§ MR. CHARLEYasked the Postmaster General, Whether any, and if any what, impediment exists to the payment of the balance of the purchase and compensation moneys which became due from the Government on their taking possession of the undertakings of the various Telegraph Companies, and to settling the amount of the annuities payable to the officers and clerks of those Companies under the provisions of the Telegraph Act, 1868?
§ MR. MONSELL, in reply, said, a certain portion of the purchase money had been retained by the Post Office authorities until all the outstanding questions of account between it and the companies had been settled. The whole sum payable for compensation in the case of the British and Irish Magnetic amounted to £1,243,000, and out of that a sum of £29,000 had been retained. There was paid £562,000 to the United Kingdom Telegraph Company, out of which £20,000 had been retained. With regard to pensions to discharged officers of the companies, several questions had arisen which it had been found necessary to refer to the Law Officers of the Crown, and as soon as their opinions had been obtained the cases of those persons which stood over for the present would be considered, but in the meantime payment would be made on account; 171 claims had been made for pensions and 147 had had payments made to them.