§ MR. ESSLEMONT (Aberdeen, E.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for India why, in the last two years' Indian Railway Reports, no mention has been made of the Assam-Chittagong project which was under negotiation, although other projects are described or spoken of, and the provisional route for the Assam line is duly marked on the map accompanying these Reports; if, as is understood, a concession has now been granted by the Secretary of State for this Assam Railway, can a statement of the terms on which the grant is made be laid upon the Table; and as it is said that a 3 per cent. guarantee is to be given on one and a-half millions of the capital, from what sources is the four and a-half millions, required to make up the estimate of six millions, to be supplied?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Sir J. GORST, Chatham)The reason why no mention was made of the Assam-Chittagong Railway project in the Reports referred to is that there was nothing fresh to report. Negotiations are now going on for the construction of the line, but nothing has been yet finally settled.