In the House of Lora on Tuesday, Lord Northbrook made
his statement concerning Sir Michael Hicks-Beeeh's ohmage that the Admiralty had underrated its expenditure on the Vote of Credit by £850,000, and that it had only found out its blunder just before he had to propose his supplementary Budget. Lord Northbrook complained bitterly of the Chancellor of the Ex- chequer's omission to consult him on the subject, and even to give him notice of the charge he was about to bring. As we understand Lord Northbrook, he, and he alone, was responsible for the Vote of Credit, and only he could have explained to Sir Michael Hicks-Beach what the Admiralty, had expended in connection with that vote. Does he really mean to say that he left office without leaving behind him in the permanent records of the department any adequate record of this transaction ? If he does, nothing more extraordinary was ever stated. If he does not, why did the permanent officials of the Admiralty misinform his successor, and blunder so mach in the matter ? As we understand Lord Northbrook, the Admiralty had spent 2350A)00 more than the Vote of Credit by the time of Mr. Childers's statement on June 5th. If so, how was it that the Admiralty informed Sir Michael Hicks-Beach in July that the Admiralty Vote of Credit would not be exceeded by more than £74,000 P Lord Northbrook's speech appears to us to make confusion worse confounded.
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