§ MR. FORWOOD (Lancashire, Ormskirk)I beg to ask the Postmaster General if he will give the day and hour of the delivery at London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, and Belfast respectively, of the correspondence brought from the United States by the Campania, which sailed from New York after the Paris, and the time of the delivery of the mails at these places brought by the latter vessel; and which of these vessels was selected by the United States Government to convey the mails to the United Kingdom?
§ MR. MACARTNEYAt the same time I will ask the right hon. Gentleman when the American mails per Campania and when those per Paris were delivered in London and Provinces, and in Dublin and Provinces; and whether he has received any intimation that the American Government, would consider favourably a representation made by the Post. Office as to the carriage of the mails from the United States to England?
§ *MR. A. MORLEYThe times at which the delivery of the correspondence in question commenced at the places named were as follows:—London, from the Campania, May 13, 8.30 a.m.; from the Paris, May 13, 8.15 p.m.; Birmingham, Manchester, and Liverpool, from the Campania, May 13, 7.0 a.m.; from the Paris, Sunday, May 14, 7.0 a.m.; Glasgow, from the Campania, May 13, 10.15 a.m.; from the Paris, May 15, 7.0 a.m.; Belfast, from the Campania, May 13, 7.0 a.m.; from the Paris, May 15, 7.0 a.m.; Dublin, from the Campania, May 12, 7.0 p.m.; from the Paris, May 14, 8.0 a.m. The vessel selected by the United States Post Office was the Paris. The method of choice announced by that office is comparison of results attained on eastward voyages: and the Campania had made no such voyages. There is no ground for doubting that any reasonable representation made by the British Post Office to that of the United States would receive due consideration; but it would not be reasonable to ask for preference to be given to a steamer concerning which the materials for the customary comparison do not yet exist.
§ MR. A. MORLEYI cannot say.