§ VISCOUNT RAYNHAMsaid, he wished to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether Her Majesty's Government will have any objection to permit prepaid letters which may pass through the Post Office with wrong addresses to be re-transmitted within the space of three days by the same channel to the persons to whom they are addressed, without any extra charge?
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERsaid, that the rule with regard to letters of this class was found in the 3 &c 4 Vict. c. 96, which provided that every letter that was re-directed, whether with a stamp or not, should be charged from the place whence it was re-directed (in addition to all other rates thereon) just the same amount as it would be liable to if prepaid. That rule was now strictly complied with. If a letter were delivered and then re-directed and put again into the post, it did not pay on its receipt the double postage to which in strictness it would be liable, but only the postage to which it would be liable if it had been prepaid. There was a double process—a delivery and a second transmission through 2367 the post; and it seemed reasonable, therefore, that the Post Office should receive a second payment.