§ *SIR J. BLUNDELL MAPLE (Camberwell, Dulwich)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury what is the estimated value of property located in Ireland (in freeholds, leaseholds, material, plant, &c), now vested in the Post Office, which it is proposed to hand over, free of charge, to the Irish Government; and will these properties be transferred by deeds to the Irish Government, and will they have the power to sell the same without the consent of the Imperial Parliament?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. W. E. GLADSTONE,) Edinburgh, MidlothianI cannot give any trustworthy estimate of Post Office property in Ireland which would be available under the Home Rule scheme. Such an estimate could only be obtained by making a special valuation of the property. The Government do not see the necessity for incurring the expense and time which would be necessary for making the valuation. With regard to the latter part of the question, under the Bill as it at present stands, the Irish 924 Government will have full powers to deal with the property for all the purposes of establishing the Post Office Service.
§ *SIR J. BLUNDELL MAPLEMight the value of the property in question be between £3,000,000 and £4,000,000?
§ MR. W. E. GLADSTONEI should look upon such an estimate as entirely fabulous, though I have no means before mo at present for testing its accuracy.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOUR (Manchester, E.)May I inquire whether, in view of the fact that, under the Bill, the management of the postal rates will rest with the Imperial Government, it would not be proper to leave all the plant, by which the Imperial Postal Service is carried out, in the hands of the Imperial Government?
§ MR. W. E. GLADSTONENo, Sir. We should retain no part of the rates derived from the Postal Service in Ireland. Everything, beyond the mere fixing of the rates, will be left to the Irish Government.