§ DR. THOMPSON (Monaghan, N.)To ask the Postmaster-General if he will explain why it is proposed to favour the conveyance of the afternoon mails from Londonderry to England by the four o'clock train via Larne and Stranraer, when the mails can be conveyed as expeditiously via Greenore by the express train leaving Londonderry at five o'clock; if he is aware that the additional hour's delay in Derry is considered an advantage by the merchants of this city; that the chamber of commerce and other public bodies have passed resolutions to this effect; and that the latter route is more convenient to traders in the counties of Donegal, Fermanagh, Cavan, Monaghan, Derry, and Armagh, whereas the route via Larne will benefit only a portion of Derry county and Antrim.
(Answered by Lord Stanley.) I have considered the comparative merits of the two routes (via Larne and via Greenore respectively) for the mail service from the North of Ireland to England. By the improvement of the service by the Stranraer route, an acceleration of the correspondence for the northern and midland counties of England as well as that for London would be effected, whereas few places besides London would benefit by a despatch via Greenore. Under these circumstances, I consider that the interests of the public would be better served by an improvement in the time of despatch by the former route and have made arrangements accordingly. As regards the districts mentioned in the latter part of the Question, I should explain that in any case the expense of establishing direct bags to London from he smaller towns would not be warranted by the amount of correspondence available, but I am considering the question of extending as far as possible to those districts the benefits of the later despatch of the mails by the Stranraer route.