§ MR. MAURICE HEALYI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether the official Report of the evidence given before the Departmental Committee on the Post Office Establishment is accessible to Members of the House of Commons; whether proofs of the evidence are submitted to witnesses before being finally printed; and was a proof of Mr. Lewin Hill's evidence submitted to and altered by him; whether the attention of the Postmaster General has been drawn to the report of Mr. Hill's evidence as printed verbatim in The Postman's Gazette, and to the passage in it reflecting on Irish candidates; whether Mr. Hill was correct in stating in his evidence that the appointment of postmen was a matter within 1440 the scope of his duties; and, what officials Mr. Hill purported to speak for when he said they would often much rather have an Englishman or Scotchman who could not pass the examination than the Irishman who could?
§ MR. HANBURYI have no doubt that if any Member of the House of Commons is desirous of seeing a copy of the printed evidence given on any particular occasion, and will apply to the Secretary of Lord Tweed mouth's Committee, a copy will be supplied to him. As the hon. Member is aware, it is the usual practice with Parliamentary and other Committees for the evidence to be submitted to the witnesses for correction, and this practice has been observed by Lord Tweed mouth's Committee, Mr. Lewin Hill, in common with all the witnesses, having corrected his evidence when in print. The attention of the Postmaster General has not been drawn to the report of Mr. Hill's evidence in. The Postman's Gazette. I am informed that Mr. Hill denies the accuracy of the report in question, and that he did not state that the appointment of postmen was a matter within the scope of his duties. He did not speak for any officials.