§ MR. FETHERSTONHAUGH (Fermanagh, N.)To ask Mr. Attorney-General for Ireland whether his attention has been directed to Rule 65 of the Rules (1889) of the Railway and Canal Commission, whereby a purely Irish dispute must be heard in England where the respondent is domiciled or has his principal office in England; is he aware that in a dispute between the Great Northern Railway Company of Ireland and the Postmaster - General, in reference to carriage of mails in Ireland, the Postmaster-General relies on the rule and refuses to allow the dispute to be tried in Ireland, where all the witnesses reside; and will he suggest to the rule-making authority a change in the rule so that cases may be tried as far as possible where they arise in substance.
(Answered by Mr. Cherry.) My attention has been drawn to the rule referred to in the Question, and it undoubtedly has the effect of requiring that a purely Irish dispute with a Department of the Government should be heard in England. So far as the Question relates to the action of the Post Office in the particular case referred to I must refer the hon. Member to my right hon. friend the Postmaster-General. It would be outside my province to suggest to the Railway Commissioners that they should alter their rules, but I am sure that any representation on the subject from the Bar of Ireland would be carefully considered by them.