§ MR. J. P. FARRELL (Cavan, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster-General, whether he has recently received a copy of resolution adopted by the Cavan Board of Guardians recommending the dispatch from Dublin, immediately on its arrival there, of the Irish night provincial letters, thereby securing delivery in London at about 5 p.m., and enabling business letters to be replied to inside 24 hours; and whether this arrangement could possibly be made in connection with the new time table for Irish mails; and, if not possible of adoption at present, can the Postmaster General promise consideration with a view to future adoption?
§ MR. HANBURYThe Postmaster General has received a copy of the Resolution referred to by the hon. Member. As I stated in the House on the 15th and on the 22nd of February, the Postmaster General has been much pressed by Irish representatives to fix a later instead of an earlier hour for the departure from Dublin of the morning mail to England, and he has so far yielded to their wishes as to fix the hour of departure from Dublin at 7.10 a.m., instead of at 6.40 a.m. The arrangement desired by the hon. Member cannot be made in connection with the new time table which comes into effect on the 1st proximo, nor can the Postmaster General, having regard to the strong pressure brought upon him to postpone the departure of the mail, hold out any expectation of its future adoption. The night mails arrive in Dublin, if punctual, at a little before and after 5 a.m.
§ MR. J. P. FARRELLI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether he can state the result of his inquiries into the very inadequate limited mail day service between Dundalk and Cavan and Dundalk and Belturbet; and, whether the Department has yet entered into negotiations with the Great Northern Railway Company to start a special train from Dundalk on the arrival there of the morning mail at 7.20 a.m.; and, if not, can he give any assurance that pressure will be brought to bear on the Company to grant this concession?
§ MR. HANBURYThe Postmaster General cannot at present state the result of the inquiries into the matter referred to by the hon. Member, as the inquiries are not concluded, and in these circumstances he is not yet in a position to approach the Railway Company on the subject of the day mail to Cavan and Belturbet. The Postmaster General, however, will place before the Great Northern Railway Company the strong desire that exists for improvement in the hope that some arrangement may be found practicable.