§ MR. VANCEsaid, he would beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether it is the intention of Government, in carrying out the provisions of the Post Office Savings Banks Bill, to keep the accounts of the Irish and Scotch depositors in the principal offices of Dublin and Edinburgh respectively, or to transfer them to London. He would remind the House that we had once a separate legislature sitting in Dublin, and that establishments formerly existing there, such as the Board of Customs, the Treasury Board, and many others, had, since the Union gradually been transferred to London; and from communications which he had received from his constituents he had been led to believe that it had even been in contemplation that the Accountant General's office would also be transferred to London. While the Bill was passing through the House he asked the right hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the savings banks accounts in Ireland and Scotland would be kept in Dublin and Edinburgh, in the same manner as the Money Order Office. The right hon. Gentleman said they would, but it appeared that he was about to "keep the word of promise to the ear and break it to the hope," for it had been stated in "another place" that the accounts of the depositors were to be kept in London. But for that 1529 understanding he should have moved Amendments in the Bill while it was before the House, and he was very sorry to hear that the right hon. Gentleman did not intend to abide by it. He hoped that he would reconsider the matter, for the proposed concentration would create the greatest dissatisfaction both in Dublin and Edinburgh.
MR. PEELsaid, that the Savings Banks Bill provided that the Postmaster General, with the consent of the Treasury, should make all the necessary arrangements, and as the Bill had not yet passed into law the hon. Gentleman's question was rather premature. But so far as he understood the proposition of the hon. Member, it would be one which, if adopted, would be attended with considerable inconvenience, and would prevent the efficient and economical carrying out of the proposed scheme. One of the principal objects of the Bill was to enable a depositor to receive back his deposit wherever he might happen to be. Suppose a person in Ireland wished to receive back a deposit be bad made in Manchester, he had only to write to the Postmaster General, and he would receive it back. But it separate accounts were kept in Ireland, England, and Scotland, this main object of the scheme would be defeated, because, before the Postmaster General could sanction the return of a deposit, he would have to carry on a correspondence with the authorities in the different countries, which would cause considerable delay, and it would complicate the accounts of the deposits if separate accounts had to be kept for each of the three countries. He did not see in what way the Bill affected the position of the Post Office in Dublin. That office, indeed, would have important duties to perform in connection with the Bill, as the channel of communication for the depositors between the Postmaster General and his officers in the country.
COLONEL DUNNEsaid his hon. Friend (Mr. Vance) had brought forward the subject on the ground that Dublin would be more convenient to the Irish people than London for their transactions under this Bill. He differed from the right hon. Gentleman, as he was of opinion that that was just the proper time to press the matter upon the attention of the Government, for when the Bill passed into law it would be too late. It was quite clear from the right hon. Gentleman's remarks that the Chancellor of the Exchequer did not intend to abide by his implied promise in 1530 this matter. The more they attempted to denationalize Ireland the more they would increase the desire in Ireland to be separated from this country,