The Indian Legislative Assembly has rejected some of the new
taxes proposed by the Government—notably the increased excise duty on cotton goods--and has out down other items by way of protest against the military expenditure of £41,300,000. The Indian members sought a cheap popularity by denouncing the Army Estimates; which they had no power to alter, and ignored the fact that India has on her frontier fierce tribes who would like nothing better than to raid the Punjab as they used to do. The Viceroy caused it to be made known that he would form a Retrenchment Committee to discuss the coat of the Army. Lord Rawlinson, the Commander-in-Chief, has, however, made it clear that he cannot at present reduce the British and Indian forces with which he has to defend the frontier and maintain order among 300;000,000 people of different races and religions. India's defences are in truth'relatively cheap, and a Viceroy who tried to curry favour with the politicians by reducing the Army still further would be running very grave risks, especially in these troublous times.
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