The Sun.
London, England, 1867-11-29 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY, NOV. 29, 1867.

The Committee of Ways and Means has disposed
of the Abyssinian business in the most satisfactory
way, and a majority of a hundred and twenty-five
may well dispose of the dissentients. The debate
of last night was a sufficient answer to those who
have gone on persisting that the Government was
not popular in this affair, and that the money would
be given in a gradging spirit, and the support ac-
corded must certainly be rendered under pretest.
In consequence of the indisposition of the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, the task of explaining the
proposals of Government fell to Mr. HUNT, the
Secretary to the Treasury, who acquitted himself
in the most admirable manner of the onerous
charge. On the whole, the proposals seem to be
fair enough, and we do 2ot see how the Government
could have done better than select the course last
night announced to the House of
Commons. It
a comparison of the
appears that, taking Budget
estimate of receipts and expenditure with the r
counts for the eight months of the year, the income
is less than the estimates by £lOO,OOO ; the expen-
diture has been also less to about the same amount.
The surplus of the year -will be about £205,000.
The consequence of all this is that it will be neces-
sary to provide for the Abyssinian expedition
£1,800,000, and it has now been determined upon
by the Government, very wisely as it will be thought,
that so far as possible the expenses of the war shall
be borne by the taxation of the year. In the first
place, the deficiency is to be supplied by an addi-
tional penny of income tax during the financial
year, which will bring in £1,500,000. Just on
£840,000 only of this will come into the Exchequer
during this year, and the remaining £960,000 to be
supplied will be taken out of the balances of the
Exchequer. Mr. HUNT contended, fairly enough,
that the expenses of this war would not be wholly
supplied by the income-tax payers, because the
balances in the Exchequer were made up
of the general expenses of the country,
and thus the Government had equalised the burden
in an efficient manner. Mr. GLADSTONE, after ex-
pressing his regret at the absence of the Chancellor
of the Exchequer, paid a tribute to the manner in
which Mr. HuNT had performed his task, and pro-
ceeded to give his opinion upon the merits of the
proposal, the time of the year, as he truly said, jus.
tifying him in so doing. It is satisfactory that so
good a judge as the right hon. gentleman should
say that the Government could not have done better
or made more prudent suggestions than those they
have put forward. "No sound principle is violated,
no practical risk is incurred, and I believe that the
good sense of the public will be infinitely better
satisfied by meeting a manly demand for an imme-
diate extension of taxation towards the expenses of
the war than it would have been if the Govern-
ment had resorted to any expedient less direct, and
less calculated in the end to maintain the strength,
and credit, and resources of the country." These
remarks of Mr. GLADSTONE are the more appropriate
and reassuring after the extravagant observations
that some speakers have indulged in ; and it is
satisfactory to see one in so eminent a posi-
tion as Mr. GLADSTONE thus adopting the
common-sense view of the question. The triumphant
majority of last night will, it may confidently be
expected, settle the opposition that has been raised
in some few quarters, and convince the irresolute
that Parliament has decidedly maintained the policy
of the Government, and given its answer in the
affirmative to the question put to them as to the
wisdom of its choice.

Sir S. NORTIICOTE moved the resolution relative
to the payment of Indian troops and vessels em-
ployed in the Abyssinian Expedition. The right
hon. gentleman made out a very successful case
to prove the desirability of the preparations,
and showed how much India was concerned in this
war, both in maintaining the character of our
Envoys, and that but for Indian interests the ex-
pedition might not have been despatched so soon.
The arrangements that were made in the Chinese
and Persian wars were not nearly so favourable to
India as the present proposals. It seems strange
that Mr. FAWCETT could have persuaded himself
into the belief that India had no choice in this
war, but the House certainly took the best
way to convince him of his error, and
he must have regretted that he did not
follow the advice tendered to him by Mr. OSBORNE
in a speech more humorous than wise. Lord CRAN-
BORNE did not agree to the proposal as to its advis-
ability, but he urged that it would be impolitic in
the difference of opinion ; and the concluding words
of the noble lord were well worthy of the occasion :
" Whatever criticisms we may pass upon the su-
bordinate measures of the Government, there should
not seem to be any want of unanimity in
the heartiness with which we support the
Crown in the action it has taken. We all
of us, or at least the most of us, agree in the
thorough justice and necessity of this war, and the
more heartily we support the Crown in carrying it
out, the more thoroughly will it effect its object.'.
This is speaking to the point, but the effort of the
evening was spoiled by the very scanty number
which the dissentients contrived to muster ; and we
may, therefore, now conclude that the difficulties of
the arrangements are over, so far as Parliamentary
discussion is concerned. The affair is one of great
importance, and also of commensurate diffi-
culty, and yet we see no cause to fear
though a favourable result should not take place.
The Government has adopted the wisest measures
that are possible under the circumstances, and there
will be no lack of means or of force used as have
unfortunately diminished our prestige iu former