§ MR. BOLANDI beg to ask the Postmaster-General whether he has been asked to receive a deputation, consisting of prominent members of the Gaelic League, which desires to submit the necessity for appointing postmasters in Ireland with a knowledge of the Irish language; whether he has returned and, if so, what answer to the request; and whether, in view of the fact that in the cases of vacancies in the Carmarthen and Criccieth post offices quite recently it was specified that a knowledge of Welsh was necessary, he will state why Irish is not accorded the same treatment in Ireland as Welsh is in Wales.
LORD STANLEYI have been asked to receive a deputation from the Gaelic League to deal with the subject mentioned by the hon. Member, and I have replied to the effect that I had already carefully considered the question which it was proposed to raise, and that in my judgment there would not be any advantage to be gained by receiving a deputation on the subject. As regards the use of the Welsh language in Wales, I would refer the hon. Member to my Answer to his Question of the 12th instant.†
§ MR. BOLANDBut is the noble Lord aware that in many parts of Ireland delay is caused to correspondence by letters addressed in Irish having to be sent to Dublin to be deciphered?