MR. GRANT LAWSON (York, N.R., Thirsk)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether there is any rule of the Post Office which enables a postmaster to direct that letters bearing any business or professional description shall not be delivered by the early deliveries before places of business are open at the private address of the person for whom they are obviously intended, even when such address is within the same postal delivery, but shall be detained until the next delivery after such places of business are opened; and whether, if such rule exists, he will take steps so to amend it as to prevent the grave inconvenience caused by it in places where there are few deliveries of letters?
§ MR. HANBURYThere is no rule which precludes postmasters from delivering letters bearing a business or professional description at the private address of the person for whom they are obviously intended. If such letters, besides bearing a business description, are actually addressed to a place of business, it is the postmaster's duty to deliver them there in accordance with the general rule which requires that all letters should be delivered at the place of their address; but even in such cases arrangements can be made for a special delivery at the addressee's private residence on payment of an annual fee of one guinea.