~Treasury control~ and the South African War, 1899-c.1905
This thesis gives an account of the Treasury's role in preparing for, and conducting, the South African War, at a time when the orthodox Gladstonian principles of public finance were being challenged. It is a case study, in an exceptional instance, of the nature and effectiveness of Treasury control over expenditure on imperial expansion; of the Treasury's view of how a colonial war should be financed and who was to pay for it, of what cost-benefit analysis the Treasury applied to a colonial war, and of why it relied on recouping a substantial part of the war cost from an indemnity levied on a defeated Transvaal. The thesis is an attempt to define the vague concept of ~Treasury control~, not in constitutional theory, but as it worked in practice. It is argued that Treasury control and the rigidity of the annual peace time budget obstructed before the war the taking of any serious military precautions, left no reserve fund for war contingencies, and made any long-term strategic planning almost impossible. Rather than run the risk of asking money from Parliament for reinforcements to South Africa, which would be unpopular, as it might require increased taxation, and which might prove unnecessary, the Cabinet
Yakutiel, Marc M.
South African War, 1899-1902 ; Appropriations and expenditures ; History ; Great Britain
~Treasury control~ and the South African War, 1899-c.1905. This thesis gives an account of the Treasury's role in preparing for, and conducting, the South African War, at a time when the orthodox Gladstonian principles of public finance were being challenged. It is a case study, in an exceptional instance, of the nature and effectiveness of Treasury control over expenditure on imperial expansion; of the Treasury's view of how a colonial war should be financed and who was to pay for it, of what cost-benefit analysis the Treasury applied to a colonial war, and of why it relied on recouping a substantial part of the war cost from an indemnity levied on a defeated Transvaal. The thesis is an attempt to define the vague concept of ~Treasury control~, not in constitutional theory, but as it worked in practice. It is argued that Treasury control and the rigidity of the annual peace time budget obstructed before the war the taking of any serious military precautions, left no reserve fund for war contingencies, and made any long-term strategic planning almost impossible. Rather than run the risk of asking money from Parliament for reinforcements to South Africa, which would be unpopular, as it might require increased taxation, and which might prove unnecessary, the Cabinet
treasury control south african war give_account treasury role conduct south african war time orthodox principle public finance challenge case_study exceptional instance nature_effectiveness treasury control expenditure imperial expansion treasury view colonial war finance pay cost_benefit analysis treasury apply colonial war rely substantial_part war cost defeat attempt_define vague concept treasury control constitutional theory work practice argued treasury control annual peace time budget obstruct war take serious military precaution leave reserve fund war contingency make long_term strategic planning almost impossible rather run risk ask money parliament reinforcement south_africa would unpopular might require increased taxation might prove unnecessary cabinet