Science in Public Affairs 



the East African Protectorate, 1 that the amounts 

 are portioned off for the various departments and 

 stations, and are so strictly allocated, that no sum 

 in excess of .100 can be transferred without per- 

 mission from one purpose to another. 



The expenditure considered so far varies from 

 year to year in accordance with the estimates 

 laid before the House of Commons ; but Imperial 

 funds are also pledged to repay by annual instal- 

 ments of 44,475 for twenty-eight years, the sum of 

 820,000 advanced to the Royal Niger Company 

 in compensation for the relinquishment of its 

 governmental rights ; and to pay more than 

 300,000 annually for thirty years, whereby the 

 capital expenditure upon the Uganda Railway will 

 be extinguished. The debate in Parliament (1899) 

 shows that the Foreign Office blundered badly 

 over the charter of the Royal Niger Company. 

 Though it had been intended explicitly to pre- 

 vent the establishment of a trading monopoly, 

 the Company had in fact secured it, and the law 

 officers of the Crown advised that it was within 

 its rights. Freedom could, therefore, only be re- 

 gained by an arrangement with the Company 

 under which it would surrender its charter. The 

 construction of the Uganda Railway was agreed 

 to by Parliament (1896) upon altogether inade- 

 quate information as to the difficulties and the 

 probable cost of the undertaking. The estimate 

 was then fixed at 3,000,000 ; the actual expen- 

 diture has amounted to 5,311,000. 



1 The Empire Review, Oct. 1905. 

 162 



