§ MR. O'DOHERTYI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether a complaint has been received by the Postmaster General from Mr. Bernard O. D. Browne, Quigley's Point, Londonderry, with reference to the non-delivery of a letter posted by him at the Quigley's Point Post Office containing £8 in banknotes; whether he is aware that other letters containing money and cheques posted at the same post office have been also lost during the past twelve months; whether compensation will be made to Mr. Browne for the loss sustained by him; whether a local inquiry has been held by the head postmaster in charge of the district; and, if so, with what result.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINThe Dublin Office received an application from Mr. Browne through the Postmaster of Londonderry in December last in respect of an unregistered letter described as containing eight one-pound notes of Irish issue, and as having been posted at the Quigley's Point Sub Office on the 19th November. On the 19th March a further application in respect of the same letter was received by the Postmaster General from the hon. Member. No other applications in respect of letters stated to have been posted at Quigley's Point Sub Office and not to have been delivered as addressed have reached the Department during the past twelve months. As Mr. Browne and the hon. Member were informed, no trace can be found of the letter by the Department, although an assistant at Quigley's Point Office remembers that it was handed to her. The Postmaster General does not accept any liability in respect of the loss of a letter which has not been, registered. Careful inquiry was made on the spot, but no clue to the cause of the loss could be discovered.
§ MR. O'DOHERTYSeeing it is admitted that the letter was handed in at the post office, will the hon. Gentleman furnish me with a copy of the evidence taken at the inquiry?
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINI must ask for notice of that, but I should think the answer will be in the negative.