§ MR. WEIR (Ross and Cromarty)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster-General, if he will state how often during the months of December, January, and February last the steamer carrying Her Majesty's mails between Stornoway and Kyle of Lochalsh was late in her arrival at Stornaway and Kyle of Lochalsh respectively, and how often the delay exceeded half an hour at each place; and will he state the maximum delay on any one occasion?
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. R. W. HANBURY,) PrestonThe mail steamers arrived late 57 times at Stornoway and 13 times at Kyle. The delay exceeded half an hour on 19 and 12 occasions respectively. The late arrivals at Stornoway of the outward mails were due, in part, to loss of time on the railway. The maximum delay, four hours, occurred on two occasions, namely, on the voyages from Stornoway to Kyle on the nights of the 22nd December and 20th January, the cause in each being the severity of the weather.