MR. SERJEANT DEASYsaid, that although the answer to the question of which 1171 he had given notice had to some extent been anticipated by what occurred in the House of Lords last night, he would nevertheless ask the Secretary of the Treasury whether any definite arrangement has been made for securing to the public the benefit of improved communication between London and Dublin; and if not, whether there is any immediate prospect of any such arrangement being concluded?
§ MR. G. A. HAMILTONsaid that, in consequence of the circumstances to which his hon. and learned Friend had referred, he should state in as few words as possible what was the present position of this most important subject. The House was not aware that, for a considerable time past, the question of improved postal and general communication between London and Ireland had engaged a large share of public attention and interest, and that several Committees of that House had sat and inquired into the subject; but in order to effect this desirable result, the co-operation of three companies was rendered necessary, namely, the London and North Western Railway Company, the Chester and Holy-head Railway Company, and the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company, which latter company had an unexpired contract for the conveyance of the mails between Holyhead and Kingstown. In the year 1855 an Act was passed, authorising the arrangements then proposed. That Act recited that it would greatly facilitate the postal service and the convenient transmission of passengers if those three companies were enabled to provide larger and more powerful steamers, and powers were given for that purpose, and clauses introduced for the protection of the public. After considerable negotiations, in the course of last year an arrangement was made between Her Majesty's Government and the three companies by which this important object was likely to he accomplished, and in the month of February last the draft of a contract for carrying out the arrangement was prepared by the Post Office and forwarded to the three companies. There being three parties concerned, and the draft of the contract being necessarily very long, inasmuch, as it had to be framed with reference to several Acts of Parliament, time was requisite in order that the companies should have sufficient opportunity of considering the details of the contract. The contract had not, therefore, as yet been received by the Post Office from the companies; but he had every reason to 1172 believe that it had passed the boards of the several companies, and that not many days would elapse before the draft, with the observations of the different parties thereon, would be returned. He was not at present aware that there was any serious difficulty in the way of accomplishing the object in view. It was true that there was a Bill before that House, the passing of which Would no doubt facilitate the amalgamation or arrangement between the London and North Western Company and the Chester and Holyhead Company; but the passing of that Bill was not absolutely essential to the accomplishment of the object; and he had every reason to believe that in a very short time decided steps would be taken for the purpose. In the meantime, he ought, perhaps, to state that the largo vessels required were actually in course of construction. Another point which had been referred to by an hon. Gentleman a few evenings ago, was the state of the pier at Kingstown. By the existing law that pier was under the control of the Board of Works in Ireland. He was aware of the inconvenience to which parties were subjected, and he would communicate with the Board and see if some temporary arrangement could not be made by which that grievance might in some degree be remedied.