The Birmingham Post repeats and credits a rumour that Lord
Hartington, on his entry into office, discovered that the recent "prosperity budget" from India was erroneous, that the cost of the Afghan war had been underrated, and that a deficit existed, said to reach eight millions. It is, we understand, true that some serious blunder in the recent Indian accounts had been discovered before the late Ministry quitted office, but its extent has not yet been made known. The figure given must be greatly in excess of the truth, unless the mistake extends to future estimates, as well as past expendi- ture, as any extra outlay to that extent would have caused a shrinkage of the "Balances," and have been detected by any banker in the country. We wish Lord Hartington would send Mr. Giffen, or some statist of that calibre, to India, to prepare and insist on a new system of accounts. They are always confused and very often wrong, and the local men, after thirty years of effort, have not devised a self-working scheme.
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