§ MR. CARNEGIEsaid, in the absence of his hon. Friend (Mr. Miller), he wished to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, By what authority the Board of Inland Revenue permits the Postmaster General to accept receipts for sums contained in Money Orders of £2 and upwards without payment by the recipient of the Stamp Duty of One Penny, in contravention of the Act 16 & 17 Vict., c. 59; and, whether the same privilege would be accorded to a Company conducting money order business, and charging the public a lower rate for commission than is charged by the Post Office?
§ MR. SCLATER-BOOTH, in reply, said, the authority under which the Postmaster General was relieved from the obligation in question was a letter from the Treasury of the 20th of October, 1853. The whole subject was fully considered then, and it was decided there was no ground whatever for requiring the use of stamped receipts. A company conducting a money order business would not be at all in the same position as the Postmaster General; and it must be remembered that a minimum commission of 3d. was paid upon a Post Office money order, and this paid the Stamp Duty and left yet a largo margin for commission.