The Express.
London, England, 1860-07-13 00:00:00

THE GALWAY CONTRACT.

Mr. CORRY asked the Secretary to the Treasury whe-
ther the assignment of the Galway contract had been pur-
chased by the Montreal and Ocean Steam Packet Company
if so, ou what terms the purchase badbeen effected, and
what modifications of the conditions of the contract had
been sanctioned by the government.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—In reply
to the right hom gentleman's question he would, in the
first instance, take notice of a question which the hon.
member for Liverpool (Mr. Floridan) had pot upon the
paper, and in doing so It would not ben as the hon.
gentleman would see, to enter into many details on the
subject. It was true that an arrangement was made be-
tween the Montreal and Ocean Steam Packet Company on
thu one side, and the Galway Packet Company on the other,
for the arisi2;unient of the government contract to the
former company ; but that arrangement was of necessity
subject to the consent of the government. An application
was accordingly made two or three days ago
to the government for that consent, the copy of
the assignment being at the same time placed
in their hands. At the same time an intimation was made
to the government that the answer must be immediate, as
the matter would not bear time for consideration. Under
these eh esulletences the government really were precluded
from folly considering the question on its merits, and had
no hesitation therefore in replying, without at all intimating
what would have been the result if full time bad been
given for consideration, that they would not sanction the
assignment. (Hear, hear.)
STEAM COAL.

Mr. RIDLEY uteri the Secretary to the Admiralty
whether any reports had been received of the experimenter
ordered to be made by the Admiralty at Woolwich or other
dockyards, on the mixture of Welsh and north country
Aaiun coal for the use of the Royal Navy, and if so whe-
ther he would lav such reports upon the table of the house.
Lord C. PAGET replied in the affirmative, and added that
the reports would he hid upou the table.
MALT DUTY CREDIT

Mr. HODOKINSON asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer
when he proposed to bring in the bill to shorten the term
of credit for malt duty ; whether he intended to provide
by such hill that a amount on the duty should be allowed,
as on the last occasion of reducing the term of credit ; and
whether be proposed by such hill, or by any other bill, to
modify any of the existWg excise restrictions under add&
the malt trade were no obliged to conduct their business.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER replied that
it was intended to proceed with the proposal long ethos
hrl-
nounced to the hone respecting the shortening the tins() of
credit for the payment of the malt duty ; but as the (Met.
tion doh not greatly press, it bad given way to other more
messing business. The government, however, would en-
eavour to proceed with it on as tarty • day as was come,-
title with the claims of other measures. His hon. frieml
was aware that there was another proposal which would
have been brought forward earlier in the session, but bad
been postponed once or twice in deference to the wishes of
gentlemen who took an interest in the question, viz., for
the remission of the duty that still existed on the import of
foreign malt, and supposing that proposition to be adopted,
it would be the duty of the government to submit a legisla-
tive measure to give effect to it. With regard to the main
point of his hen. Mead's question, he had to state that.
ft was not Intended to propose that there
should be anv discount on the duty. A do-
rmant was allowed lest year on the. ground
that no notice had been given to the parties of the
intention to thorttn the annual credit, but ae full notice
bad been given in the present instance no such proposal
would be made. With reference to the restrictions under
which the malt trade had to conduct its business, what he
believed his hon. friend referral to was , the allowance of
drawback on duty-paid malt. (War, hear) Upon that
point he had to sae that in the event of its beinirdetermined
to autborien the Import of trvign malt, such allowance
would be male,
purpose.alo, clause would be introduced into the
bill fur that