§ Mr. STEEL-MAITLANDasked the Postmaster-General whether in the proposed assimilation of the districts of superintending engineers and of surveyors the comparative claims of Birmingham and of Nottingham to be the headquarters of the district have been taken into account; and, if so, whether he will state what are the preponderating reasons why 558W the headquarters should not be fixed at Birmingham?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELBirmingham—with a few surrounding towns—forms a separate district, under the control of a postmaster-surveyor. It is not included in one of the large provincial surveying districts. For this reason the retention of the superintending engineer of the provincial district at Birmingham, would be directly opposed to the present policy of placing the surveyor and superintending engineer of each district in the same town, wherever this course is reasonably practicable. Nottingham is found to be the most convenient centre for the district as a whole; all the circumstances of the case have been fully considered.