§ MR. BARNES (Glasgow, Blackfriars)I beg to ask the Postmaster-General whether he is aware of the tax imposed on Members by having to pay postage on the enormous correspondence they are obliged to deal with in the discharge of their public duties; and whether he will consider the desirability of returning to the old system of franking the letters of Members, or in some other way relieve them of this financial burden.
§ THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Mr. SYDNEY BUXTON, Tower Hamlets, Poplar)The Act 3 and 4 Vic. c. 96 expressly abolished the privileges of franking which Members of Parliament had previously enjoyed. I hardly think it would be expedient to revive it, even under the circumstances mentioned by the hon. Member.
§ MR. KEIR HARDIE (Merthyr Tydvil)asked whether Cabinet Ministers had not a right to frank their letters, and, if so, why private Members should not have the same privilege.
§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTONThe privilege is confined to those in office, and to their official correspondence.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN (Worcestershire, E.)Is it not also confined to such official correspondence of Ministers as is written from their offices or from this House?
§ MR. PIRIE (Aberdeen, E.)asked whether in 1840, when franking was abolished, the penny postage did not exist and the conditions consequently were wholly different?
§ MR. BELLOC (Salford, S.)Is it not the fact that the greater number of Members of Parliament were in those days very wealthy men, as, thank God, at present they are not?
§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTONCircumstances have altered very much since 1840. No doubt penny postage has greatly increased the amount of correspondence, while the average wealth of Members is not so great. But the real difficulty in regard to franking is this, that if it is allowed to 670 Members it is almost impossible to prevent abuse and even fraud. Even under the strictest conditions which prevailed before 1840 this was the case. It was largely on this ground—the difficulty of preventing fraud—that the system of franking was brought to an end.
§ MR. KEIR HARDIE (Merthyr Tydvil)Will the right hon. Gentleman agree to the appointment of a small Committee to consider and report on this matter.
MR. PIRIE AND MR. BOTTOMLEY Hackney, S.)asked why the privilege could not be confined to letters posted in the House of Commons.
§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTONI, for one, nave great sympathy with this view, because correspondence is a very heavy burden on hon. Members of this House. If the hon. Member will give me notice of a Question, I will consider the matter.