ASSISTANT POSTMASTER-GENERAL BILL. (Hansard, 16 September 1909)

§ THE EARL OF CREWE

My Lords, this is a second Bill for the creation of a new office. I observe that the noble Earl, Lord Camperdown, is not in the House, or I should be afraid of incurring some further censure from him in respect of the subject-matter of this Bill. I cannot help feeling that it may even be that the contemplation of it has been too much for him, and he has felt it necessary to withdraw from the House in consequence. On the general question which was raised by the noble Earl I should like to say this. We must all agree that the multiplication of offices ought to be carefully watched, but I think each case must stand on its own merits; and if it can be shown, as I think it can be 1234 shown, that both in the case of the Board of Agriculture and of the Post Office the volume of work is so great that it demands two regular Parliamentary representatives to conduct it in the two Houses, it seems to me that the case for each may be considered as proved. When the present Postmaster-General came into office he found that the volume of work at the Post Office was so great that it was more than he could conduct in his own person, and he therefore asked the Prime Minister for some regular assistance. He received that assistance from my noble friend the Master of the Horse, who has not only conducted the small amount of business connected with the Post Office in this House, but has also undertaken, very capably if I may be allowed to say so, a large amount of office work to an extent of which your Lordships may not be altogether aware. So far as the work of the Office is concerned, that is all quite satisfactory; but here, again, it does seem due to the ever-increasing importance of the Post Office Department to place matters on a regular footing, and in order that that may be done legislation is required. As your Lordships know, it is a regular constitutional rule that holders of salaried offices cannot sit in Parliament, and in any case where they are allowed to sit in Parliament it is only because of a Statute which explicitly permits of their doing so. Therefore, although the Postmaster-General, under the Post Office Act, can appoint such officers as he pleases and can assign salaries to them, yet it is not possible for him proprio motu to appoint officers who are able to sit in Parliament. That, my Lords, is the origin of this Bill, and I hope it will receive the same measure of support which your Lordships were good enough to give to the parallel Bill in respect of the Board of Agriculture.