§ MR. J. P. FARRELL (Cavan, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether the Postmaster General would consent to and recommend the 275 Midland Great Western Railway Company to run one third-class carriage on the Irish Limited Mail day trains?
§ * MR. HANBURYThe Postmaster General would have no objection to a third-class carriage being run in the Limited Day Mail trains on the Midland Great Western Railway provided punctuality in the working be maintained, and the hon. Member's suggestion shall be brought under the notice of the Company. The matter, however, is one upon which the Company alone can decide.
§ MR. J. P. FARRELLI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury as representing the Postmaster General, whether he is aware that at a meeting of the Bawnboy Guardians on 22nd March a letter, dated 19th March, was read from Mr. Henry Pleus, secretary to the Great Northern Railway Company, stating that up to that date no representations had reached the Great Northern Railway Company on the subject of an acceleration of the morning mails from Dundalk to Enniskillen and Cavan; and whether these representations have since been made; if not, when will they be made?
§ * MR. HANBURYThe Postmaster General has no knowledge of the letter stated to have been read at the meeting of the Bawnboy Guardians. His Department is, however, in communication with the Railway Company, and special attention is being directed to the strong desire which has been expressed for an acceleration of the morning mail train from Dundalk to Enniskillen end Cavan.
§ MR. J. P. FARRELLasked when the Postmaster General entered into communications with the Railway Company.
§ * MR. HANBURYsaid he had not the information.
§ MR. J. P. FARRELLI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether he is aware that, in consequence of the present arrangement of carrying the mails by car from Clones to Cavan and Belturbet, the mails for districts west of Belturbet are generally half an hour late in being delivered; whether he is aware that on Saturday morning last they were 1½ hours late; and, can he undertake to bring this matter, as well as the generally unsatisfactory carriage 276 of mails in Cavan, to the notice of the Great Northern Railway Company, with a view to making proposals for a change?
§ * MR. HANBURYThe Postmaster General is not aware that in consequence of the present arrangements the mails for places west of Belturbet are generally half an hour late, but he has called for a full report on the subject. He is aware of the exceptional delay on the morning of Saturday, the 27th ultimo, which was due to the late arrival of the mail train at Clones. The railway company, who were communicated with on the subject, have explained that the delay on the 27th ultimo arose from an accident to their signalling apparatus. It would be of no use to approach the company in reference to the conveyance of the night mail by train, unless the Postmaster General were prepared to pay the cost of an additional train, which would certainly not be warranted; but, as I have informed the hon. Member in reply to another question, the Department is in communication with the railway company relative to the desire which exists for an acceleration of the day mail.
§ MR. RICHARD M. DANE (Fermanagh, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether any decision has yet been arrived at respecting the arrival and dispatch of mails between Enniskillen and Bundoran and the intervening districts by rail, instead of, as at present, by car?
§ * MR. HANBURYAs already explained in answer to previous questions in the House, the Post Office would not be justified in calling upon the railway company to run a special train at the public cost from Dundalk to Enniskillen in connection with the day mail train from Dublin, and the same remark applies with even greater force to places beyond Enniskillen, such as Bundoran. The Secretary in Dublin has, however, been instructed to bring before the railway company the strong desire expressed by the inhabitants of the district for an improvement of their day mail service, in the hope that they may see their way to run a suitable train, but the Department has not yet been made acquainted with the decision of the company.