§ DR. LUSHsaid, he would beg to ask the Postmaster General, Whether he is aware that, although there is a direct line of Railroad from London to Exeter passing through the boroughs of Andover, Salisbury, Wilton, and Shaftesbury, the night postal service of the districts of which those places are the centres is carried on by the system of Mail Carts, the distance, in one of the cases, being forty miles; and if he will direct his attention to the subject so as, at least, to modify the present plan, and bring it into accordance with modern usage in other districts of similar importance?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONsaid, in reply, that Notice of the Question of the hon. Member had been given so recently he had not been able to institute any very full inquiry into the subject. He was quite aware that there was a railway between the towns mentioned which was not used for postal purposes; but he did not believe any material benefit would result from the establishment of direct night mail trains, as the hon. Member suggested. Such trains would not be available for the advantage of Bristol, Bath, or Gloucester, on the one side, or of Southampton, Dorchester, and Weymouth on the other. A special night mail service on the line would also be very costly.