Lord Lytton, on March 2nd, in a speech on the
Bill amend-- ing the Licence Acts, took occasion to make some remarks on the finances of India, which he declared to be in a healthy state. The interest on the Debt, he said, had only been increased by £2,500,000 a year in the past forty years, in spite of the annexe,- tion of five provinces, with forty-two millions of people,—a curious remark, as the provinces ought to have paid and have- paid for themselves, the debt having been created by wars and
muddling, not by the annexations. Lord Lytton declared that -the cost of the Afghan war had not been concealed, defended General Roberts, who, he explicitly said, had executed no Afghan for rebellion, or for taking up arms to repel in- vasion, or "on any charge not punishable with death by the ordinary practice of war," and maintained that the Indian Councils were entirely in accord with her Majesty's Government in regard to the policy of the Afghan war,—a Barge assertion, unless the Viceroy considers, as perhaps he has a right to do, that the majority in his Council is the Council. His courage in statement is, however, great, for he actually ventured to affirm that the receipts from the Famine-taxes had not been devoted to any other object, his theory being, we believe, that they have been invested in public works which prevent famine. That is the fact, but they have been so invested in relief and supersession of investments from the regular revenue, which have been diverted to the needless killing of Afghans.
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