THE MARQUESS OF CLANRICARDEasked Her Majesty's Government, What Steps they proposed to take for the Re-establishment of a direct Postal and Steam-Packet Communication between Ireland and North America? The Postmaster General, on the 15th of May, put an end to the contract with the Royal Atlantic Mail Steam Navigation Company, whereby provision had been made for a regular packet service direct between Galway and North America. He would not say one word as to the justice or injustice of that proceeding, because the matter was now being investigated by a Committee of the House of Commons. He apprehended, however, that that inquiry would be limited to an investigation of the circumstances under which the contract had been terminated; but, as he understood, the contract was absolutely at an end, and no proposition had been made for its renewal. He thought, therefore, he was justified in asking the present information from the Government. He would remind the House that, although the way in which the contract to which he referred had been carried out had been brought in question, the propriety of having a continuous direct service between North America and Ireland had never been questioned: on the contrary, it had been acknowledged by every one who took part in the discussion in the House of Commons that great advantage was derived from having speedy communication by that route. Only yesterday an illustration was afforded of the value of such a service. The important intelligence received from New York was ten days old; whereas no one could deny that one result of the experience of the last year was to show that it was perfectly practicable to have direct communication between Ireland and the United States within six days. It was, therefore, important to ascertain whether the Government had done anything towards the reestablishment of the service. The Company to which he referred said they had not sufficient time allowed them to prepare vessels for the postal service. That was a point on which he would express no opinion, though he must remark that it had always been considered that some time must elapse before any Company could perform a service of such a nature satisfactorily. If he understood the matter right- 291 ly, the contract which had existed during the past year was now completely at an end. Even if the case were otherwise a new contract would be desirable, inasmuch as the last included conditions which, he believed, were never imposed on any Company before. A Bill relating to the improvement of Galway Harbour would shortly be brought before their Lordships, and that was an additional reason why this subject should receive full consideration. Direct postal service between Ireland and North America was, in his opinion, so important that the Government ought to lose no time in making preparations for re-establishing it in such a manner that the public would be satisfied that it would be well and properly carried out and permanently maintained.
§ LORD STANLEY OF ALDERLEYsaid, his noble Friend had, in fact, anticipated the answer which he would be obliged to give; and would not, therefore, be surprised when he said that he must decline to express any opinion on the subject until the Committee of the House of Commons appointed to inquire into the circumstances under which the Galway contract had been terminated had made its Report. He was sure his noble Friend must see that it would be premature for him to make any statement at that moment. He would, however, remind his noble Friend that Ireland at present enjoyed postal communication with America by means of no fewer than three services weekly. The Cunard line of packets which left Liverpool on the Saturday touched at Queenstown on the Sunday, and took on letters from Ireland, as well as letters sent on by the Saturday evening mail from London. The Liverpool, Philadelphia, and New York line, commonly known as "Inman's," started from Liverpool on the Wednesday and touched at Queenstown on the next day. There was a third service by the Canadian line of packets, which left Liverpool every Thursday and touched at Londonderry every Friday. Thus, on Sundays, on Thursdays, and on Fridays there was direct postal communication between Ireland and America. The only advantage derived from the Galway packets was that once a fortnight there was an additional service on Tuesday. He, therefore, did not anticipate that any material inconvenience, as far as postal communication was concerned, was at present experienced in consequence of the discontinuance of the Galway line. But he was quite ready 292 to admit that there was very great advantage in the more rapid communication with St. John's and the much later telegraphic communication by that means with America, and that advantage was obtained in a greater degree by the Galway than by any other line. Their Lordships would see that under the circumstances it was quite impossible for him to express, on the part of the Government, any intimation of what their views might be with regard to any future arrangements for direct postal communication between Ireland and America.