POLITICAL NEWS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 1463, 24 September 1885, Page 4

POLITICAL NEWS.

INDIAN AFFAIRS.

(VOE SPECIAL.)

(UNITED PRESS ASSSOO/ATION.) London, S.?pt. 7. Lord Randolph Churchill introduced the Indian Budget yesterday m the House of Commons, the deficit for the year being £3,000,000. The Budget, as arranged last March, was completely upset by the Russian advance m Central Asia, which has caused the Indian Government an increase! expenditure of £4.960,000, ,incluhng a ibsidy of £250,000 to the Ameer. Lord Churchill proposed, to meet the deficit by an increase of the irrigation loan by £3,500,000 to next year. The . whole condition of Itjdia, political and ' financial, had c Hanged, and not for the better. For this Earl Dufferin and the present Government were not responsible. The extraordinary expenditure would not be abnormal. There must by a permanent addition to actual expenditure of not less than £1.500,000. The Government haddecided to create a reserve for the Indian army, adding 26,700 men to its strength m the field. The Cavalry will be reorganised and two new regiments will be raised m Bengal, one m Bombay, giving an increase of 3900 men. A second battalion would be added to the Ghoorka regiments, giving a total increase of 4500. The Indian army would be armed with the Martini -Henri rifles, and £250,000 would be spent m torpedoes and other defences for the Indian harbors, and an increase of tiie native troops will necessitate an increase m the number of British troops m India. Lord Churchill strongly attacked the supineness and want.of foresight shown by the Marquis of Ripon, who, with the kiiQTvlecige ho had at his command, Bh6wHl^j ; ;na.ve foreseen and provided agaifiitVthe advance of Russia instead of speeding money on public works and innlurig vusok-ss remissions of taxation an;4:Tedu6tidu in.tha army; In tho next P^iiijainenfr the Government would pro prise or support a resolution of Parliamentary inquiry into the system of the government of India, among other reasons, m order that the opinions of edu-^ catcdrrrativ'es may be heard. Mr Cross and the Marquis of Harting ton protested against Lord Churchill nifiking a partisan attack, without notice, on the Marquis of Ripoii's administration, whom they defended, as well as the general policy of the late Government m regard to Indian affairs.