§ COLONEL BERESFORDasked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether his attention has been called to a recent number of the "West African Times," in which it is alleged that his statement with regard to the defraying from Imperial Funds of the expenses of the Steamer on the West 1046 African Coast is incorrect, and that the burden is actually borne by Colonial Revenues?
§ MR. KNATCHBULL-HUGESSEN, in reply, said, his attention had been called to the newspaper in question, which was good enough to acquit him of "wilful misrepresentation," but accused him of being "ignorant and ill-informed," and of having been guilty of a "looseness of statement," which was "disgraceful." The facts were these—The Select Committee of 1865 recommended that the West African Settlements should be concentrated under one Governor at Sierra Leone, and that steam communication should be provided. As the whole arrangement was one by which considerable saving to Imperial Funds was effected, it was thought right that the Imperial Exchequer should bear the cost of the provision and maintenance of the steamer. This was accordingly done; and after a steamer had been provided, a sum of £5,000 per annum had been voted for its maintenance, which would be found in Class 5, Vote 3, of the Estimates of the present year. If the cost exceeded £5,000, no doubt the Colony would be charged with the excess; but there was no reason to expect that this would be the case. This was his statement, and it was entirely accurate. It was quite true, as stated by The West African Times, that the sum of £5,000 appeared in the Sierra Leone Estimates of the present year under the head of "Colonial steamer;" so did another item immediately preceding, "Grant for Governor's salary, £3,500;" but these both appeared not under the head of expenditure, but of revenue, not as sums paid from, but received by, the Colonial Exchequer, and the exercise of a little ordinary intelligence would have enabled anyone to perceive that these entries related to the precise sums mentioned in our home Estimates, and received from the Imperial Exchequer in aid of the Colony. He hoped the hon. and gallant Gentleman and the House would be satisfied that the looseness of statement had not been on his (Mr. Knatchbull-Hugessen's) side.