§ MR. VESEY KNOX (Londonderry)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade, whether he can state the result of representations made by the Board to the Great Northern, and Cavan, Leitrim and Roscommon Railways, at the instance of Mr. John Maguire, of Bawnboy, in the matter of certain railway rates to Bawnboy from Belfast, which are as great as the rates to Mohill, 12 miles further on the same line; and, whether the Board have ascertained if, in the division of the rate between the two Railway Companies, the Cavan, Leitrim, and Roscommon Company receives the same sum in respect of goods carried to Mohill as in the case of goods carried to Bawnboy Road?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. C. T. RITCHIE,) CroydonThe hon. Member is, no doubt, aware that the powers of the Board of Trade in such cases are limited to an endeavour to bring about an amicable settlement of the complaint. They forwarded a copy of Mr. Maguire's letter to the two Railway Companies concerned, and furnished him with a copy of the Railway Companies' replies. These were to the effect that the rates from Belfast to stations on the Cavan, Leitrim and Roscommon Railway were in competition with those from Dublin via the Midland Great Western, and that it was, therefore, necessary to group the rates. The Board of Trade have no means of ascertaining how the through rate is apportioned between the two Companies.