§ MR. WEIRI beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, having regard to the fact that the Treasury declined to aid the railway extension from Garve to Ullapool in consequence of the Report of the Treasury Commission being unfavourable as to the navigability of Loch Broom, and that, inasmuch as their Report is considered by many well-known persons possessing thorough knowledge of the loch to be inaccurate and misleading, the Treasury will authorise another Report to be made?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Sir W. HARCOURT,) DerbyThe matter has been considered and reported on by a Commission in 1890, and also by a Committee in 1891. Those who reported were very competent persons. Both Reports were unfavourable to this line, and the Government see no occasion for appointing a third tribunal.
§ MB. W. WHITELAW (Perth)Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the members of the Committee which condemned Loch Brown as unnavigable never went near either Ullapool or Loch Broom in order to take evidence from those accustomed to navigate the loch, which large steam and sailing vessels do navigate by day and by night with perfect case?
§ SIR W. HARCOURTI have myself navigated Loch Broom, and can speak personally of the loch, but I believe the Report was founded on a very careful examination of the matter by a Commission.
§ MR. WHITELAWI shall raise the question on the Estimates.