§ Mr. HENNIKER HEATONasked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that special mail bags are made tip every Friday in London for passengers for India, the East, and Australia, in the P. and O. and Orient steamships, to be sent to Brindisi and Naples, and that the letters, etc., must be registered; why is registration necessary, in view of the fact that mail bags from Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne are sent overland by the various Australian Governments to catch the P. and O. and Orient steamers at Adelaide without being registered; whether he is aware that postal officials report that registration is not necessary and would cause no more delay than ordinary letters for Port Said, Aden, Bombay, Singapore, or Sydney; and will he take steps to abolish the inconvenience and expense of registration of these letters for passengers and have special mail bags made up addressed to the captains of the outward steamers?
§ Mr. SYDNEY BUXTONThe arrangement is as stated by my hon. Friend; and I am not aware that it has been found inconvenient. Registration is required to facilitate the selection of the letters from the general correspondence for Italy. Without registration if would not be possible to select them in time for despatch by the Indian mail train.