§ LORD ALFRED CHURCHILLsaid, he wished to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether the rates of Postage on Letters between this Country and Australia has recently been doubled; and if so, whether, considering that our Australian Colonies contribute one moiety of the Postal Subsidy required for this service, they have been consulted as to this increase, or have in any way expressed their opinion respecting it?
MR. PEELsaid, in reply, that the revenue derived from letters sent to Australia was not nearly sufficient to pay our moiety for transmitting that correspondence. It had consequently been decided from the 1st of next month to raise the charge on letters to Australia from 6d. to 1s., but the same regulation provided that the postage on letters sent by private ships should be reduced to 4d., with a view of meeting the case of poorer correspondents to whom economy was a greater object than expedition. Our postal arrangements with Australia were based on a Treasury Minute of 1855, and it did not, as was supposed, form any part of that arrangement that the rates of postage should not be raised by either party without mutual consent. On the contrary, the Minute contained the following passage:—
One of the advantages of the plan we have adopted will be that it will leave the House and the Colonial Government free to regulate the rates of postage in any way they may think fit.Due notice of the alteration has been given to the Australian Colonies.