§ MR. BUSZARDasked the Postmaster General, with reference to the political action of Postmasters, Whether the latest instructions to Head Postmasters are dated in 1873; whether the restrictions therein imposed on officers of the Post Office as to elections were founded on stat. 9 Anne, c. 10, s. 44; whether that statute was repealed in 1874 by stat. 37 and 38 Vic. c. 22; whether Rule 77, of Rules for Sub-Postmasters 1884, does not expressly recognise that "the former disabilities in regard to officers of the Post Office voting at elections and taking part therein have been removed;" and, whether he will state upon what grounds he has imposed, by the replies referred to, restrictions upon the political action of Postmasters not sanctioned by Act of Parliament?
§ MR. SHAW LEFEVREThe instructions of 1873 are out of date, the law having since been altered. But although Postmasters and other Post Office servants are now relieved from the political disabilities which formerly attached to them, it by no means follows that they should be allowed to act as political partizans. Indeed, at the time the law was altered it was distinctly contemplated by Parliament, as a reference to Hansard will show, that some regulations might be necessary to control the conduct of Post Office servants in political matters. The right hon. Baronet the Member for North Devon, who had charge of the Bill, spoke as follows:—
It was clearly undesirable that officers of certain branches, at all events, of the Public Service should take an active part in electioneering contests. And, therefore, although he quite agreed …that the law should be altered, and that old, obsolete, and inconvenient restrictions should be removed, he thought the House should do nothing to restrain the Executive Government from taking such steps as they 155 might find necessary for preventing any unseemly or inconvenient interference of their own officials in electioneering contests."—(3 Hansard, [219] 799.)