§ MR. STEWART MACLIVERasked the Postmaster General, Whether it is true that, whenever the Mails from Australia and Queensland, brought respectively by the Orient and British India line of steamers, arrive at Plymouth in the day time, they are forwarded to London unsorted; that, whenever these Mails arrive during the night, they are detained at Plymouth until the 8.35 train in the morning, thus causing very considerable delay in their delivery in Ireland and the West and North of England; and, whether he will place these important Mails on a like footing to the other Colonial and Foreign Mails arriving at the same port, by despatching them in special trains when they arrive at night, and sorting them between Plymouth and Bristol?
§ MR. FAWCETTLetters which arrive at Plymouth by the lines referred to in the Question of my hon. Friend are, if time permits, sorted at Plymouth, and, if not, sent to London unsorted by the ordinary trains. If a special train with sorting carriages were employed, as sug- 874 gested, considerable expense would be incurred; and I do not think this would be justified in view of the fact that letters which are sent from Australia can, if the writers wish, be despatched when they reach Suez by quick route,viâ Brindisi, and arrive in England at least a week sooner than if they are sent by the long sea route by way of Gibraltar and Plymouth.