§ LORD COLCHESTER, pursuant to notice, rose to move for returns relating to the steam vessels belonging to the various parties who have entered into contracts for the conveyance of mails, in order to show 284 their capacity for carrying guns and being employed as vessels of war, His object in moving for these returns was to obtain information, showing how far these vessels could be made available for the public service in case of war. The United States could at any moment obtain the services of vessels of this kind in case of war, and he wished to know whether we were in the same position. It was stipulated that these vessels should be built of sufficient strength to carry guns. There were sixty-three of them of 100-horse power and upwards, and he wished to know whether they could be made available? He under stood that there would be no objection to these returns; but he wished to have them laid before the House, as, from information which he had received, he believed that some of these vessels were not in a fit state for war if their services should be required.
§ The EARL of AUCKLANDsaid, that there could be no possible objection to the production of these returns. He could assure the noble Lord that the Admiralty had not been negligent in this respect; for a report on these vessels had been made to the Board of Admiralty at the end of the year 1846. He believed that these contract vessels would be ready to be placed at the disposal of the Government in the event of a war.
§ The EARL of ELLENBOROUGHsaid, he wished to know whether the stipulations which had been made with these steam-packet companies had been carried out? It should be remembered that, in consequence of those stipulations, the Government and the East India Company paid 500,000l. a year to these companies, for the purpose of rendering the carriage of letters and passengers cheaper.
§ Returns ordered.