§ MR. DWYER GRAYasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Whether, up to a couple of years ago, paper for impressed stamps for Irish news- 1215 papers was stamped at the Custom House, Dublin; whether a new regulation was then made requiring all such paper to be sent to Somerset House, London, to be stamped, but the Government paying the cost of carriage; whether recently, still another regulation has been made requiring the newspapers to pay the carriage to and from London: whether the receipts for the goods are still required to be sent to the Custom House, Dublin; and, what reasons have influenced the Government in making these changes?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. H. H. FOWLER)I have, in reply to the Question, to say that newspaper wrappers, which it is supposed is the meaning of "paper for impressed stamps," have never been stamped in Dublin, and no new regulation requiring each wrapper to be sent to London has consequently been made. Formerly the carriage of the paper wrappers sent up to London to be stamped was paid by the Government; but from motives of public economy the Board of Inland Revenue now expect newspaper proprietors in all parts of the Kingdom to pay the carriage of wrappers which they send up to be impressed for their own convenience. Receipts will be required at the Custom House, Dublin.