CAPTAIN TALBOTsaid, he wished to observe, in explanation of the question of which he had given notice on the paper respecting Sir Baldwin Walker, that Lisbon was within four hours' telegraphing distance from London, that at that moment there were several men-of-war, some of them very fast vessels, lying idle in the Tagus, that Madeira was within easy reach from Lisbon, the passage required being 1797 easily performed by a fast vessel within seventy hours, that vessels going to the Cape of Good Hope were in the habit of almost invariably touching at Madeira on their way out, and that, as Sir Baldwin Walker was reported by Her Majesty's ship Penguin to be off the Eddystone that day (Tuesday) week, he believed that if the Admiralty had not already acted on this suggestion there would be even now every probability, owing to the blowing and boisterous weather that we had experienced, and to anxiety to save fuel at the beginning of such a long voyage, that Sir Baldwin Walker would be intercepted. He, therefore, wished to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty, in reference to the search for Sir Baldwin Walker, Whether the Admiralty have telegraphed, or intend to telegraph to our Minister at Lisbon to send a fast ship from the Tagus to Madeira, in order to intercept the Narcissus when she calls there?
§ LORD CLARENCE PAGETsaid, in answer to the question of the hon. and gallant Member, he had to state that the Admiralty had not telegraphed, nor did they intend to telegraph to our Minister at Lisbon to send a fast ship from Lisbon to Madeira to intercept the Narcissus, because they had no reason to believe the Narcissus would touch at Madeira.