§ Mr. Humecomplained that, notwithstanding a Bill that had been introduced in the last Parliament to facilitate the transmission of newspapers to and from our colonial settlements free of postage, there were charges still made at the Post-office for newspapers arriving by vessels from the Cape of Good Hope and other colonies, although from Canada and other settlements they were delivered free. Now he thought that all our colonies should be on the same footing in this respect. He also complained that Members of that House were charged postage for all the letters delivered to them on Monday over the number of fifteen, although amongst those were the letters that arrived on Sunday, there being no delivery on the Sabbath. Now, he considered it very hard that, in consequence of a Post-office regulation, not to have any delivery of letters on a Sunday, Members should be put to the expense of postage for all letters arriving to them in London on that day but not delivered until Monday. There was a strange anomaly too as regarded this matter, because, although a Member could not receive his Sunday letters in London until Monday, and without paying for them, if he chanced to be at Bath, or any other country town, he might not only receive his letters there on the Sunday, but receive them free of postage. The Act of Parliament distinctly stated, that Members shall receive their letters daily, and he could not, therefore, see why they should be charged for the letters of Sunday any more than those of any other day, although they might be delivered on the Monday.
Sir Thomas Freemantlesaid, that he should be happy to give his best assistance to remedy the cause of complaint set forth by the hon. Member, as respected the transmission of newspapers to and from the Colonies. The hon. Member would admit that the Post-office was not to blame for the Act of Parliament was imperative, and must be strictly adhered to; and, whatever might have been intended by the Legislature, the Act still sanctioned the charge made. If a Bill should be intro- 1240 duced to remedy the evil, he should give it his best attention. With regard to the non-delivery of letters on Sunday, he did not see that the hon. Member had much reason to complain of the anomaly to which he had alluded, because, although he might receive his letters on Sunday, and free of postage, at a country town, he would be charged there for his Tuesday's letters if they exceeded fifteen, for the reason, that no letters were dispatched on Sunday. So that it came to the same thing, there being no country delivery on the Monday. All these matters, however, would, no doubt, come under the consideration of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the Post-office Department, and the honourable Member had better state his complaint to those Commissioners.
Mr. Wallacesaid, that the Post-office regulations were on a most niggardly system. It never was any wish of his that letters should be delivered on the Sunday; but he had personal reason to charge Sir F. Freeling with the most gross partiality in the charge of postage for letters, and he could call on the hon. and learned Member for the University of Dublin (Mr. Shaw) to confirm what he said. He happened to see that hon. and learned Gentleman one Monday in the library of the House, having before him a huge heap of letters, thirty-two in number, and on his (Mr. Wallace) observing, that he must have had a pretty sum of money to pay that day for extra letters, the hon. and learned Gentleman told him, that he had all the postage remitted to him by Sir F. Freeling, while on that very day he (Mr. W.) was obliged to pay for every letter he received over fifteen. The hon. and learned Member also observed at the same time, that the law entitled Members to receive all their regular number of Sunday as well as Monday letters free. Now, this he (Mr. Wallace) looked upon as a gross partiality. It was also a matter of complaint and great inconvenience that on Sunday there was only one place, namely, the General Post-office, open to receive letters; so that servants and others were obliged to be sent with letters to the Post-office instead of going to church. It had been said by the Duke of Richmond, when at the head of the Post-office, the clerks of the department were too religiously disposed to do any business on Sunday; but it appeared by the report that there 1241 were a number of persons employed all Sunday at the Post-office in sorting letters and other business. It was also a most absurd regulation that no letter could be put into the Post-office after seven o'clock in the evening.
§ Mr. Shawsaid that he did not deny the accuracy of what had been stated by the hon. Member, as to what passed in the library respecting the receipt of all his letters postage free on the Monday, but he did mean to deny that there was any favouritism whatever towards him on the part of Sir F. Freeling. He had certainly said then, and he said the same now, that the Sunday letters ought not to be charged, 1242 and the communication he had with Sir F. Freeling on the subject was strictly formal. Personally he did not know Sir F. Freeling, never, he believed, having seen him in his life. His communication was to the effect that, as the Sunday letters were put into the Post-office on the Friday, as appeared by the post-mark, they ought not to be charged to Members any more than the letters of any other day, and, upon this representation the postage was remitted. He must, however, entirely acquit Sir F. Freeling of the slightest favouritism in doing so.
§ The return was ordered.