§ SIR GEORGE JENKINSONasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether, having regard to the rapidly growing importance of the Central Asian question, and the advance of Russia towards India, as also the essential value to this Country of an alternative route to India, 1810 demonstrated by the evidence taken two years ago by a Select Committee of this House on the Euphrates Line of Railway, presided over by the present Chancellor of the Exchequer, who drew up the Report, Her Majesty's Government contemplate taking any steps towards carrying out the recommendations of that Select Committee?
§ MR. DISRAELISir, I should be very glad to see a line, joining the two seas, referred to by my hon. Friend; but I hesitate—and probably shall continue to hesitate—to guarantee a great expenditure for that purpose—certainly not less than £10,000,000—in a foreign country; especially, so far as I can judge from the evidence taken before the Select Committee, as the line could never pay. In summer neither troops nor passengers can be moved, and they appear to be the only traffic that would probably be conveyed.
§ SIR GEORGE JENKINSONgave Notice that, at the earliest opportunity, he would call attention to the subject, and move a Resolution.