§ COLONEL MUREasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether he can give the House any information as to the prospect of telegraphic communication between this Country and the Cape of Good Hope?
§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACHLast Session, in reply to a Question from the hon. and gallant Member, I informed the House that in view of the great necessity of establishing telegraphic communication between this country and South Africa, and the improbability that it would be established by private enterprise within any reasonable time, Her Majesty's Government would be prepared to co-operate with the several Colonies interested in carrying it into effect, and that I had been authorized to inform the Colonial Governments of that decision, and obtain their 530 views. This was accordingly done; and from replies since received, I understand that the Cape Parliament and the Councils of Natal and Mauritius are prepared to guarantee annual subsidies, on certain conditions, for this purpose. These replies are now being carefully considered; but I fear I cannot yet state that it has been found possible to base any definite arrangements upon them. The undertaking is a great and costly one, and some time may yet elapse before all financial and other details can be settled; but I can assure the House that we are fully sensible of the desirability of the early completion of a work which recent circumstances have shown to be so much required.