§ MR. W. H. SMITHsaid, he wished to ask the Postmaster General, If he will suspend the execution of the Order, and re-consider the scheme of which notice was given only a few days ago, under which it is proposed largely to increase the postage of newspapers to France and to the Australian Colonies, and to limit in other respects the facilities for their transmission?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONsaid, in reply, that great inconvenience had been experienced in the foreign newspaper branch at the Post Office and also by the public in consequence of the various rates of postage on newspapers sent to the Colonies and foreign countries, and the rule now adopted was to assimilate those principles, so that a uniform plan should be established, by which the system would be in all cases the same as that hitherto adopted in reference to newspapers sent to most foreign countries and the United States. He believed that that would be found the most convenient plan both for the Post Office and the public. He regretted, however, that some inconvenience had been experienced by the newspaper trade, in consequence of the short notice which had been given of the change; but it was impossible to extend the period, as the notice had gone through the country, and any postponement of the time now would only cause greater inconvenience. In answer to a Question, of which the hon. Member for Leeds (Mr. Baines had given him private 992 notice, he had to state that there would be no change in the maximum limit of weight applied to newspapers or books posted in this country.