§ MR. NANNETTII beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, if he is aware that no provision was made to meet the American mail landed at Queenstown on Christmas Day; although, if a sufficient staff of sorting clerks had been sent to Queenstown on that occasion, it would have been possible to have the mail disposed of on the journey up to Dublin, and a delivery effected throughout Ireland on St. Stephen's morning; and, seeing that as a consequence of this not being done, upwards of 1,700 registered postal packets, and thousands of ordinary letters were delivered a day late, will he take steps to provide in future against such delay.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINThe mails brought by the "Teutonic" reached Queenstown Quay at 7.25 a.m. on Christmas Day, and were forwarded by the 9.55 a.m. train to Dublin, due there at 5.50 p.m., too late to fall into the outgoing night mail; but all the correspondence was sent forward by the first despatch on the morning of the 26th December. It would not have been practicable to secure their earlier despatch even if the special provision suggested by the hon. Member had been made.