MR. E. FOWLERsaid, he wished to ask the Postmaster General, Whether the steamship "Tasmania," carrying the West India Mails, which passed Falmouth on Monday, March 15, before three o'clock, in time for the Mails to be 575 landed and sent to London by the regular Mail, arrived at Plymouth so late that the letters had to be sent by special train; and, whether the weather was not most favourable for her to accomplish the distance in the shortest possible time?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONin reply, said, that the mails arrived in time to be sent on by the ordinary train; but in consequence of some delay in the landing they had to be sent a considerable part of the distance by special train. Inquiries had been made on the subject, and he believed arrangements had been made by which, when mails arrived near the time of the departure of the ordinary train, they would be landed immediately, so that no such occurrence should again take place. He believed the weather had been most favourable, and that the Tasmania had accomplished the distance in the shortest possible time.