§ MR. STOCK (Liverpool, Walton)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster-General, whether he has received memorials dated 29th July, 1898, and 24th November, 1898, from about 260 members of the postal establishment at Liverpool protesting against the transfer of the position of cashier in the Liverpool Post Office from the postal to the telegraph department; will he explain why no communication whatever on the subject has been made to the staff since the memorial dated July was formally acknowledged by the Secretary to the Department, and that the memorial dated November has not even been acknowledged; and, whether, as the suspension of the Postmaster-General's decision is causing much concern to the staff, who regard the matter as one of great importance, he will give a date when the petitioners may expect a reply.
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. HANBURY,) PrestonThe memorials of July and November were duly received. It was only in the month of June previous that a full answer was given on the same subject to a memorial dated the 13th May; and the Postmaster-General is not able to add anything to what he then said. Other proposals regarding the Liverpool office are, however, under his consideration, and these may affect the position of the memorialists. It may be added that no vacancy has yet arisen in the post referred to, and that the transfer has therefore had no effect at present upon the postal staff.