§ MR. O'DOHERTY (Donegal, N.)I beg to ask the Postmaster General whether orders for goods from Co-operative Stores in London are treated as circulars, and pass at halfpenny rates, subject to the right expressly reserved of keeping them back if there is a pressure of business; whether such orders in any way differ from Railway advices of goods and notices of default by loan fund banks in Ireland, which are held to be letters; and, whether he can see his way to treat both classes alike?
§ * MR. RAIKESOrders for goods have, no privilege as circular letters, but, provided they are not in the form of letters, at all, they have been held admissible at the book-post rate. The railway advices of goods and notices of default by loan fund banks in Ireland, to which on a former occasion the hon. Member has called my attention, are distinctly letters, and, not being circular letters, are chargeable with the ordinary letter rate of postage. I regret I am not in a position to treat the advices and notices referred to otherwise than as letters. But I propose to examine carefully during the Recess the existing regulations with regard to circulars, which in their present form appear to present many anomalies.