert Sav-
ings' Batiks,
Commissioners
of National
Debt, and Div.
Accounts
Other Deposits.. 17,550,583
Seven Days and
other ..... 422,571

r!ePARTMENT.
Goverumt. Seen-
rities(incl uding
Dead Weight
Annuity) .... 414,076,537
Other Securities.. 18,160,879
Notes ............... 8,369,860
Gold and Silver
. Join .., .......... 1,094,347

£41,691,623
GEow

£41,691,623
E FORTIES, Chief Cashier.

RECOVERY OF THE BODY OF COOPER;
7WE SUPPOSED MURDERER.

The body of John William Cooper, the supposed
murderer of his wife and her father, was picked up
this morning, at 8 o'clock, by a boatman, off Shad-
well-dock stairs.

Her Royal Highness Princess Louise, attended
by her Grace the Dowager-Duchess of Athol, yesterday
visited the exhibition of Ur. Kenneth MacLeay's draw-
ings, "Highlanders of Scotland," at Mr. Mitchell's Library,
J390-otrect.