§ MR. HOWARD VINCENTasked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Why the regular weekly mail communication between Cyprus and Alexandria was suspended; and, if Her Majesty's Government will consider the advisability of re-establishing it in order 1390 to promote the development of the resources of that island, and to increase its trade both with Great Britain and Egypt, and so frustrate its threatened diversion to the Continent of Europe by means of the facilities offered by the Austrian Lloyds Steam Navigation Company?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. OSBORNE MORGAN)The weekly mail communication between Cyprus and Alexandria was discontinued at the end of 1884 because it cost this country £6,950 a-year, and only brought in about £150 a-year in postage. It lasted six and a-half years and involved the Imperial Post Office in a net total loss of about £48,000. The question of re-establishing weekly communication between Cyprus and Alexandria on more reasonable terms and the arguments in favour of such communication were brought before the late Board of the Treasury by the late Colonial Secretary; but the Board refused to sanction any measure being taken for the purpose, and the present Board, having had the matter brought under their notice, adhered to that view. With regard to the latter part of the Question, I have as yet no information to justify the conclusion that the trade of Cyprus is diverted to the Continent of Europe by means of the facilities offered by the Austrian Lloyds Company, inasmuch as the import and export trade between that Island and England continues to be carried on through other channels. The direct trade of Cyprus with the United Kingdom never exceeded 31 per cent of the whole. For the last year of the subsidy it was 27 per cent.