§ DR. LYON PLAYFAIRsaid, he would beg to ask the Postmaster General, Whether the Government have come to any resolution in regard to the establishment of a Halfpenny Card Postage, a Memorial in favour of this having been some time since presented to the Postmaster General, supported by the signatures of Members of Parliament, of mayors and merchants of many towns in the United Kingdom, of members of learned societies, and of a large number of officers of Volunteers?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONSir, I am very glad to say that the Government have decided, in conjunction with the reduction of postage on newspapers and printed matter, to adopt a halfpenny card postage—that is to say, cards will be issued bearing a halfpenny card stamp, on one side of which an address will be written, and on the other any communication whether in writing or in print. We believe that this will be a great accommodation to the public, and on account of their uniform size, light weight, and small bulk, be extremely convenient to the Post Office, which will be able to deal with them with much greater ease than ordinary letters. At the same time, as they will afford a means of very brief communication, they will not materially interfere with the revenue of the Post Office.