§ MR. FIELD (Dublin, St. Patrick)To ask the Postmaster-General whether he will state the numbers of surveyors' districts in Ireland and in England, respectively; and whether, with regard to applications for head postmasterships or other superior appointments, one application is allowed to be forwarded from each surveyor's district in England, if one or more than one candidate applies in each of such districts, whereas one application only is allowed to be forwarded from the whole of Ireland even when there are several applicants in each surveyor's district in Ireland.
(Answered by Mr. Sydney Buxton.) The number of surveyors' districts in Ireland is three and the number in England is eleven. All applications for head postmasterships and other superior appointments, whether from candidates in Ireland or England, are forwarded to head quarters and considered there. Naturally, however, much weight is attached to the opinion of the Secretary at Dublin as to which of these candidates is the best.