§ MR. TORRENSsaid, he wished to auk the President of the Board of Trade, When it is probable that the works at Portpatrick Harbour, now being carried out under direction of the Government, will be completed; and, in the event of much further delay occurring in the completion of the works, whether the Government will take into consideration the propriety of having the Mails conveyed to and from the North of Ireland viâ Stranraer and Larne?
§ MR. MILNER GIBSON, in reply, said, the works at Portpatrick Harbour were in progress, but from what he had heard it was not probable that they would be completed during the present year. The entrance to the floating dock would be ready in about six weeks, and a large portion of the channel would be deepened in the course of three or four months. With regard to the second question of the hon. Member, he had to state that the proposal for a temporary mail service between Stranraer and Larne, during the construction of the works at Portpatrick, had been considered, but it had not been thought advisable by the authorities to adopt that arrangement.