§ SIR T. D. ACLANDsaid, that, seeing the First Lord of the Admiralty in his place, he wished to ask him whether cer- 1189 tain papers, ordered last week, relating to the proceedings connected with the Arctic expedition, would be laid upon the table to-night, as many persons in this country were anxious for information upon the subject? Also, whether it was the intention of the Government to offer any encouragement to other parties, in any way connected with the navigation of those seas, to prosecute exertions for the relief and assistance of Sir John Franklin and the expedition under his command? He would also here express a hope, if such was the intention of the Government, that every effort would be made to announce their intention at the earliest possible period on both sides of the Atlantic.
SIR F. T. BARINGsaid, that with reference to the papers moved for by the hon. Baronet a few days ago, he should that night present a memorandum on the subject, and the rest of the papers would be presented at the next sitting of the House. With respect to the second question put to him, he would inform the hon. Baronet, that after much consideration the Government proposed to offer a reward of 20,000l. to any vessels, foreign as well as our own, that might render efficient assistance in saving the lives of Sir John Franklin and his squadron; and they intended to make the reward widely known. The preparatory papers had already been put into print, and were to be transmitted through the customs authorities to the collectors of customs and the consuls abroad.