§ MR. CRAWFORDsaid, he would beg to ask the Postmaster General, Whether he has any objection to lay upon the Table Copy of Letters from Mr. John Burns to the Secretary to the Post Office, dated the 9th, 10th, and 12th instant, in regard to the Cunard and Inman Contracts; and, whether any, and, if so, what arrangements have been made by Her Majesty's Government for the conveyance of the British Mails to the United States, in the event of those contracts not being ratified?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONsaid, in reply, that there would be no objection, that he was aware of, to laying on the table the letters which his hon. Friend asked for. As to the latter part of the Question, he had to state that he had not thought it necessary at present to make any arrangements in the case of those contracts not being ratified. In that event there would still be existing the contract with the North German Lloyd's Company, to convey the Mails to America once a week. Other companies had also made offers to carry those mails, but at present it had not been deemed necessary to enter into any arrangements on the subject.
§ MR. SCLATER-BOOTHsaid, he would beg to ask the noble Marquess, in reference to the answer he had just made, Whether it were true, as had been stated in the Debate the other evening, that the Government had given notice to the North German Lloyd's to terminate the Contract they had entered into?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONNo; it was stated the other night that, in a letter addressed to the Post Office, the Treasury suggested that it might be desirable to give such a notice, but I thought that, as the debate was about to come on, it -would not be desirable to give the notice.