§ CAPTAIN M'CALMONT (Antrim, E.)I beg to ask the Postmaster General whether, although the delays in the mail service to Ireland by Stranraer and Larne have been very frequent since the institution of the accelerated service on 1st September last, it is the case that only on four occasions has the delay occurring between Stranraer and Belfast exceeded 15 minutes to the end of January last?
§ * SIR JAMES FERGUSSONNo, Sir; I am informed that, reckoning from the time of the complete transfer of the mails to the packet at Stranraer, upwards of 15 minutes have been lost before the arrival at Belfast on 30 occasions between the 1st September and the 31st January. On 25 of those occasions time was lost by not starting after the mails were on board.