§ MR. BOTTOMLEYI beg to ask the Postmaster-General whether, in view of the fact that he has recently intimated to various newspaper proprietors that he will not in future permit the transmission by post of advertisements offering premium bonds for sale, he will now withdraw his notice, seeing that Mr. Curtis Bennett, the magistrate at Westminster police court, recently decided, in a specially reserved judgment, that such bonds did not infringe the Lottery Act, and that, in view of this decision, many newspaper proprietors have entered into advertising contracts with dealers in such bonds.
§ THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Mr. SYDNEY BUXTON,) Tower Hamlets, PoplarThe magistrate's decision to which the hon. Member refers is not a recent decision; it was given so long ago as 10th January of last year. There had some time previously been a conviction for selling premium bonds by the chief magistrate at Bow Street. All the circumstances of the case have been taken into consideration, and, as I have already informed the hon. Member, I am advised that the advertisements of premium bonds, to the circulation of which objection has been taken, are in the nature of advertisements of lotteries such as cannot be properly allowed to be transmitted by post. The International Securities Corporation (Limited) have now taken proceedings in relation to the subject of the hon. Member's Question. Under these circumstances he will not expect me to enter into any further discussion of the matter; but, in the meantime, I propose to adhere to the course of action which has been followed for some years past.
§ MR. BOTTOMLEYMay I ask whether, in view of the fact that the legal decision referred to in the Question has not been upset, the right hon. Gentleman thinks it desirable that a Government Department should go contrary to that decision so long as it stands the settled law of the country?
§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTONThere are two decisions, one in favour and one against. The last one was given a year ago, and until the decision on which we have acted is upset, we shall continue to set in the way we are doing.
§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTONWe can but do our best.