§ MR. H. B. SAMUELSONasked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether Austria, France, Germany, Italy, and Portugal have granted or promised public money for the purpose of exploring and civilizing certain parts of Africa; and, whether Her Majesty's Government intend to devote any portion of the national resources to the same useful object?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER,in reply, said, that, as far as he understood, Her Majesty's Government had received no official information on this subject to show that either Austria, France, Germany, or Italy had granted or promised public money for the purpose of exploring and civilizing certain parts of Africa; but as regarded Portugal, he understood from Her Majesty's Minister at Lisbon that last year a geographical society had been formed in that country, and had taken in hand the subject of exploration; and, further, that the Portuguese Colonial Minister had asked for a grant to organize an expedition which was to start on an early 'day. An Italian expedition was also to start for the same object; but whether it was fitted out by the Italian Government or not, he was unable to say. Her Majesty's Government had not granted or promised any sum for African exploration, but would always be ready, in other respects, as hitherto, to afford assistance to the exploration and civilization of Africa.