COLONIAL MARRIAGES BILL. On Motion of Mr. KNATCHBULL-HUGESSEN, Bill to amend the Law with respect to certain Colonial Marriages, ordered to be brought in by Mr. KNATCHBULL-HUGESSEN and Sir THOMAS CHAMBERS. CLERICAL DISABILITIES BILL. Considered in Committee. (In the Committee.) Resolved, That the Chairman be directed to move the House, that leave be given to bring in a Bill to extend the provisions of "The Clerical Disabilities Removal Act, 1870." Resolution reported: - Bill ordered to be brought in by Mr. GOLDNEY, Mr. HIBBERT, and Sir WINDHAM ANSTRUTHER. Bill presented, and read the first time. [Bill 18.] SPIRITS IN BOND BILL. Considered in Committee. (In the Committee.) Resolved, That the Chairman be directed to move the House, that leave be given to bring in a Bill for the improvement of the quality of Spirits in Bond. Resolution reported: - Bill ordered to be brought in by Mr. O'SULLIVAN, Major NOLAN, Mr. BLENNERHASSETT, Captain Pim, and Mr. STACPOOLE. Bill presented, and read the first time. [Bill 19.] SALE OF INTOXICATING LIQUORS ON On Motion of Mr. STEVENSON, Bill to prohibit the Sale of Intoxicating Liquors on Sunday, ordered to be brought in by Mr. STEVENSON, Mr. CHARLES WILSON, Mr. BIRLEY, Mr. OSBORNE MORGAN, Mr. WILLIAM M'ARTHUR, and Mr. JAMES. Bill presented, and read the first time. [Bill 20.] EMPLOYERS AND WORKMEN ACT, 1875 (EXTENSION TO SEAMEN) BILL. On Motion of Mr. BURT, Bill to extend the provisions of "The Employers and Workmen Act, 1875," to seamen whilst they are in British waters, ordered to be brought in by Mr. BURT, Mr. JOSEPH COWEN, Mr. MUNDELLA, Mr. GOURLEY, and Mr. GORST. Bill presented, and read the first time. [Bill 21.] DISQUALIFICATION BY MEDICAL RELIEF BILL. On Motion of Mr. RATHBONE, Bill to remove disqualification by Medical Relief for Infectious or Contagious Disease, ordered to be brought in by Mr. RATHBONE, Sir JOHN KENNAWAY, Sir CHARLES W. DILKE, and Mr. RITCHIE. Bill presented, and read the first time. [Bill 22.] JOINT STOCK BANKS (ACCOUNTS) BILL. Considered in Committee. (In the Committee.) Resolved, That the Chairman be directed to move the House, that leave be given to bring in Bill presented, and read the first time. [Bill 17.1 a Bill to provide for the compulsory audit of INHABITED HOUSE DUTY AND INCOME TAX BILL. On Motion of Mr. HUBBARD, Bill to amend the administration of the Inhabited House Duty and Income Tax, ordered to be brought in by Mr. HUBBARD and Mr. SAMPSON LLOYD. I AFGHANISTAN (EXPENSES OF MILI. TARY OPERATIONS).-RESOLUTION. VISCOUNT CRANBROOK: My Lords, very much regret that it should have fallen to my lot, as Minister for India, to be the person whose duty it is to bring before the House of Lords the question of war in that part of Her Majesty's Dominions. I occupied for some years the office of Minister for War; but I am happy to say that while filling that office it was my good fortune to be a Minister of Peace, though during the whole of that time the Department with which I was connected was occupied in making preparations for war, in case war should be necessary; and I believe that the best way of preventing war is to put a bold face on the matter-to say what you mean and do what you have said. My Lords, the Motion I have to make is in these terms "That Her Majesty having directed a military expedition of Her forces charged upon Indian revenues to be despatched against the Ameer of Afghanistan, this House consents that the revenues of India shall be applied to defray the expenses of the military operations which may be carried on beyond the external frontiers of Her Majesty's Indian Possessions." My Lords, in 1858 a short Act (the Government of India Act) was passed, with the view of putting a check, to a certain extent, on the powers of the Indian Government, but in a different way from the way suggested by the noble Earl (Earl Grey), who moved the Amendment to the Address. The noble Earl assumed that it was essential when the subject of war was under discussion that the Cabinet should be entirely precluded from going to war until a preliminary notification of its intention to do so had been given to Parliament. I am not now going to argue whether or not in other kinds of war there is or should be such a principle; but I do say that by the Act of 1858 Parliament sanctioned the principle that Her Majesty's Government may make war in India without any previous notification to Parliament. Nay-that Act provides that the Government may do so if within three months after they have done so should Parliament be sitting, or within one month after the next assembling of sitting at the time, the Government war announces the fact to both Houses. That is provided by one clause. Another clause provides for the obtaining of that consent of Parliament to the application of the Revenues of India which my Motion asks this House to accede to. Now, my Lords, in reading a statute the proper rule to be observed is to read it as a whole; and I think that, taking the former clause, under which if Parliament should not be sitting the Government is not bound to acquaint it with the declaration of war for three months after it meets-and the Government might wait a number of months without advising the Queen to call it togetherI think, taking that clause in conjunc tion with Clause 55, it is clearly contemplated that power is given to the Home Government to declare without previous communication of its intention to Parliament, and it follows, of necessity, that the application to Parliament in respect of funds must be made subsequently. The declaration of war cannot precede the communication, for, otherwise, such notice would be given of our intention as might preclude the war from being efficaciously undertaken. The fact is, then, as stated the other night by my noble Friend (the Marquess of Salisbury), we are taking Parliament into our confidence with greater rapidity than is required by the Act of Parliament. We called Parliament together as soon as there was a certainty of the war. Up to the 20th of November there was not that certainty; we were up to that date unaware of what would be the reply of the Ameer to our Ultimatum; but when the circumstances occurred with which your Lordships are familiar, and there was no longer any uncertainty that our Frontier must be passed, we resolved to call Parliament together. You cannot, however, in such a case wait and stay your hand until you have had the opportunity of consulting with Parliament. And I think I may now say that the acting with such promptitude as the Government did, tended materially to the success of the operations which have already been executed. Now, my Lords, as to the question of the use of the Indian Revenue, I do not know that much need be said. If the House consents to the Revenues of India being applied to defray the expense of such consent that Parliament would be one Government or another; but an prevented from contributing to the cost opinion expressed by all statesmen of of those operations; but I am bound to every Party. Everyone will admit that say, after looking very carefully into statesmen of all Parties have agreed in the financial condition of India and the the necessity of a strong Afghanistan on circumstances of this war, I believe it friendly terms with this country. And will not be necessary-at least in the so long as we could trust the Rulers of initial steps-to call on the Revenues of Afghanistan, and so long as they were England. I am in possession of facts true to us, we were content. We desired which, I think, will convince your Lord- nothing else and nothing more. ships that, without unduly pressing on not think I should wisely occupy the the Revenues of India, there will be no time of your Lordships by going back to necessity to call on the English Revenue the time of Dost Mahomed; but, in fact, -at least, during the present financial Afghan policy was very much affected year. It was announced by my hon. by what took place in the war with that Friend (Mr. Stanhope), in "another Ruler. I may make one remark in replace," that, including the £1,500,000 ference to occurrences in Afghanistan of new taxation for famine insurance, which at the time of those occurrences the surplus of Indian Revenue was esti- painfully affected the mind of this counmated to amount to £2,156,000. The try, and of which unpleasant memories Revenue has actually exceeded the Esti- still remain. I may say that the suffermate. In opium alone the increase is ings sustained by our troops in the war £1,245,000. But some of the charges to which I am referring did not happen have been increased, reducing the esti- because this country was too weak to mated surplus to £1,800,000. Looking maintain her rights and unable to vindiinto the different calculations made on cate her position in Afghanistan by the the subject, the supposition of the sword; but we were unfortunate. We Indian Government is that during the were unfortunate in our political negopresent financial year the cost of the tiators; we were unfortunate in our military operations will not exceed generals. The commonest precautions £1,100,000 or £1,200,000. Take it at were neglected; and from those miser£1,250,000, and there would remain able complications and neglect, and not then a substantial surplus of about from any want of valour in the field, £550,000 after the payment of the resulted those disasters which we all charges for the Expedition. If it regret. But, my Lords, those occurrences should be necessary, in answer to any did not permanently affect our relations remarks on the subject, I will go into with Dost Mahomed. Being our penthis question again; but for the present sioner, and being well affected towards I shall pass from it, as the Amendment us, when he returned to Afghanistan he of the noble Viscount opposite (Viscount was not influenced by any hostile feelings Halifax) is not addressed to this par- towards England; but circumstances ticular branch, but to the general ques-obliged him to maintain an appearance tion. I shall pass, then, at once to poli- of "sullen reserve." He had to contical matters. sider not only himself, but his country; and he felt obliged to maintain that attitude until he saw that his people had forgotten what they had suffered in the war. He then became a firm Ally of the British Government. He felt our power, our position, and resources, and he had learnt that what we promised we would assuredly undertake, and in 1855 he entered into that Treaty which is so well known to your Lordships. As showing how implicit was his trust in the British Government, it is remarkable that while he by that Treaty bound himself to regard "our friends as his friends and our enemies as his enemies," there is no reciprocal declaration from us that we My Lords, for at least half-a-century great interest has been felt in Afghanistan by those who have devoted any attention to Indian affairs. It has been considered as one of the entrances to India from the North-West; its relations towards Great Britain have always throughout that period been regarded as very important to the Imperial interests of England it has been considered that without proper relations between British India and Afghanistan our Frontier could not be regarded as secure. This has never been a question of Party politics. The opinion to which I have just referred has not been that of any |