STEAM COMMUNICATION WITH INDIA. (Hansard, 4 August 1834)

§ Mr. Hume
wished to know what course was intended to be adopted by the Government on this subject?

§ Mr. Charles Grant
said, that some time ago he had moved for a Committee on the subject of our communications with India; the Committee sat, and paid great attention to the matter, and its Report had been laid on the Table. There were two routes under consideration—the one communicating with Bombay by the Red Sea, the other by the Euphrates and Persian Gulf. The Report enforced the importance of a rapid communication with India, and expressed the opinion of the Committee in reference to both lines. With respect to the route by the Red Sea, they stated, that experiments made for five successive seasons had completely established the practicability of that line of communication during eight months in the year, but during the four months of the south-west monsoons it was not quite so clear that the communication could be effected. The Committee recommended that measures should be taken to establish the communication by the Red Sea, and they proposed that the expense should be divided between India and this country. As to the other route, by the Euphrates and the Persian Gulf, the Committee stated that sufficient experiments had not yet been made, but that there appeared no physical obstacle to the communication during eight months of the year. During the remaining four months when the river was low, it was not certain that the line was practicable. The Committee recommended, however, as the East-India Company had expended between 60,000l. and 70,000l. on the communication by the Red Sea, that the expense of ascertaining the practicability of the route by the Euphrates should be defrayed by the British Government. The estimated expense of that undertaking was 20,000l., which sum was recommended to be devoted to the experiment. It was clear 931 that if the two lines should turn out to be equally practicable, an arrangement might be made to avail ourselves of the advantages of both. The passage by the Red Sea would not be available during the months of June, July, August, and September, and it was probable that the line of the Euphrates, would not be open in November, December, January, and February. An arrangement might be made by which during the whole year a steam communication could be maintained with India, by availing ourselves alternately of the two routes. The importance of a rapid communication with India was evident—it was of the utmost consequence by these means to bring India nearer to this country, and thereby to remove the obstacles that at present existed to a closer and more advantageous connexion between England and our Indian territories. It was most desirable to do away with the obstacles which now tended to perpetuate prejudices, and which stood in the way of a free and rapid communication of improvements of all kinds. Greater security would result to our Indian empire from the course proposed to be adopted, and in short, it was equally our interest, policy, duty, and glory, to bring India more and more intimately in contact with this country by every means in our power. It was our duty to confer on India every possible advantage, in consequence of its connexion with Great Britain; and he appealed to the House with confidence, and called upon it to lend its assistance to the accomplishment of this important object. It was equally the duty and the interest of England to watch all the modes of access to India, with a view to the political and commercial prosperity and the mutual advantage of both countries. He might add, that the communication by the line of the Euphrates was especially deserving of attention.

§ Mr. Buckingham
said, that to facilitate and expedite a mutual knowledge of what was passing in India, and England would be worth ten times the sum now proposed to be devoted to that purpose. The greatest moral, political, and mercantile advantages might be expected to result from a more rapid communication between the two countries, to which, as he could not see any serious impediment, so he did not anticipate the least objection to the vote.

§ Mr. Hume
was glad, that he had drawn 932 from the right hon. President of the Board of Control so satisfactory an expression of his sentiments on the subject. He hoped that what the Committee had just heard was only a prelude to those advantages and that assistance which India had a right to expect at our hands. The state of the communication between England and India had long been a reproach to this country, and the interference of the Post Office in charging postage upon letters from India, notwithstanding there was no line of packets between the two countries, did not admit of excuse. With respect to the passage by the Euphrates, he was not himself very sanguine as to its practicability; but, no doubt, it behoved the Government to make the trial, particularly as he understood from the right hon. Gentleman that it was not to stop the progress by the Red Sea, but he hoped the experiments would be conducted in the manner most likely to lead to practical results for the benefit both of India and England.

Mr. George F.
Young expressed his regret that the right hon. Gentleman did not appear to have turned his attention so much as appeared desirable to the question, as to the practicability of a passage by steam round the Cape of Good Hope. He was glad that the experiments proposed by the Government were to be made, although he could not say that he entertained very confident hopes of their success; whereas on the other hand, he was convinced that, under the encouragement of the Government, Calcutta might be reached by the Cape of Good Hope in seventy-Five days, at all periods of the year. He hoped the right hon. Gentleman would take this point into his consideration.