§ MR. GRIFFITHSir, I beg to ask the noble Lord at the head of the Government whether the Government have thought of making use of the cable that cannot now be employed for the telegraph across the Atlantic for the purpose of telegraphic communication with Alexandria.
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONSir, the cable does not belong to the Government, and it cannot become the property of the Government without a Vote from Parliament to purchase it. And it is sufficient for me to say that in the present state of the Session a proposal to that effect could not be made to Parliament.