§ MR. D. N. NICOL (Argyll)On behalf the hon. Member for Canterbury, Mr. HENNIKER HEATON, I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether his attention has been called to the present regulations in the "Post Office Guide" for the conveyance of single letters by railway; whether, until letter-post boxes are provided in all through trains, he will abolish all the present regulations, and permit railway guards to carry letters which are properly stamped with the requisite amount of postage for a fee of 1d.; whether, of the 2d. now demanded, in addition to postage, on each letter brought to a railway station for transmission by train, any portion goes to the Government; and, if he can give the date when the present system of exacting 2d. on each letter, in addition to the stamp, was brought into operation?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. R. W. HANBURY,) PrestonThe Postmaster General is, of course, aware of the regulations for the conveyance of single post letters by railway. Those regulations were framed after negotiation with the railway companies, with a view to provide for a special class of correspondence, and the Postmaster General has no power to reduce the special fee, the whole of which is retained by the railway companies. The arrangement with the companies came into operation on the 1st February, 1891.