Mr. Wallacerose to move for the appointment of a Select Committee to inquire into the causes of the irregularities and delays which have taken place in the transmission of the mails by the railway from Birmingham to Liverpool. It was perfectly well known what great regularity existed under the old mail-coach system in the transmission of the mails, but some irregularities had crept into the new system, the causes of which he was anxious to have investigated by a Committee of the House. Instead of arguing the question he would state a few facts. The first railway which had been used on a large scale for the transmission of the mails was that between Birmingham and Liverpool. At first the mails arrived very nearly within their time, but since then they had been gradually losing more and more time, until at length there was a difference of two hours between the time they ought to arrive and the time they really arrived. This had been the cause of great inconvenience, and in Scotland particularly, in consequence of this irregularity, a day was lost in the return of the post. He did not throw blame on any one; he did not know on whom the blame, if there was any, rested. He had merely stated facts which he was prepared to prove before the Committee, if it were granted. Under these circumstances he would content himself with moving for the Committee in the terms of his notice.
Mr. F. Baringsaid, he doubted whether the subject embraced by the motion of the hon. Member was of sufficient importance to deserve investigation at the hands of the House. The House must recollect that in the commencement of so great an undertaking they must naturally expect some accidents; and he thought that it was scarcely worth the attention of the House, under the circumstances, either to pass censure upon, or to take means to ascertain, the causes of these accidents. One subject connected with the conveyance of the mails by railroads was under the con- 125 sideration of the Government, and because in his opinion, a very serious question, and one which ought to be brought before a Committee of that House for the purpose of taking their opinion upon it. The House would observe that the moment the mails were conveyed by the railways, from that moment they put down the mail-coaches, and they would be left in this situation, that the proprietors of the railways would have an entire monopoly of the road. There would be no possible means of any thing like competition, and of thereby meeting the demands which they might choose to make. He did not wish to make any invidious observations, nor was he connecting this subject with the railway in question; but cases might occur, and must occur before long, of the nature he had stated, and he thought it was a fair subject for the consideration of the Committee of that House, to inquire what means should be taken and what power given to the Government for the purpose of procuring for the public the use of those railroads which by act of Parliament were allowed to be constructed. With this view he would, on a future occasion, propose the appointment of a Committee on this subject, if the hon. Member for Greenock would have no objection to withdraw his present motion.
§ Motion withdrawn.