§ SIR WILLIAM WEDDERBURNI beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether, when the Government of 1343 India became entitled some years ago to purchase the Great Indian Peninsular Railway, the Bombay and Baroda Railway, and other railways in the West of India, they waived that right for a period of years; and, if so, what is the yearly loss now to the revenues of India due to such waiver; what consideration did the railway companies give for the concession, and what gain is now accruing to the revenues of India from the consideration given by the railway companies; and whether he will lay the whole Correspondence upon the Table of the House?
§ *MR. HENRY FOWLERIn 1870 the Secretary of State relinquished his right to purchase on the first opportunity and modified the contracts of the Companies in the circumstances described in paragraph 8 of the Railway Report for 1869–70 by the Government Director of Indian Railway Companies. I cannot say what has been the pecuniary advantage or disadvantage of the modifications of the Contracts, as I do not know what would have been the price at which the railways could have been purchased by Government under the terms of the original Contracts. Correspondence on the subject was presented to the House in 1874.