§ MR. LONSDALE (Armagh, Mid.)I beg to ask the Postmaster-General whether there is any reason why two hours should elapse between the despatch of a telegraphic message from London and its delivery in Belfast; whether he has received complaints of such telegraph delay in Belfast: whether these delays are due to the fact that an insufficient staff of expert telegraphists are kept on duty during hours of pressure; and what steps he proposes to take to avoid these vexatious delays in future.
§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTONThere has recently been unavoidable delay in communication between London and Ireland in consequence of the breakdown of one of the cables. That has been repaired, but I am sorry to say a fault has now developed in another cable.