MR. JAMES LOWTHER (Kent, Thanet)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether care will be taken, in connection with the forthcoming meeting of the Postal Union Convention at Washington, to reserve to Her Majesty's Government and all other component elements in the British Empire complete freedom of action in respect of all postal arrangements, including charges within the limits of the Empire itself?
§ MR. HANBURYIn 1890 the Post Office were advised that we had no power to establish rates other than those prescribed by the Union between Great Britain and the colonies. The Congress of Vienna in 1891 held that we might establish with our colonies rates lower than the Union rates, but higher than 739 our inland rates; but whether this will be confirmed by the Washington Congress is a matter of speculation. The representative of the Government will, however, be instructed to urge the point. As a fact, the United States and Canada have established rates lower than the Union rates between those two countries, as have Austria and Germany, and the Union has not interfered.