§ MR. TOTTENHAMasked the Postmaster General, Whether he can now state when the contract for the Irish Mail Service, and Papers in connection therewith, would be laid upon the Table; if the figure, £76,000, for which it has been stated the London and North Western Railway Company have proposed to do the whole service, is inclusive of the sum of £30,000 now paid to the Chester and Holy-head Company, or its representatives; and, if not so included, whether this sum, or any part thereof, will continue to be paid to the representatives of the Chester and Holy-head Company, or to the London and North Western Company, in addition to the £76,000?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. CHILDERS)Sir, in the unavoidable absence of my right hon. Friend the Postmaster General, I have to say, in reply to the hon. Member, that the draft contract is still with the solicitors to the London and North-Western Company, as I stated a few days ago. As soon as the details are finally settled, and the contract sealed, it will, in accordance with the rule, be laid with other Papers on the Table. The £30,000 referred to, as being now paid to the London and North-Western Company, as representatives of the Chester and Holy head Company, is not included in the £76,000 referred to by the hon. Member. The £30,000 will continue to be paid to the London and North-Western Company, as it would have been whether the tender of 1113 the City of Dublin Company, or that of the North-Western Company for the sea service, had been accepted.
§ MR. TOTTENHAMThen the contract will amount to £106,000, instead of £76,000?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. CHILDERS)That is a technical Question, which I could not well answer until the Papers are laid on the Table.