§ CAPTAIN COLOMB (Tower Hamlets, Bow, &c.)asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, What is the estimated total subvention annually payable to the Peninsular and Oriental Company by the Admiralty under the proposed arrangement for the right of pre-emption, or hire as armed cruisers or transports, of vessels belonging to that Company; whether such amount will be in addition to the East Indian and China Mail Postal Contract annual subsidy; whether the Admiralty made these arrangements for 1105 subvention with the Peninsular and Oriental Company subsequent to the approval by the House of the mail contract with that Company; and, if not, why this House was not informed before approving of the mail contract that the Admiralty had arranged for expenditure on the Peninsular and Oriental Company for such subvention purposes in addition to the mail subsidy; and, whether the Correspondence between the Admiralty and the Peninsular and Oriental Company relative to the subvention of steamers belonging to that Company will be in the hands of Members befere Vote 10 of the Navy Estimates is taken?
§ THE FIRST LORD (Lord GEORGE HAMILTON) (Middlesex, Ealing)I stated yesterday, at some length, the nature of the arrangements made, and the sum payable annually, for the use and hire of vessels belonging to the Peninsular and Oriental Company—namely, £3,500 in respect of the Victoria, Britannia, and Oceana respectively. This sum is in addition to the mail postal contract; but the mail contract has been utilized, as in the case of the Cunard and White Star Companies, so that the use of the vessels carrying the mails may, under certain contingencies, be economically secured to the State. These arrangements were made subsequent to the approval by the House of the mail contract; the correspondence and agreement in all probability will not be in the hands of Members before Vote 10 of the Navy Estimates is taken. The first sum payable under the arrangement will not be made until after the commencement of the next financial year.