§ Mr. STEWARTasked the Postmaster-General if letters addressed to Pekin, if they happen to be under-stamped or by inadvertance not to be marked viâ Siberia, are sent viâ Suez and thereby delayed several weeks; whether he will consider the possibility of sending such letters forward by the quickest route and collecting the extra charge at Pekin; and whether the letters to the British Legation only are given the penny postage rate, while the rest of the British community do not enjoy it?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELLetters for the Far East to be sent by the Siberian route must be fully prepaid and super-scribed "viâ Siberia." The conditions of transit viâ Siberia have been under my consideration, but I regret that at present I am unable to arrange for any relaxation of the regulations. The postage on letters for Pekin is 2½d. for the first ounce and l½d. for each succeeding ounce. Letters for the British Legation are sent to Tientsin, to which place letters are transmissible at the rate of 1d. per ounce. 563 The British Legation makes special arrangements for fetching its correspondence from Trientsin.
§ Mr. STEWARTIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that Great Britain is the only Power that is subject to the inconvenience of having correspondence to Pekin sometimes delayed for weeks?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELNo; that is not the case.