Mr. East-hopeasked whether the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who had not been in the House when a conversation took place on the subject of the postage of petitions, whether he could inform the House what was the state of the law respecting the postage of petitions? Was it the case that petitions weighing more than six ounces were chargeable with postage?
§ The Chancellor of the Exchequersaid, that under the law before the Penny-postage came into operation, all petitions under six ounces in weight were exempted from postage; and the law on the subject is still unchanged. The practice of the Post-office was not to receive petitions of very great bulk; but petitions of a fair and reasonable size were carried, and, if charged with postage, the money was again returned. If the Postmasters were now under any misapprehension on the matter, he would take care to set them right.