§ MR. CAUSTON (Southwark, W.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government have any information as to the contemplated sale of the Delagoa Bay Railway, which Article II. of the Decree of 25th June last, purporting to forfeit the concession, directs to be made by public auction, and whether, in view of the importance of the Railway as a great commercial highway, the Government will take care I hat British interests in respect thereof will be duly protected?
THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Sir J. FEEGUSSON Manchester, N.E.)Her Majesty's Government have laid before Parliament all the information in their possession in connection with the railway. The Papers show the anxiety of the Government to use their utmost efforts to protect British interests connected with it. The Portuguese Government have replied to our remonstrances that they were willing to treat with the representatives of the Portuguese Company with a view to compensation for the seizure of the Railway, and have indicated that the English Company is in a position to influence the selection of those representatives, promising, in case of failure, to refer the point to arbitration; and it is understood that a Director of the English Company has gone to Lisbon with a view to the negotiations mentioned.