The Sun.
London, England, 1867-11-27 00:00:00

'HIE ABYSSINIAN EXPEDITION.

Colonel SYKES asked the Secretary of State for India
whether there was auy and what foundation for the state-
ment in the letter of the correspondent of the Times, dated
Bombay, Oct. 11, and in the Madras Times, dated o,:t. 8,
that Mojor-Gen.Napier had made a requisition to the Ma-
dras Government for European subaltern officers to be at-
tached to the native regiments proceeding with the expe-
dition to Abyssinia, and was told that the Madras Govern-
ment had not any subaltern officers to spare; and whether
he would lay upon the table a return of the number of
European officers with each native regiment in the expe-
dition, and the strength in native commissioned and non-
commissioned officers and men of each regiment ?

Sir STAFFORD NORTHOOTE said he had no infor-
mation on the subject either public or private. If the
return was moved for it should be produced without the
least delay.
Sir P. O'BRIEN asked the Secretary of State for India
whether the undertaking contained in a letter of the
Rev. air. Krapp (one of the dragomen to the Abyssinian
Expedition), dated the 20th September last, and expressed
in the following terms:—" I think Sir Stafford's mind will
be fully satisfied and tranquillised if I say that, as a leading
rule of conduct, I must consider the object of the
expedition to he the primary point, to which every other
private concern must bend ; but that, on the other hand
I must not be expected to suppress my individual feeling if a
else should appear in practice where I should have any oc-
casion or be requested to enter on religious discussion "—was
to be taken as referring alone to the reverend gentleman's
course of conduct as regards Abyssinian Christians, or was
to be considered as likewise referring to the Hindoo and
Mussulman troops and to the Roman Catholic soldiers in
her Majesty's regiments serving on the expedition ?
_ _ _

Sir STAFFORD NOR'THCOTE said, in engaging the
gentleman referred to, he had in view a communication with
the natives of Abyssinia, and certainly not with a view of
proselytising or interfering with the religious belief of the
soldiers serving on the expedition.
SUPPLY—THE VOTE OF CREDIT.

The house then went into Committee of supply, when

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER rose to
move a vote of credit for the expedition. The right hon.
gentleman, iu doing this, gave a brief history of
matters that had led to the necessity of sending forth the
expedition. Consul Cameron, a British subject, had now
been in captivity for three years, and after all attempts
had been made diplomatically to effect his release it was
thought expedient to send a special envoy to the
King of Abyssinia for tho purpose of obtaining the
release of Consul Cameron. Unfortunately, however,
instead of that mission turning out successful, notwith-
standing that Her Majesty's Envoy was received by
the King with magnificence, ttchange came over him, and,
instead of treating him with that respect he was entitled to,
the King seized upon his person and cast him into prison.
There might be a difference of opinion on the opposite side
of the House upon some of the bearings of the question,
and which ho hoped the discussion would tend to remove ;
yet he felt quite sure that the seizure of her Majesty's envoy
was a most distressing proceeding, and one which was not
to be borne with quietness and patience. It now became
known that a number of other persons were also in cap-
tivity, and it appeared to be a rule in that rude country
that those strangers who entered it never left it—there
were no returning footsteps. Ultimately one of theprisoners
was allowed to come to England on a mission to her Majesty,
King Theodore taking as hostage for the messenger returning
his wife and children. This gentleman on his arrival in
England was received by her Majesty, and the nature of
his mission having been made known it was at once
granted, although it was of a very peculiar na-
ture. King Theodore wished that certain machinery
and artisans should be sent out to him, and
it having been thought that such a proceeding would in-
sure the liberation, accordingly the greatest care was
taken to comply with the wishes of the King. The ma-
chinery and artisans were atones sent out, but on arrival
at Massowah it was discovered that a change had come over
the wishes of the King, and it was thought inexpedient to
proceed, and the artisans returned to England. All diplo-
matic means having failed, and Consul Cameron and his
companions being still in captivity, it had been determined
to endeavour to effect their liberation by force. England
had throughout the matter acted with tho greatest magna-
nimity, and beyond that it was impossible to go; and if any
hesitation occurred after that it would savour of timidity,
and as every other means had failed, an expedition was at
once decided upon. The Government thought that
nothing, could be so disastrous as failure, therefore the
greatest me had been taken to avoid disaster and to en-
sure success. The right hon. gentleman having referred
in very complimentary terms to the conduct of the Go-
vernment of Bombay, went on to state the probable
cost of the war. Assuming, he said, the war was
commenced at once, and carried up to the end of
April, when it would be expedient for our troops to leave
the country, the probable cist up to that. time would, ac-
cording to the most careful calculation, amount to three
millions and a-half. No doubt there would be an in-
crease if we were called upon to replace the troops which
bad been lent to us by the Indian Government, and this
had been put down at £300,000, making in all £3,800,000,
but the most prudent course would bo to set the whole sum
down at four millions. Re believed that General Napier
would have his troops ready for active service at a cost
under £2,000,000, and as that sum would now become pay-
able at the end of. the financial year, March 31, 1868, the

resolution he had to put into the hands of the chairman was
that £2,000,000 be granted to her Majesty to defray the
cost of the expedition to Abyssinia. It was hoped by some
that the horrors of war would yet bo avoided ; he hoped
they would, but he could not allow such a hope to impede
the steps to effect the liberation of our suffering fellow-
subjects.
The vote having been read from the chair,
Mr. LOWE rose and condemned the Government for
declaring war without first consulting the House of Com-
mons. He did not question the prerogative of the Crown,
but he contended that the responsible advisers of the Sove-
reign were bound to temper their advice with prudence,
and to enunciate their policy with candour. He charged
the Government with having induced the house to believe
that they were not going to take any decided step against
King Theodore, and that, having created this impression,
they pulled on their preparations for the war without
communicating their intention to Parliament until the
supreme moment of inaugurating another session. This
reticence and want of candour was treating the House of
Commons worse than if it were a mere debating club. The
house had, of course, no alternative but to vote the money,
in order to save the honour of the country ; but ho urged
that the Government was chargeable with gross neglect of
duty in misleading Parliament as to their real intentions.
He also took exception to the manner in which the blue
book had been prepared, and argued that although several
hundred pages of it had been devoted to worthless de-
spatches, no information had been vouchsafed with refe-
rence to the routes to be taken, the mode of transit or the
measures to be adopted to feed, maintain, and shelter so
large an expedition in so distant and dangerous a country.
Lord STANLEY, having expressed his confidence in
the strength of the case, and in the impartial judgment of
the House of Commons, defended Ministers against the
attack of Mr. Lowe, and vindicated their proceedings in
making preliminary arrangements wiih a view to the con-
tingency of war, and resolving, after the rejection by King
Theodore of the ultimatum of the British Government;
upon having recourse to the last resort of arms. He held
that we were bound, in deference to tho maintenance
of our own prestige in the East, to undertake the
expedition, and that, in fact, we had no alternative. He
admitted that four or five days before the close of last ses-
sion Ministers might have announced the decision at which
they had then arrived, but at that moment seven-eighths
of the house were absent, and it would have been impos-
sible to have taken a vote on account. The task of invad-
ing a country like Abyssinia was no doubt a difficult one ;
at the same time, we knew quite as much of the interior of
it as we did of that of Bhootan, Burmah, or Scinde. The
population appeared to he in a chronic state of insurrection
against their ruler, and the probability was that he himself
might Peon bo put out of the way. He had been warned
that he would be held personally responsible for the safety
of the captives, and, as he was not remarkable for personal
courage, he might find it more convenient to give them lip
than to take the consequences of keeping them any longer.
The task which had devolved upon the Government was
no doubt a painful and difficult one, but they were prepared
to take the full responsibility of it, because they were per-
suaded that they ihad done no more nor loss than their
duty.
Mr. HORSMAN commented upon what ho called the
" uncomfortable business" in which we were engaged ; but
reminded the house that the insignificance of the foe was
by no means the measure of the magnitude of the danger
to be encountered. He argued that the blue book fur-
nished abundant evidence that, so long as April last, Mini-
sters had made up their minds to send the expedition ; and
that on the 13th of August they let loose Sir Robert
Napier upon King Theodore. This had been done with-
out the knowledge or consent of Parliament, and for this
unconstitutional proceeding the Government was culpable.
Mr. AYRTON also deprecated the reticence observed
by Ministers, and expressed his opinion that the better
course would have been to have consulted the House of
Commons, even within the last week of the last session,
and to have then asked for a vote of money on account.

Captain VI V lAN was of opinion that the expedition was
upon a large and needlessly extravagant scale, and that
great difficulty might be experienced in feeding so large a
force.

Sir H. VERNEY impressed upon the House the neces-
sity of utilising the expedition by obtaining solid scientific
information relating to the history, geography, and
archaeology of the earliest Christian country in the world.

Mr. LABOUCHERE referred to the indefinite nature of
the expedition, and asked whether it was to demand the
liberation of all Europeans who might be in captivity, or
merely those who were British subjects.

Mr. BERNAL OSBORNE twitted Mr. Lowe for not
having concluded his speech with an amendment in the
form of a censure upon Ministers. He regarded the Abys-
sinian expedition as a legacy bequeathed by former Pal-
merstonian Administrations, and he denounced as unfair
and in, quitable the attempt which was being made to make
India Fly the cost of vindicating British prestige in the
East.

Mr. LAYARD gave a narrative of our political relations
with Abyssinia, awl vindicated at considerable length the
policy of Earl Russell in connection therewith, maintaining
that it had been dignified and consistent throughout. Ile
defended the appointment of Mr. Rassam as Envoy to
King Theodore ; and in reply to a question by Mr.
Osborne as to why he had not employed Dr. 13Jko instead,
described the latter gentleman as a " busy, mischievous,
troublesome, intriguing person," who had written a book
which waz " a tissue of falsehood and mistakes."

Sir S. NORTHCOTE was quite ready to admit that
some further information might have been given to Parlia-
ment towards the close of last session, and that the House
of Com-mons might have been asked to vote the money,
but in that case it would have been necessary to
have prolonged the sitting all through the month
of September. The policy of the expedition
was no doubt under contemplation when Parlia-
ment was prorogued, but it had not been decided upon.
Even at the present moment we had neither declared war,
nor had we gone to war with Abyssinia. Our troops
(whose movements had been expedited more than was
anticipated, owing to the energy of the Indian authorities)
were on neutral ground, and it was not intended that the
territory of King Theodore should be invaded until De-
cember. With regard to the size of the expedition, he
assured the house that it had not been definitely fixed
until the opinion of the highest authorities, both at home
and in India (including the Commander-in-Chief), had
been taken on the subject.
Colonel SYKES attributed the whole of the difficulty
into which we had got to the disobedience of Consul
Plowden and Cameron, to the instructions given them by
Earl Russell. They had been told not to meddle in politics;
but, instead of keeping quiet, they had interfered in the
internal affairs of the kingdom.
Mr. GLADSTONE observed with regard to the vote
that. as practical men, the House of Commons had no choice
but to sanction the expenditure for which the country had
been made responsible. Looking at the entire case, with
all its difficulties, he was not prepared to venture upon
censure or condemnation. Indeed, ho thought it no more
than justice to admit that, in the general conduct of the
Government, they were guided by combined and mingled
sentiments with regard to the honour of the country, the
claims and rights of a.British Envoy, and a love of peace.
It might, however, have been better, and certainly more
constitutional, if the Government, having on the llth of
August resolved to send an expedition from India to
Abyssinia, had come down to Parliament, announced their
intention, and asked the House of Commons to reopen the
committee of supply, and agree to a vote of money on ac-
count. The personal inconvenience of protracting the
session for a few days or weeks was not to be set against
the imperious necessity of taking the consul of the house
before entering upon war with a foreign power.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER brought
the debate to a close after midnight in a short speech, in
the course of which ho observed that her Majesty's Mini-
sters, in prosecuting the expedition without the consent of
Parliament, believed that they were acting strictly in
accordance with the constitution and with precedent,
although for his own part ho admitted that ho thought it
always desirable when practicable to appeal to the House
of Commons for its support.
After a few words from Dr. WYLD in defence of Dr.
Beke, the vote of credit was agreed to, and' the house re-
sumed.

The Drainage and Improvement of Lands (Ireland)
Supplemental Bill was passed through committee.
The house adjourned at a few minutes before one o'clock
until twelve this day.

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