§ MR. CALDWELL (Lanarkshire. Mid.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, if his attention has been called to the fact that, in the list of sailings of the Canadian Pacific Railway and Ocean Steamship services, the s.s. "Empress of China," carrying British mails, which was advertised to leave Vancouver on the 14th February, is not due to arrive at Hong Kong till 18th March, a period of thirty-two days, whilst the mail contract provides that the mails shall be conveyed between Halifax and Hong Kong within a period of thirty and a half days; and 180 whether the penalties in the contract for delay in fulfilling the contract will be exacted; and, if so, how much; and can he state whether it was the s.s. "Empress. of China" which actually did leave Vancouver on 14th February, and whether that ship takes, as advertised, fourteen days to perform the trip from Vancouver to Yokohama.
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN,) Worcestershire, E.The date. (14th February) set down in the Schedule printed by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company as the date for the Packet "Empress of China" to leave Vancouver for Hong Kong is simply a printer's error for the 24th of February. The Postmaster General has no knowledge of any Packet having left Vancouver on the 14th, and he has no reason to doubt that the "Empress of China" which was duly despatched on the 24th, will accomplish her voyage to Yokohama within fourteen days from that date.
§ MR. CALDWELLasked on what days the mails advertised to go by the "Empress of China," were sent from this country.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINI cannot answer that Question without notice; I think, however, there was an error in the Post Office Guide here, arising out of the Canadian Pacific Company's service.