For seven consecutive years, India spent more than it received. Smollett delivered the table to Parliament on June 12 1879. The accumulated deficit was £34.5 million. Nothing changed.
£34.5M
Cumulative India fiscal
deficit, 1873–1880
£8.33M
Worst single year: 1877–78
(Famine + military costs)
122%
Rise in Home Charges
1868 to 1879
3 nights
Parliamentary debate
before procedural adjournment
India's Annual Fiscal Deficit, 1873–1880 — Smollett's Table (Hansard, June 12 1879)
Source: Mr. Smollett's speech, East India Revenue Accounts debate, third night, 12 June 1879 (Hansard).
Deficit calculated as excess of all expenditure (ordinary + productive works) over total revenue.
1879–80 figure is the Government's own estimate as presented to Parliament.
Average deficit across all seven years: £4.93M — more than twice the stated annual savings target.
Home Charges to Britain, 1868–1879 (million rupees)
Key Insight: Home Charges rose from 84.97M rupees (1868) to 189M rupees (1879) — a 122% increase in 11 years.
By 1879, they consumed the equivalent of India's entire net land revenue.
Source: J.K. Cross, Hansard 1879.
Home Charges as % of India's Net Land Revenue
Key Insight: In 1868 Home Charges consumed 43.5% of land revenue.
By 1879 they had reached 100% — every rupee of India's land tax was being remitted to London.
Cross: "This is a monstrous increase. It is perfectly impossible that India could stand it and keep above water."