§ MR. LAWSON (St. Pancras, W.)I beg to ask the Postmaster General when the second-class foreign newspaper sorters who have been performing the duties of first-class foreign letter sorters since July last will have their appointments ratified; and whether their promotion will date from the occasion of the vacancies—namely, 13th June, 1891, or from the time of their transfer seven months ago?
§ SIR JAMES FERGUSSONThe appointments of these sorters have been ratified, and date from the 7th February. They were previously employed on probation. I will consider whether an acting allowance can 1041 be made to them for the period during which they were reported to have satisfactorily performed the duties.