§ LORD CLAUD HAMILTONasked the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether the Treasury will be prepared to decide, at a sufficiently early date, which of the tenders for the conveyance of the West Indian Mails (submitted on the 1st December last) they will authorise the Postmaster General to accept, so as to allow the person or Company whose tender may be accepted adequate time to complete arrangements for commencing the service on the 1st January next?
§ MR. COURTNEYSir, the decision upon this question has to be suspended until we learn the views of the West India Colonies, who are, of course, very much interested in the matter, and whose duty it will be to contribute their share 1869 of the cost of the service. But the Government will make every effort to come to a decision as speedily as possible.