§ MR. R. H. PAGETasked the First Lord of the Treasury, If he will be good enough to consider the desirability of meeting the public convenience by an arrangement which would make the existing Penny Postage Stamp available either as a Receipt or a Postage Stamp?
MR. GLADSTONESir, I have long desired that the public should be relieved from the inconveniences which attend the obtaining of Inland Revenue stamps as compared with the great facilities for obtaining postage stamps, and there is no way that I know of removing those inconveniences except the union of the stamps—that is to say, allowing postage stamps to be used for Inland Revenue purposes. There would be a certain amount of disadvantage for fiscal and statistical purposes in the arrangement; but, on the whole, the convenience would be so great that I think I may say that we propose to carry it into effect.