§ MR. WEBSTER (St. Pancras, E.)I beg to ask the Postmaster General whether he is aware that on a recent occasion the Royal Mail Company's vessel Don, conveying mails from South America and the West Indies to the United Kingdom (under contract as far as the West Indies are concerned with the Post Office), was detained 36 hours at Jamaica, in order that certain of the passengers might take part in a State ceremony; and that for a matter of fact the mails by this steamer reached Plymouth two days behind the contract time; who was responsible for this detention; and whether, as these mail steamers touch at several West Indian Islands, he would arrange that they should proceed on their voyages without any further delay than is entailed by the receiving or discharging of cargo or of coaling? I wish to substitute for the Don the Orinoko.
§ *MR. RAIKESI can only answer accurately the question as it appears on 228 the Paper. The mail steamer in question was detained at Jamaica, not for 36 hours, but for 20½ hours, on the 27th of January, by order of the Governor, on the occasion of the opening of the Jamaica Exhibition; and although such action is certainly to be deprecated generally, I think this occasion was sufficiently exceptional to warrant it. I believe the course taken has met with general approval in the West Indies and at home. The steamer arrived at Plymouth 36 hours late, but the additional delay was caused by bad weather encountered on the voyage home.
§ MR. WEBSTERI beg to ask the Postmaster General whether he is aware that the rate of postage from Barbados to Jamaica is 4d. per. ounce, whilst from either of these West Indian Islands to the United Kingdom, the United States, or South America the rate is only 2½d. per ounce; and if it is in any way practicable to reduce the postal rates charged by the various West Indian Islands, especially as between them selves?
§ *MR. RAIKESThe reduction of post-ago recently made on letters between the United Kingdom and the British Colonies did not extend to letters sent intercolonially, as between Barbados and Jamaica, and, consequently, wherever the intercolonial postage was 4d., it remains so for the present. To extend the 2½d. postage further of course would involve further loss of Postage Revenue; but I hope to be able before long to submit proposals to the Treasury for applying the reduced letter postage to all parts of the British Possessions.
§ MR. WEBSTERI beg further to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether the mail steamer from Barbados to the United Kingdom is timed to start two days before the outward mail steamer arrives; and whether, if that is so, it would be possible to arrange that the mail from the United Kindgom should arrive two days prior to the departure of the mail from Barbados to Europe?
§ *MR. RAIKESThe time table for the West India Mail Service is arranged so as to afford the greatest amount of postal accommodation between this country and the colonies. The mails homeward are timed to reach this country on one Wednesday and to leave this country outward on the following Wednesday 229 thus leaving a week's interval here for replies. This happens to involve, as my hon. Friend points out, an arrival of an English mail at Barbados two days after the homeward mail from Barbados to England has started; but I have not received any complaint from that Island on this point. In any case, I do not see that a re-arrangement of the service for the advantage of Barbados could be made without detriment to the more important communication between the West Indies generally and this country.