§ MAJOR ANSTRUTHER-GRAYI beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, seeing that the ship that sailed recently from Capetown for Tristan D'Acunha left without the mails from England, he will make arrangements for a mail at stated times to be made up via Capetown: and whether he can state when the said ship is expected to return.
§ COLONEL SEELYIt is not possible to arrange for the despatch of a mail at stated times without incurring considerable expense which would not be justified. I cannot say when the ship which recently sailed will return. I must remind the hon. and gallant Member that the population is very small, in fact in 1901 it only numbered seventy-four.
§ MAJOR ANSTRUTHER-GRAYasked whether it was not a fact that the vessel left Capetown on 29th February, and that inquiry was made in January with regard to this ship, and that information was not received in time for the despatch of the mails from this country. Would it not be possible to prevent the recurrence of such an event?
§ COLONEL SEELYWe will do our best in the matter; but it is very difficult to arrange it.