§ THE DUKE OF SUTHERLANDasked Her Majesty's Government, How it is proposed to convey the mails beyond Inverness, the Post Office having given notice that after the 31st of May the mail trains north of that town would not be required?
§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEsaid, the mails would be conveyed as parcels by such passenger trains as were available for their conveyance—the plan of subsidizing the railway having proved too unremunerative to admit of continuance. If any inconvenience arose, the Post Office would be prepared to put a train on on Sundays.
§ THE DUKE OF RICHMONDpointed out the risk which would be incurred if the mails were sent as parcels by passenger train, since valuable documents were now transmitted by post. He believed the real cause of the change was the dissatisfaction which the Highland Railway Company felt at being only paid 1s. 1d. per mile for the trains that were placed at the disposal of the Post Office and their efforts to get that sum increased. He urged that the matter should be referred to arbitration, and hoped the Post Office would make some other arrangement than that which the noble Marquess had proposed; because to go back to the old system of coaches would be a retrograde movement.
§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEsaid, he regretted that any part of the United Kingdom should suffer from want of postal communication; but he wished to explain that there was no falling back to the old system in the arrangements which had been made. Instead of the Post Office paying a sum to the company for the right of making mail trains run at particular hours, the mails would be sent forward by passenger trains as parcels. This was a system in practice in many parts of the country, and there could be no difficulty in securing the safety of the mails, for which the Post Office officials would be responsible.
§ House adjourned at Eight o'clock, to Monday next, Eleven o'clock.