§ Captain DONELAN (Cork, E.)I beg to ask the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that the American mail carried by the "Lusitania," which arrived at Queenstown on Tuesday, 1st December, was taken on to Liverpool with the result that the letters were not delivered until Thursday morning, rendering it impossible for replies to be sent before the following Sunday; whether he is aware that, if this mail had been landed at Queenstown and despatched by special train, these letters would have been delivered in London early on 468 Wednesday afternoon in time for replies by the outgoing Thursday steamer, thus obviating a delay of three days; and can he say why this mail was not landed at Queenstown.
§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTONIf the mails had been landed at Queenstown they would have reached London about 6 p.m. on Wednesday the 2nd instant, too late for delivery in business hours. The "Lusitania" was delayed by fog off the Mersey. Otherwise the mails would have reached London by 1.30 p.m., or four and a half hours earlier than if landed at Queenstown. The decision to send them on in the packet to Liverpool was arrived at after consultation with the Cunard Company.
§ CAPTAIN DONELANIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the mails carried by the "Celtic," which arrived at Queenstown on the previous Sunday, were also taken on the "Lusitania" and that both whip and mails were held up for twenty-four hours by the fog? Did not this affect some 4,000 bags of mail?
§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTONasked for notice.
§ CAPTAIN DONELANurged the right hon. Gentleman, in view of the vast commercial interests involved, to direct that the special train service for Queens-town should be made use of in such cases and that Queenstown should have fair play in this matter.