§ MAJOR DARWIN (Staffordshire, Lichfield)I beg to ask the Postmaster General, whether, before undertaking on behalf of the Post Office to pay large sums of public money as a subsidy for the new mail service from Holyhead to Kingstown, he will make certain that there will be satisfactory third-class accommodation both on the new steamers themselves and on the trains which will be run in immediate connection with them?
§ MR. ARNOLD MORLEYAs I have frequently stated in reply to questions, I did not feel warranted in making the conveyance of third-class passengers one of the conditions of the new service. I may, however, say that I asked the directors of the London and North Western Railway Company to give special consideration to the matter, and I regretted to find that they considered that they could not, having regard to the circumstances, undertake the conveyance of third-class passengers by the Irish mail trains. I have every reason to hope that substantial improvement will be made in the second-class accommodation.
§ MR. WILLIAM KENNY (Dublin, St. Stephen's Green)I beg to ask the Postmaster General if he will state when it is anticipated the new steamers for the mail contract between Kingstown and Holyhead will be completed; if the contract with the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company has been now formally concluded; and, if it contains a clause providing for the new service being entered on by any particular date?
§ MR. ARNOLD MORLEYI asked the company immediately on their acceptance of the terms agreed upon on what date they would be ready to commence the service, but I have only received their reply, which has not yet been considered, this morning The contract could not, of course, be completed without this information.