§ MR. EWART (Belfast, N.)asked the Postmaster General, Whether, in May 1884, representations were made to the Postmaster General by the four great Railway Companies in Ireland and the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company, who were supporting a Bill then before Parliament called the "Loop Line" Scheme, for connecting the several 771 Railways in Dublin, to the effect that they had agreed upon that scheme as a practical mode of carrying out what they had long in their minds; that it has always been a desideratum to get direct Railway communication between the different systems of Railways in Dublin, and that the only connection that is believed to be wanted now is one between the Dublin, Wicklow, and Wexford Railway and the other Railways; that the Directors have agreed to recommend it to the shareholders, and the Directors have agreed to this Bill; and that that may be taken as an indication of the cordiality which exists among the four Companies, and as a guarantee that if this scheme is sanctioned it will be worked thoroughly well in the public good; whether, at the request of the said Company, who attended as a deputation on the Postmaster General to secure his support to the Bill, Mr. Fawcett directed Mr. Allen, Inspector of Mails in Ireland, to give evidence in favour of the Bill, and to state his, Mr. Fawcett's, opinion to the Committee of the House of Commons, that the Line, if authorized by Parliament, would give very important facilities; whether Mr. Allen gave evidence that the saving of time would be very considerable, from an hour and a-half to an hour and 40 minutes, and that the saving of expense to the Government would be great if the Loop Line were made; whether any intimation has been received from the Companies; and, if any, whether before or after the execution of the existing contracts with the Company, that they had declined to carry out the Line; and, whether any steps have been taken by the parties towards making the Line; and, if not, whether the Government will urge the parties to carry out their engagements, and will include the said engagement in the contract now pending for the carriage of the American Mails?
§ THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (Mr. RAIKES) (Cambridge University)A deputation from the Companies in question had an interview with the Postmaster General, the late Mr. Fawcett, on the date mentioned; but there is no record kept at the Post Office of any statements made at the time by the deputation. As stated by my hon. Friend, the Postmaster General deputed Mr. Allen to attend before the Com- 772 mittee of the House of Commons, and a report of his evidence may be found in the shorthand writer's notes. No intimation from the Companies in respect to the execution of the loop-line was received before the mail contracts of recent date were concluded. I understand that no steps have yet been taken towards making the line. The Government are not at this moment in a position to give any such pledge as that implied in the concluding paragraph of the hon. Member's Question; but I may say that the non-performance of their undertaking by the Companies has operated very strongly to counterbalance the advantages of the Queenstown mail line, and if this loop is not constructed without delay must tend to prejudice that line, whenever future contracts are under consideration.