§ MR. STAFFORDsaid, he would beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty what steps have been taken by Her Majesty's Government, or the proper authorities, with reference to the steam transports that have already sailed, or are about to sail, with troops or stores for India, so as to secure for them an adequate supply of fuel for the voyage, and what arrangements have been made for such supply at the Cape de Verdes, Cape of Good Hope, Mauritius, or other coaling stations en route?
MR. T. G. BARINGsaid, that under the engagements between the East India Company and the owners of steamers taken up to convey troops to India, the latter were bound to provide coals for the entire passage. He was able to assure the hon. Gentleman that the European and American Steam Ship Company, from whom four ships had been chartered, had provided such a supply of coal at St. Vincent's as would suffice to take those ships to Calcutta without stopping at any intermediate place. The owners of the other vessels would no doubt take means to provide coal, and he believed there would be no difficulty in obtaining coal at Madeira and the Cape de Verd Islands. As to the steps which had been taken by the Board of Admiralty to assist the shipowners, he was enabled to state that when the hostilities with China commenced care had been taken to replenish the stores of coal at all the naval stations, and those stores had been kept up ever since. As soon as the news of the Indian mutinies arrived, and it was known that troops would have to be sent out, the Board of Admiralty informed the East India Company that if 1567 any of the transports should require coal from any of Her Majesty's naval stations, and more especially the Cape of Good Hope, the storekeepers would supply them. He could assure the House that, after deducting the coals necessarily used for the supply of ships going to China, there still remained an ample store at the Cape of Good Hope to fill up the deficiencies of screw ships going to India.
§ SIR DE LACY EVANSsaid, he should be glad to know whether the same precautions had been adopted at the Mauritius.