§ MR. F. SCOTTinquired of the hon. Gentleman the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, whether it was the intention of the Government to grant for the current year any, and what, sums of money to assist private enterprise in steam navigation in Australia and New Zealand?
§ MR. HAWESadmitted the importance of the subject to which the hon. Gentleman had referred; but all that he could at present say in answer to the question of the hon. Gentleman was, that several plans had been laid before the noble Lord the Secretary of State for the Colonial Department, but that his noble Friend was not prepared at the present moment to express any opinion in favour of any one or other of them. The subject had occupied the 264 attention of his noble Friend, and would continue to do so; but he was not yet prepared to propose the advance of any public money for the promotion of the object which the hon. Gentleman contemplated. He (Mr. Hawes) would take the present opportunity of observing, that if the parties themselves who were connected with the colonies of Australia and New Zealand should evince a disposition to promote that object, they would, in his opinion, very much facilitate the obtaining of a grant of public money for assisting the steam navigation with those colonies.