§ THE DUKE OF NEWCASTLEbegged to put a question to his noble Friend the President of the Council. When he (the Duke of Newcastle) had the honour of holding the office of Secretary for the Colonies, in 1853, an expedition was organized for exploring Central Australia, through the interior and up the Victoria River to the Gulf of Carpentaria; and he selected for the head of the expedition Mr. Gregory, a gentleman then living in Australia, who had taken part in previous exploring expeditions, and whose experience eminently qualified him for the position. He had heard that Mr. Gregory and his party had returned, and, with the exception of what related to a portion of the interior of Central Australia, the result of the expedition had been highly successful. The subject was one of great public interest, and the question he wished to ask of his noble Friend was, whether the Government had received any Report from Mr. Gregory, and if so, whether they would lay it on the table of the House? or, if there was an objection to that, whether measures would be taken to lay the result of the expedition before the public?
§ EARL GRANVILLEsaid, that it would be satisfactory to his noble Friend to know that he had made a most judicious choice when he selected Mr. Gregory for the head of the expedition. A Report had been received from the Colonial Government, in which it was stated that all the persons who went in that expedition attributed it to Mr. Gregory's skill and prudence that they had been brought back safely. It was stated that a great part of the interior was unfortunately found to be very sterile, but a great deal of fertile land had beer found in the neighbourhood of the Gulf of Carpentaria, and the result of the expedition, in that respect, was successful, He agreed with his noble Friend that the subject was one upon which the public was entitled to every information which could 200 be afforded, and there was no objection on the part of the Government to furnish all the information they possessed.