§ MR. BIGGAR (Cavan, W.)asked the Postmaster General, Whether he is aware that postal surveyors and their assistants in the different postal districts in Ireland are in the habit of notifying to the Postmasters of some of the principal Head Offices in their districts the date upon which they will make a survey of the offices of these Postmasters;whether the survey of an office includes a check of the various accounts, as also of the stock of stamps and money held in reserve;whether a notification of this kind is in accordance with surveyors' duties;and, whether it might enable Postmasters, who may happen to be defaulters in their accounts, to make good the amount from other sources preparatory to the survey of their offices taking place?
§ THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (Mr. RAIKES) (Cambridge University)I am assured by the surveyors that they and their assistants are not in the habit of notifying to any Postmaster the date upon which a survey will be commenced;but secrecy on the point has not been observed, unless there has been in any particular case a special object in doing so. The accounts of Post Offices are 375 checked at certain times, independently of surveys, and the check at a survey is made in connection with the general scrutiny which is then effected into the whole system of keeping the accounts, and is not merely directed to the testing of the balances.