§ MR. MAURICE HEALY (Cork)I beg to ask the Postmaster General what stage the negotiations of the Post Office Department with the Great Southern and Western Railway Company and the other parties interested respecting the acceleration of the mails from Dublin to Cork have reached; and when the new arrangement may be expected to come into force?
§ THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (Sir JAMES FERGUSSON, Manchester, N.E.)A definite proposal was made to the Great Southern and Western Railway Company, and declined by them. I am in further communciation with the Treasury on the subject, but I cannot say whether any result is likely to be arrived at.
§ MR. HEALYMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether the offer made to the Company was not less than the sum the right hon. Gentleman himself stated in the House to be a reasonable one?
§ SIR JAMES FERGUSSONThe offer made to the Company was one which I hoped from previous communications they were likely to take, but I was disappointed in my expectations.
§ SIR JAMES FERGUSSONYes.