§ LORD LAMINGTONasked Her Majesty's Government, Whether any official information had been received of a concession having been granted to a Russian Company to make a railway from the Caspian Sea to the Persian Gulf? The noble Lord said, that if a concession had been granted, he must point out what a very important matter it was, not so much as regarded the safety of India, 593 but as regarded the right to make a railway down to the head of the Persian Gulf. There had been a question in reference to making the Euphrates Valley Railway, and as to the British Government advancing £8,000,000 of money for the purpose of widening the Suez Canal; and he wished to point out that the sum of £8,000,000 would be sufficient to make the whole of the railway which had been begun by an Ottoman Company through that Valley. This was certainly a most important matter; and he would like to know whether the Government had taken into consideration the idea of supporting the Euphrates Valley Railway?
THE EARL OF KIMBERLEYsaid, he could not answer the noble Lord's Question as to the Euphrates Valley Railway; but he could answer that part of the Question of the noble Lord of which he had given Notice, and which had reference to the supposed concession to Russia. Her Majesty's Government had received no information of any such concession having been granted.
§ LORD LAMINGTONsaid, it was scarcely creditable that Her Majesty's Government should have no information on this point. He had also to ask if Her Majesty's Government were not prepared to consider the importance of constructing the Euphrates Valley line?
THE EARL OF KIMBERLEYsaid, that on the hypothesis of something which, so far as the Government knew, did not exist, the Government could not be called upon to say what they would do in some possible contingency which might occur.