§ MR. CAVEsaid, he wished to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether the Postage of Letters from France to the West Indies, viâ Southampton, by the Royal Mail Steamers amounts to eight-pence, while that from England amounts to one shilling; and, if so, on what principle?
MR. PEELsaid, in reply, that our charge was 1s. per half-ounce from this country to the West Indies, and the principle upon which it had been fixed at that rate was in order to make the service, as far as possible, self-supporting. The French Government charged 8d. for a quarter of an ounce, and 1s. 4d. per half-ounce, from France to the West Indies, through this country. He did not know by what principle their rates were regulated, but they only paid us 1s. per ounce for those letters which we conveyed for them in our packets.