§ MR. McCARTAN (Down, S.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether he is aware of the grave inconvenience to the linen manufacturers of Annsborough, the business men of Castle-wellan, county Down, and to the gentry of the surrounding neighbourhood, that 81 London or English letters cannot be answered in time to reach, their destination next forenoon; whether a mail train leaves Newcastle, within a few miles of Castlewellan, daily about two o'clock p.m. carrying mail bags for limited mail from Belfast to Dublin, and whether London letters carried this way reach London and principal English towns early on the following morning; whether he is aware that arrangements could easily be made whereby a mail bag could be sent to this train by car from Castlewellan; and whether he will make inquiry into the matter with the view of giving further postal facilities to the residents of the district?
§ MR. HANBURYIt is the fact that letters from England to Castlewellan and Annsborough cannot be answered by the day mail of the day on which they are received. No doubt this may cause some inconvenience. A train carrying the English mail leaves Newcastle at 2.30 p.m., but it would be impracticable under existing arrangements for answers from Castlewellan and Annsborough to English letters of the same day to be sent by that train, because such letters do not reach Castlewellan until 1 p.m., or Annsborough until 1.45 p.m., and some time must then be occupied in delivery. The Postmaster General is making inquiry whether the arrival of English letters at Castlewellan and Annsborough could be accelerated, perhaps by sending them viâ Newcastle instead of viâ Newry as at present.