§ MR. HENNIKER HEATON (Canterbury)I beg to ask the Postmaster General will he explain why sums up to 10s. can be sent by Post Office order to Malta, Gibraltar, and Constantinople for 1d., whereas to send similar amounts in the same way to Canada, Australia, and other Colonies to which British emigrants go costs 6d.; and whether, having regard to the fact that in remitting money by Post Office money orders to the Colonies, the rates charged are for £10, 1 per cent., but for 10s., 5 per cent., and again, for £5, 1 per cent., but for 5s., 10 per cent., he will endeavour to equalise the rates thus charged to the senders of small and of large sums respectively by authorising the issue of Money Orders for any sum not exceeding £1, payable in the Colonies, at a charge of not more than 2d.?
§ THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (Sir JAMES FERGUSSON,) Manchester, N.E.It is not the case that the charges for sending money in the same way differ in the cases of Malta, Gibraltar, and Constantinople on the one side, and Canada, Australia, &c., on the other. The fact is, that the commission charged on Post Office money orders (the mode of remittance which extends to the Colonies mentioned and to the greater part of the world) is the same in all cases. But, in addition to that system, the cheaper inland postal order system also applies to Malta, Gibraltar, and Constantinople. It has not been deemed expedient to extend the postal order system to British Colonies generally on account of the risk of fraud, which it would be difficult to detect and prevent in Colonies so far distant from England as Australia. The rates of charge for remitting small sums by money order as compared with the charge for larger sums are as stated; but it should be borne in mind that the various processes to be gone through with an order for 10s. cost the Post Office as much as those to be gone through with an order for £10. Hitherto the commission on colonial money orders has been maintained at 6d., as it was considered that a reduction would entail a loss on the revenue, but it has for some time been under consideration whether the commission for foreign and colonial money orders can be revised.