On Tuesday Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman was the principal speaker. He
dwelt almost entirely on the in- crease of regular expenditure, especially on armaments, which he reckoned at thirty-three millions, and on the careless administration which he thought one main cause of the increase. His principal illustration was the increase in the allowances to the Law Officers. There was danger to the country in this increase of its burdens, which was due to the " bouncing " policy of the Government and its maintenance of an Imperial policy everywhere. To this Mr: Balfour replied that the Government did not bounce, but had settled half-a-dozen great issues with the military Empires, any one of which might have ended in war; and then the division was taken. It showed a majority of 177 votes for the Government, or if the Irish 60 are added to the minority, of 117. The general effect of the debate was that regular expenditure had increased very rapidly, that some part of this might be due to laxity, but that by far the greater part was necessary for defence, and that those who pleaded for economy were either opposed to the war, or anxious that the cost of armaments should be kept below the figures which ensure safety. There was no evidence of any relaxation in the general decision to prosecute the war to a successful end.
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