§ MR. BROOKE ROBINSON (Dudley)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether the attention of the Postmaster General has been drawn to the conviction last week of Edward Gibson, of Brierley Hill, Staffordshire, mail van driver, and Bernard Maginn, of Birmingham, contractor, at the Brierley Hill Police Court, for cruelty to a horse drawing the mail cart from Birmingham to Brierley Hill, the first-named being charged for driving the animal, and the latter for causing it to be worked, the evidence showing the horse to be in a deplorable state, with sores on both shoulders and elsewhere, and that the condition of the horse had been pointed out to Bernard Maginn; and whether, under these circumstances, the Postmaster General will cancel the contract now in existence, and direct that in future no other contract shall be given to Bernard Maginn in connection with Her Majesty's mails?
§ MR. HANBURYAttention was called to the conviction of Gibson and Maginn for cruelty to a mare engaged in drawing the Birmingham and Brierley Hill mail cart, and a communication on the subject was made to the contractor on the 4th instant. The Postmaster General has given notice to terminate the present contract, and, of course, has no intention of entering into any other contract with Maginn.