MR. BEADYcalled attention to the Report of the Select Committee on the Galway Contract, and asked the First Lord of the Treasury what were the intentions of Her Majesty's Government as to renewing postal communication between Galway and America? He was desirous of knowing whether Her Majesty's Government would agree to restore the contract, provided the Company proved that they had steamers of sufficient power, and that they were in possession of the requisite amount of capital to fulfil it?
§ LORD FERMOYwished to ask whether, in considering the question of postal communication between Ireland and the United States, the claims of the harbour of Cork will be regarded? That port was one of the most commodious in the world, and was also advantageous for its security and certainty, and he hoped it would be fairly considered by the Government before they decided upon any particular port.
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONOn a former occasion I stated to the House the general view of Her Majesty's Government upon the question of postal communication between the United Kingdom and Worth America. I then said that I thought it was very clear that a rapid communication between the United Kingdom and Worth America, and, more especially, a communication with St. Johns, which would give facilities for telegraphic notices, would be of great advantage to the commerce of the United Kingdom. My opinion remains unchanged. I do not conceive that the advantage would be less to the United Kingdom because that communication, supposing it goes through Ireland, would be attended with benefit to that country; because I think that we ought to look at Ireland in the same manner as a large landed proprietor would look at a portion of his property, the natural resources of which were not fully developed, and with respect to which any moderate and judicious outlay of capital would amply be repaid by the increased value it would give to his estate in general. Considering, then, that Ireland has hitherto been less rich than Great Britain, and has contributed in proportion less to the revenue of the empire, I think that if it could be shown that any arrangement of this sort, while it tended to give advantage to the commerce of the United Kingdom, was also likely to develope the industry and resources of Ireland, then a double advantage would thereby be effected. That seems to be the ground on which the late Government sanctioned the contract with the Atlantic Steam Company; on which that contract was ratified by Parliament, and afterwards adopted by the present Government. The Company, however, appear unfortunately not to have possessed means adequate to carry on the service which they engaged to perform. The project, indeed, had been taken up by a very large number of people in Ireland, and that, not simply as an advantageous specu- 1892 lation, but as a matter of national importance, inasmuch as it was believed it would tend to develope the industry and commerce of the country. It was, therefore, with great regret that the Government felt compelled to put an end to the contract. But they deemed it to be their duty to do so because—owing, I admit, to an unfortunate concurrence of circumstances wholly beyond their own control, to disasters at sea and other accidents—the Company were unable at the time to fulfil the engagements into which they had entered. A Committee of the House has since been employed in investigating the subject, and they have reported that the Postmaster General was justified in putting an end to the contract under the circumstances which I have mentioned. They, however, concluded their Report by strongly recommending that the claims of the Company to re-employment should receive at the hands of the Government favourable consideration. Well, that being so, and being of opinion that the establishment of postal communication between Ireland and America would be of advantage to the empire at large, I should be very much disposed to adopt the recommendation of the Committee, and to give a favourable consideration to the claims of the Company whenever they may be in a position to show that the capital and shipping at their command afford a reasonable prospect of their being able to fulfil the engagements into which they may enter with the Government. Now, I am asked whether we are prepared at this moment to enter into a fresh contract with the Atlantic Company; and my answer to the question must, I am afraid, be in the negative. This is the last day of the Session, and taking into account all that has passed relative to this contract, its origin, and the course subsequently pursued with respect to it, it is, I think, quite clear that we cannot enter into a similar arrangement with the Atlantic, or any other Company, except subject to the subsequent sanction of Parliament. Well, Parliament is about to separate, and will not, I hope, meet again until the beginning of next year, and it would, therefore, it appears to me, be somewhat unseemly now to enter into an engagement which, while it would be necessary that it should be submitted to the consideration of Parliament, could not be so submitted until after the lapse of several months. All I can say is that, if when the proper time comes, the Company should be in a condition to 1893 show us that they hare the requisite amount of capital and machinery for performing the service across the Atlantic, and should apply for the renewal of the contract, we should look favourably on the application, and should be prepared to take it into our serious consideration with the view of submitting to Parliament any proposition founded upon it which we might deem it expedient to make. I on a former occasion stated that, while I was of opinion the establishment of such a communication as that of which I am speaking was desirable, I thought any future arrangements to effect that object should be the subject of open competition. That opinion has, however, I am bound to say, been a good deal modified by the Report of the Committee, and by what has taken place generally in reference to this matter; because, although unquestionably to resort to open competition in the ease of an entirely new contract with this or any other Company would, it seems to me, be the proper mode of proceeding, yet there is much to be said in favour of the adoption of a different course in a case bearing on the interests of a vast number of persons of various classes who have invested their small savings in an enterprise which has been sanctioned by two Governments and by a Resolution of the House of Commons. Strong reasons, at all events, might be advanced for giving a Company so situated the first offer on such terms as might be deemed sufficiently advantageous. Now, assuming that when the proper time arrives arrangements should be made between the Government and this Company, then comes the question raised by my noble Friend the Member for Marylebone (Lord Fermoy) as to the port of departure on which it would be desirable to fix. That, no doubt, is a point which is deserving of consideration; but whether Gal way, which in a geographical point of view appears to be the most central and proper port for the purpose, or Cork, or Foynes, which possess advantages of their own, ought to be selected, is, after all, simply a question of practical detail, on which when the time to come to a decision on the matter arrives due weight will, I can assure my noble Friend, be given by the Government to the various circumstances which may recommend the selection of one port rather than another.
COLONEL FBENCH, not deeming the answer of the noble Lord quite satisfactory, said, he should next Session take an 1894 opportunity of asking the opinion of the House as to whether the conduct of the Postmaster General in putting an end to the contract was justifiable or not.