[BILL 219.] COMMITTEE. (Hansard, 1 August 1870)

THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON
said, he did not wish to hold out a threat; but he would say that opposition to the Bill at this period of the Session was extremely critical, and anything in the shape of delay might amount to postponing the measure certainly for one Session, and it was impossible to say how much longer. The objection to the proposal of his hon. Friend was this—that when the Government had eliminated from the consideration of the subject the element of weight as regarded the heavier newspapers, he sought to reintroduce it as against the Post Office in favour of the light newspapers. His hon. Friend, in effect, said—"You may carry The Times or any of the heavier newspapers for a halfpenny because they are newspapers; but you ought to carry several numbers of The Echo up to four ounces not because they are newspapers, but because they are printed matter." That was a proposition which he could not accept. The proposal of the Government carried out 1383 even more than was asked for last year; and he did not think they could fairly be asked to adopt his hon. Friend's proposal. The Government did not see their way to make any further concession. If they had proposed an uniform rate per ounce on all newspapers it would have been an unfair handicapping of the heavy newspapers against the light ones; and it would have been encouraging the worst class of newspapers or those giving the smallest amount of information. Lord Derby's Administration, if time had allowed, had intended to make an arrangement by which papers like The Times would be placed on the same footing as the lightest newspapers. The book-post rates were unaffected by the Bill.

§ MR. GRAVES
said, he hoped the Amendment would not be pressed. The Bill carried out the pledge given by the Government that every newspaper, whatever its weight, should be convoyed for a halfpenny. After much consideration, he had determined to stand by the principle that a newspaper, whatever its weight, should be carried for a halfpenny. They should accept the Bill as far as it went, and reserve the question as to further concessions to some future occasion.

§ MR. M'LAREN
said, he thought the definition of a post-card should extend to an open sheet of paper.

§ SIR JOHN GRAY
said, that he believed a book-post parcel containing newspapers might, like other book parcels, be delayed in the Post Office for 24 hours.

§ MR. M'LAGAN
said, the Bill gave greater advantages to the large than to the small papers. He proposed as an Amendment in Clause 8, page 3, line 29, at end, add— Provided also, That registered newspapers with or without supplements or supplements sent into the Post Office in bulk, addressed either singly or in packets of two or more newspapers, direct from the publishing office of the newspaper, and not otherwise, shall be weighed in gross and charged at a rate not exceeding one halfpenny for every four ounces of the gross weight of such newspapers, supplements, and covers.

THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON
said, he could not accept the Amendment. He maintained that the Bill was 1384 a much greater boon to the small than to the large newspaper. He believed that such a paper as The Times cared very little for the amount of postage imposed on each copy of its publication.

THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON
said, he could not agree to the Amendment.

§ MR. GRAVES
said, he would suggest that the Amendment should be deferred till the bringing up of the Report.

(1.) Registered newspapers, whether singly or in packets of two or more, at a maximum rate for each newspaper with its supplements of	one halfpenny
(2.) Packets of printed matter, consisting wholly or partly of books, newspapers, periodicals, or other printed papers and pattern or sample packets, at the rate for each packet of—
If it does not exceed 2 ounces in weight	one halfpenny
If it exceeds 2 ounces in weight for the first 2 ounces, and for every additional 2 ounces or fractional part of 2 ounces	one halfpenny
(3.) Post cards, for each	one halfpenny
And from and after the first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-one:
(4.) Registered newspapers and other registered periodical publications in packets, consisting of one or more, at the rate for each packet of—
If it does not exceed with supplements and cover 4 ounces in weight	one halfpenny
If it does exceed 4 ounces in weight for the first 4 ounces, and for every additional 4 ounces or fractional part of 4 ounces	one halfpenny