§ MR. HANKEYasked the Postmaster General, Whether it is contemplated to make any and what reduction in the postage of letters to India, the West Indies, and Australia, from one shilling and one shilling and sixpence respectively, seeing that the French Government have reduced their postage for similar distances to all their own colonies to two pence halfpenny?
§ LORD JOHN MANNERSSir, it has been settled at the recent Conference at Berne that British India shall enter the Postal Union on the 1st of July next, and, in consequence of that arrangement, the single rate of postage on letters to British India will be reduced on that day from 9d. viâ Southampton to 6d., and from 1s. viâ Brindisi to 8d. The only alteration contemplated in the case of letters for Australia is to charge those sent viâ Brindisi 8d. instead of 9d. No determination has been come to as to reducing the rate to the West Indies. It is not known that the French Government have already reduced their postage on letters to the French Colonies; that postage is now generally 5d. for a single letter. A reduction will, it is believed, take place on the 1st of July next, but only to 4d., not 2½ d.