§ MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN (Kilkenny)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether, seeing that Section 3 of an Act passed in 1855 for improving the postal and passenger communication between England and Ireland takes cognizance of the third class passengers, and fixes the weight of luggage which might be carried by them on Irish mail trains between London and Dublin viâ Holyhead, he will draw the attention of the London and North Western Railway Company to the powers vested in him by this Act, with the view of providing accommodation for third class passengers on Irish mail trains and boats between London and Dublin under the new mail contract?
§ MR. HANBURYThe Act of 1855 was passed to enable the London and North Western Railway Company, the Chester and Holyhead Railway Company, and the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company to make combined arrangements for the conveyance of 1344 mails and passengers between Holyhead and Kingstown or Howth; and the provisions of the Act ceased to have any immediate operative effect when, in 1883, the Government made separate contracts with the railway and with the steam packet companies for the train and boat services respectively. I am not prepared to admit that the third section of the Act gave the Postmaster General any power to call upon the companies to provide third class accommodation for passengers; but there can be no doubt that, whatever the effect of the enactment, it does not apply to the altered circumstances which have existed since 1883. Be that as it may, the Postmaster General will use his good offices with the company in the direction indicated by the hon. Member.