§ MR. WATT (Glasgow, Camlachie)asked the Postmaster General, Whether, since the recent acceleration of the train service between Scotland and London, the Scotch day mails for the Continent have been sent by the evening's mail viâ Calais instead of next morning; and, whether he will consider as to the de- 1137 sirability of giving the same rapid despatch to letters carried by the Scotch day express on Fridays for India, China, and Australia?
§ THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (Mr. RAIKES) (Cambridge University)An acceleration has taken place of the train which brings the Glasgow morning bag to London, and it has been found possible to send forward the same night the letters received in this bag for the Continent. The receipt of foreign correspondence in London at so late an hour is, however, attended with much inconvenience; and it is proposed from the 1st of July to despatch the Glasgow bag by an earlier train and to bring it to London by the East Coast route, so that a longer interval in London may be secured. When this change is made, I hope it may be possible to send forward not only letters for the Continent, but also letters for India, Australia, &c. There is, however, a greater difficulty in dealing with correspondence for India, China, and Australia than with correspondence for the Continent, because the mails for the East must be closed in London, whereas a portion of the correspondence for the Continent can be dealt with on the journey between London and Dover; and in promising that an endeavour shall be made to forward the correspondence for the East the same day, it must be understood that there may be occasions when it will be impracticable so to do. The same facilities will be afforded to Edinburgh as to Glasgow in respect both to correspondence for the Continent and to correspondence for the East from the first proximo.