§ MR. MACKINNONbegged to ask the right hon. Gentleman the Secretary of the Board of Control, why the terms offered to the two railway companies in the Bengal Presidency had not been offered to the Great North of India Railway, being a continuation of the grand trunk line running from Calcutta towards the Indus?
§ SIR JOHN HOBHOUSEwould, in answer to the question of the hon. Gentleman, state the reason why the proposal which was made to those two other railway companies to which the hon. Gentleman had alluded, was not made to the Great North of India Railway. The reason was this—the proposal made by the East India Company for those two companies had reference to two experimental lines to embrace the upper and lower provinces of Bengal. The company to which the hon. Gentleman referred, had no reference whatever except to the upper province, and it was not deemed advisable that a similar proposal should be made to them.