§ MR. EVELYN DENISONasked the Secretary of the Treasury what was the existing state of the arrangements made by the Government with regard to steam postal communication with the Australian Colonies.
§ MR. WILSONreplied, that it would be seen by the Minute which had been laid upon the table, that those colonies had exhibited the utmost readiness to defray a portion of the expense attending the esta- 1180 blishment of an efficient postal communication with this country. He believed that they were greatly indebted to the relative of the hon. Member who put the question, Sir William Denison, for the arrangements which had been made on this subject. Last year Sir William Denison addressed a circular letter to the various Australian colonies proposing the establishment of a monthly steam communication with this country, and suggesting that the colonists should bear a portion of the expense of the postal service; and the replies of the various colonies had been forwarded by Sir William Denison to Her Majesty's Government. Those replies were so favourable to the proposals of Sir William Denison, that the Government felt no doubt whatever that the colonists would be prepared, when an arrangement was made, to give due effect to his intentions. He (Mr. Wilson) believed that replies to Sir William Denison's circular bad been received from all the colonies with the exception of New Zealand, and upon the receipt of those communications Her Majesty's Government lost no time in framing a system which they thought would be at once just to this country and to the respective colonies; such system being detailed in the Treasury Minute which had been laid upon the table. In accordance with that Minute tenders for performing the postal service had been received from a great number of persons; but the Government did not think they would be justified in accepting any of those tenders: and as several new schemes of an improved character had been suggested since advertisements for tenders were first issued, it was the intention of the Government to call for new tenders. An impression seemed to prevail out of doors that Her Majesty's Government did not intend to do anything with respect to these arrangements until the colonies had agreed as to the route to be taken; but no such intention was ever entertained by Her Majesty's Government—they had simply been desirous of receiving replies from the different colonies, in order to ascertain whether they acquiesced in the proposals of Sir William Denison, and he was happy to say that the Government had so much confluence in the intentions of the colonists, from the replies which had already reached them, that, as soon as they received from any one a tender which they felt justified in accepting, they would have no hesitation in at once making arrangements for the establishment of a postal communication.
§ SIR JOHN PAKINGTONasked whether it was the intention of Her Majesty's Government to arrange a direct steam communication with the Australian colonies irrespective of the Indian mail; whether that communication would be carried on by first-class vessels; and whether the Government were prepared to organise such communication without delay, which would be occasioned by any further reference to the colonies?
§ MR. WILSONsaid, it was not the intention of the Government to stipulate for any particular line, because they thought the best way of bringing public opinion to bear upon the subject was to receive proposals of any kind, and, therefore, the advertisements issued by the Admiralty would not specify any particular line or any description of vessels. As he had already stated, the instant any tender was made which the Government thought it would be for the interest of the country to accept, they would be prepared to enter into a contract for establishing steam postal communication with Australia.