§ SIR JAMES ELPHINSTONE, in rising to call attention to the necessity for opening the Paumben Channel, and thereby facilitate the trade from Europe to the ports situated in the Bay of Bengal, said, that recent surveys had shown that the proposed scheme was quite practicable, and not only that, but the importance of doing the work was increased by the fact that during the present year ships were passing through the Suez Canal, many of them bound for the Bay of Bengal, at the rate of 100 per month, and that the opening of the Paumben Channel would save such vessels on the voyage out and in a distance of no less than 720 miles. Two reports had been made on the subject, one recommending the cutting of a new Channel and the other that the existing Channel should be cleared. He himself thought the first-named plan would be the best; but, in order that some steps might be taken as soon as possible, he wished to have the reports and accompanying plans and estimates laid on the Table of the House. Without further detaining the attention of the House, he hoped the Government would devote their earnest attention to that urgent question, and would not object to produce the Papers he asked for.
§ MR. KNATCHBULL-HUGESSENsaid, that the course taken by his hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Portsmouth (Sir James Elphinstone) of not entering upon the merits of the rival schemes bearing upon the opening of the Channel reduced his (Mr. Knatchbull-Hugessen's) task to one of a very slight character. He would have great pleasure in producing the report, as well as any other Papers which could throw light upon the subject. The real difficulty was not any doubt as to the desirability of opening the Channel; but the great question was, who was to do it? because there were three parties involved—the Imperial Government, and the Governments of India and Ceylon. The engineer, Mr. Townsend, who went out to Ceylon, had reported in favour of the desirability of opening the Channel; but with regard to the specific proposal of his hon. and gallant Friend, of which he had last year estimated the expense at £91,000, Mr. Townsend was of opinion that such estimate did not represent the tenth part of 562 the sum which the proposal would require. He advocated another plan in preference, and thereupon ensued a considerable debate in the Legislative Council of Ceylon, and they came to the conclusion that the great work to which the resources of the colony ought, in the first place, to be applied, was the formation of a harbour at Colombo. As far as that colony was concerned, that was a most important and pressing question. Then as to the Indian Government, there were considerations in regard to lighthouses and the completion of soundings in the gulf which involved expense, and they must leave to that Government to decide when that particular expense should be incurred by them. So far as he could understand the question, he thought it was desirable that the work should be accomplished in some form or other, and his hon. and gallant Friend had done good service in directing public attention to the subject.