§ MR. BAILLIEsaid, he wished to ask a Question of the right hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer. It was Whether it was really proved that the Telegraph Company had been in complete operation during a period of one month? Certainly he did not remember that any communication with India had been carried on for a month by means of their telegraph.
THE CHANCELLOR, OF THE EXCHEQUERreplied that in the statement which he had made a few nights before he had rather avoided attempting to make any precise statement on the part of the case which formed the subject of the hon. Gentleman's question, because it might involve matters of much nicety, on which the opinion of the law officers would have to be considered, and he thought that matters of this kind would be better examined by the Select Committee to whom the Bill was to be referred. What he apprehended to have been the case was this, that each of the six sections into which the line was divided had been in operation for the minimum term, but that the entire line had not been in operation for that term.
§
Resolution reported—
That the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury be authorised to Guarantee to the Red Sea and Indian Telegraphic Company a minimum dividend of four and a half per cent per annum upon a certain amount of capital, bonâ fide called upon for the purpose of the said Company's undertaking.
§ Resolution agreed to; Bill ordered to be brought in by Mr. MASSEY, Mr. CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, and Mr. PEEL.
§ Bill "for Amending the Red Sea and India Telegraph Act, 1859," presented and read 1°.