§ MR. BRODIE HOARE () HampsteadI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, 1529 whether he is aware that the West India mail steamer "Tagus" arrived at Plymouth with the mails at 7.15 p.m. on Wednesday, 28th February; and that the mails were not delivered in London till 3.30 p.m. on Thursday: and can he explain the delay and give an assurance that steps will be taken to prevent similar delay in future.
§ MR. HANBURYThe "Tagus" arrived in Plymouth Sound on Wednesday last only in time to admit of the mails brought by her being landed by 8.30 p.m. By that time the night mail train for London had left Plymouth, and the mails were sent on by early morning train reaching London shortly after midday. In the City the letters, etc., were sent out by the 2.5 p.m. delivery, but in some parts of London they were not delivered until 3.30 p.m. To have secured earlier delivery would have involved the use of a special train. The principle governing the employment of special trains for the conveyance from Plymouth of mails landed at that port is, as has been more than once explained in this House in answer to similar questions, to use special trains when by such means and no other an interval for reply by the next outgoing mail can be afforded. The present of course was not such a case, There was in fact an interval of a week for reply.