§ MR. BRADLAUGH (Northampton)asked the First Lord of the Treasury, To what extent, and to what persons, the Treasury has allowed free postage in connection with any of the South Kensington Exhibitions held otherwise than under Royal Commission; and, who is responsible for granting such allowance?
§ THE FIRST LORD (Mr. W. H. SMITH) (Strand, Westminster)Free inland postage was allowed on the official correspondence of the Commissioners for the International Fisheries and Health Exhibitions in 1883 and 1884. In each case an individual officer of the Commission was deputed to certify the official character of the correspondence, free postage being limited to letters bearing the official stamp. Through a misunderstanding as to the precedents of the Paris Exhibition of 1878 and previous Commissions, the account opened by the Post Office with the Fisheries and Health Exhibitions was regarded as a non-paying account. In 1884 the late Mr. Fawett called special attention to this matter, with a view of preventing further concessions of a like character. The Post Office was responsible in 1883 and 1884 for the course taken as to the Fisheries and Health Exhibitions.
§ MR. BRADLAUGHasked, whether free postage had been granted to persons connected with the Imperial Institute?
§ MR. W. H. SMITHNo; it has not.