§ COLONEL STOPFORD-SACKVILLE (Northamptonshire, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether he is aware that during the last three months applications have been made on behalf of seventeen rural parishes in Northamptonshire for information respecting the establishment of telegraph offices, and that in only one case has anything beyond a formal acknowledgment been received from the Department; and can he hold out any hope that the information desired will be speedily given, and the wishes of those parishes met where a guarantee is given by the Parish Council.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINThe applications to which the hon. Member refers for telegraph offices at seventeen villages in Northamptonshire were duly received, and the necessary returns were obtained. The results, however, were so unfavourable that the Postmaster General decided to obtain further returns, in the hope that these might justify him in granting the offices in at any rate some of the cases. The further returns have now nearly all been received, and the Postmaster General will communicate with the applicants as soon as possible.