§ MR. CARNEGIEasked the Postmaster General, Whether the Post Office authorities have exacted any; and, if so, what penalties from the Railway Companies in the north of Scotland for the frequent unpunctuality of the mail trains during the past year?
§ MR. MONSELLsaid, in reply, that the Post Office authorities had not exacted any such fine, nor did he think it would be possible to do so. He was informed that the principal irregularities were occasioned by delays in the branch lines, or by the extreme severity of the winter weather, which made it necessary, for the safety of the trains, that they should travel at a slower pace, and be stopped more frequently for examination. In ordinary times, the overtime hardly ever amounted to more than half an hour on the journey of about 500 miles, over lines belonging to two or three different railway companies. Delays often were owing to the letters not being ready on the branch lines, in consequence of a press of business. If the Post Office were to insist on exacting the penalties for delay, the railway companies would, of course, insist on not waiting for the branch mails, and serious inconvenience to the public would result.