Inland Transit/Marshall
Class A. (4.)—Conveyance of Bullion, Mails, Troops, and Military Stores.
Mr. James Marshall.—p. 145.
1. Are you the secretary to the provincial bank in Ireland?
I am.
2. Do you know that large quantities of bullion have often been forwarded by the Bank of England to Liverpool for transmission to Ireland?
I believe it would be more correct to say that it is obtained from the Bank of England by us to be sent to Ireland.
3. Do you send that to Liverpool?
To Liverpool and to Holyhead occasionally.
4. What time is occupied in the carriage of the bullion?
The direct course of post from London to Dublin is thirty-six hours, provided the packet can sail immediately.
5. Suppose you had the means of communication by a Railroad to Birmingham, which would save six hours in the conveyance of the bullion, do you think that would be of great importance?
The saving of six hours would, on many occasions that I have witnessed, have been of very great importance.
6. Do such occasions sometimes arise, from peculiar circumstances?
Yes; circumstances peculiar to Ireland, for some years back, from political causes, have occasioned sudden demands for gold, which we have been obliged to supply very suddenly.
7. When an hour's time would have been of great importance?
It might, certainly.