§ MR. PLUNKET (for the Marquess of HAMILTON)asked the Postmaster General, Whether a memorial signed by 250 Sub-Postmasters in Ireland, asking for an increase in the scale of their pay and allowances, has been received by him; whether he will have any objection to lay a Copy of same, and of the answer thereto, if any, upon the Table of the 1333 House; and, whether it is the intention of the Postmaster General to refer the case of the Sub-Postmasters of Ireland to the Departmental Commission which is about to inquire as to other branches of the Irish Civil Service?
§ MR. MONSELL, in reply, said, he had received the memorial to which his hon. and learned Friend referred, and in answer to that Question he had to state that there would be no objection to lay the memorial before the House with his reply to it. In answer to the third Question, he had to state that it was not intended to refer the case of the sub-postmasters of Ireland to the Departmental Commission to which he referred, because the sub-postmasters were appointed exactly in the same way as the sub-postmasters in England and Scotland. There were no fewer than 11,000 sub-postmasters in the United Kingdom, and as there was no difficulty in finding suitable persons who eagerly asked to be appointed, any increase of pay would involve a large additional expenditure, without any corresponding advantage to the public.