§ VISCOUNT MAHONinquired if the home authorities had received any reports or papers on the subject of railways from the Indian Government?
§ SIR J. C. HOBHOUSEsaid, that the report of the Commissioners sent out in June, 1845, to examine into the subject the noble Lord had alluded to, had transmitted their report. That report had arrived in England, and reached the Board of Control on the 4th of July, 1846. He was not sure whether his noble Friend had seen that report or not. It had not been made public; but if were any satisfaction to the noble Lord, or even of import to the public to know it, he had no objection to lay it upon the Table of the House. Since that report, the communications received were of very little importance, with the exception of one—namely, a minute of the Governor General of India on the subject of railways, which he had not the least objection to present to the House. If there were any additional communications with which the House might be furnished, he had no objection to lay them upon the Table.
§ MR. HUMEinquired if there were any objection to accompany those papers with 1007 copies of the resolutions or despatches which had been sent out relative to the terms offered to companies to construct railways?
§ SIR J. C. HOBHOUSEsaid, the Board of Control had agreed upon certain conditions upon which railroads were to be made; and until they knew whether companies would accept those terms or not, it was impossible to produce any communication upon the subject.