§ MR. NANNETTII beg to ask the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that 1,952 sacks of mails landed at Queenstown from New York, from the White Star liner "Teutonic," on Wednesday week were delivered in London unsorted, and to the fact that only eighteen men were despatched from Dublin to sort these sacks; whether he will explain why the officials in Dublin who were responsible for this duty did not take more adequate steps to meet the requirements of this heavy mail; whether it is usual to send men to perform this duty who are unacquainted with the work; whether he will say how often within the past twelve months the American mails from Queenstown have been delivered in London unsorted; and whether, in view of the inconvenience caused, he will take 1220 such steps as will prevent the American mails passing through Queenstown to London arriving in that city unsorted in future.
§ THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Lord STANLEY,) Lancashire, WesthoughtonThe hon. Member has, I think, been misinformed. The number of bags of unsorted letters from the "Teutonic" received in London on the 14th instant, was five, not 1,952; and the delivery of these letters was not delayed. The number of men sent to Queenstown was eighteen. An outgoing American mail was due to pass through Dublin the following morning and some of the regular staff were absent on annual or sick-leave. It was, therefore, not considered safe to reduce the force available at Dublin by sending a larger number to Queenstown.