§ MR. CHEETHAMasked the President of the Board of Control if his attention had been called to the great inconvenience at present sustained by the commercial classes in India from the scarcity of a metallic specie in that country, and whether it was the intention of the Indian Government to take any measures to remedy the same, by the creation of a gold coinage as a legal tender in addition to the silver coinage now current there; and if he was able to lay on the table of the House a Report of the extent of railway communication now in operation and in course of construction in India?
MR. V. SMITHsaid, that since he had been at the Board of Control he had heard no complaint of inconvenience from the scarcity of metallic currency. With respect to the second question, he stated that there was no Report on the whole state of railways in India in the possession of the India Board; but some correspondence had taken place on the subject. He should be ready to answer any specific question on the subject, or, if desired, to lay the correspondence respecting it on the table.