§ MR. STANLEY LEIGHTON (Shropshire, Oswestry)I beg to ask the Post- 1767 master General whether, in view of the Report of the High Commissioner of Cyprus (p. 41, Rap. 1887–8, published 1889), that,
A marked feature in the import trade has been the decline in the value of imports from Great Britain since the discontinuance of the weekly mail service from Alexandria,he will take into his favourable consideration the expediency of re-establishing direct postal communication between Great Britain and Cyprus in British Ships?
§ THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (Mr. RAIKES, University of Cambridge)I can assure my hon. Friend that proposals to re-establish a British Packet Service between this country and Cyprus have more than once occupied my attention, and I recognise the importance of the consideration to which he refers as bearing upon the question. But the matter is one in which my Department is not free to act alone, and has to be decided by Her Majesty's Government as a whole.
§ MR. STANLEY LEIGHTONI beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can state the total amount of money transmitted from Cyprus to England under the head of "Tribute to the Porte" from the year 1879–80 to the present time; the amount transmitted by the British Treasurer to France during the same period; and the amount reserved for a sinking fund on the Turkish loan guaranteed by Great Britain and France?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. GOSCHEN, St. George's, Hanover Square)The total amount transmitted from Cyprus to England during the 11 years in question as "tribute to the Porte" is £959,361 14s.9d. The amount transmitted to France in repayment of interest on the Imperial OttomanGuaranteedloanis£30,501 1s. 3d. The amount at present standing to the credit of the Cyprus tribute account is £55,828 4s. 7d.
§ MR. S. LEIGHTONDo I understand my right hon. Friend to say that the sum of only £30,500 has been transmitted to France?
§ MR. GOSCHENI am sorry to astonish my hon. Friend; but so it is.