LORD MUSKERRYMy Lords, I beg to ask His Majesty's Government whether it is a fact that the Hamburg-American Company have placed, or intend placing, 1456 river steamers on the Nile to run in competition with lines owned by British subjects and subjects of the Egyptian Government; and to ask for information on the subject.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (The Marquess of LANSDOWNE)My Lords, I am sorry I was not here last night to reply to the noble Lord's Question. The Answer I have to give him now is that the fact, if it be a fact, to which he refers has not been reported to us by our representatives in Egypt; but as soon as I saw the notice on the Paper I caused inquiries to be made.