§ CAPTAIN DONELAN (Cork, E.)I beg to ask the Postmaster General whether his attention has been drawn to a letter from a firm of merchants in the City, stating that their American correspondence, ex Etruria, was not delivered at their office until after 1 p.m. on Saturday, the 2nd instant; whether these letters reached London ready sorted shortly after 10 a.m. on that day; and whether steps will be taken to insure a speedy delivery of the American mail viâ Queenstown, upon arrival in London?
§ SIR A. ROLLIT (Islington, S.)I beg to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he is aware that on Saturday last the American mails, ex Etruria, which left South Kingstown by the 12.57 train, and which reached Holy-head at 4.31 and London 10.17 a.m. with the mails fully sorted and ready for immediate delivery, did not reach leading firms in the City until after 1 o'clock that day; and whether this period of three hours between arrival and delivery 469 is within or beyond the average time considered necessary for such delivery?
§ MR. A. MORLEYI have seen the letter referred to. The first van conveying from Euston Station the American mails brought by the Etruria reached the General Post Office at 10.41 a.m. on the 2nd instant. The letters, although sorted in the usual manner for the various London districts, had to undergo some further preparation before they could be sent out for delivery by postmen. They just missed the delivery in the City commencing soon after 11, and could not be sent out until noon. Every endeavour will be made to insure a speedy delivery of the letters as far as possible.
§ MR. MACARTNEY (Antrim, S.)I beg to ask the Postmaster General at what hour the Teutonic, which left New York on Wednesday, 30th August, at 10 o'clock a.m., reached Queenstown on Tuesday last, and at what hour the New York, which left at 8.45 a.m. on the same date, arrived at Southampton; and when were the mails conveyed per Teutonic and per New York delivered in London?
§ MR. A. MORLEYThe Teutonic arrived off Queenstown at 3.10 p.m. on the 5th instant, and the New York arrived at Southampton at 7.20 a.m. on the 6th. The correspondence for the City brought by the Teutonic was sent out by the delivery commencing at 2.5 p.m. p.m. on the 6th. That brought by the New York had already been delivered, having been received in time to be included in the delivery commencing at 11.5 a.m.
§ MR. MACARTNEYWere the mails which arrived by the New York taken on by ordinary or special train?
§ MR. A. MORLEYNot by special train. It was not a case in which a special train was required.
§ MR. SEXTON (Kerry, N.)Was there a special service from Queenstown for the Teutonic?
§ MR. A. MORLEYNo; there was not—the full mail came by Southampton.
§ MR. SEXTONIf there had been a full mail, would there have been a special service from Queenstown?
§ MR. A. MORLEYI cannot answer that, but I will make inquiry.
§ MR. SEXTONI understand that this was one of the cases where, the mails 470 arriving on Tuesday, a special service would be given to insure that merchants in London and other large towns would be enabled to forward their replies by the mails going out to-day.
§ MR. A. MORLEYI believe that is the case, but I will inquire about the matter.
§ MR. MACARTNEYCan the right hon. Gentleman explain how it was that the mails which arrived by the New York at Southampton at 7.20 a.m. were delivered before the specially addressed letters by the Teutonic, these letters having arrived in London between 6 and 7 a.m?
§ MR. A. MORLEYThey arrived off Queenstown at 3.10 p.m. on the 5th, and in time to be sent out by the delivery commencing at 2.5 p.m. on the 6th.