Oral Answers to Questions — Post Office. – in the House of Commons am ar 11 Gorffennaf 1922.
Colonel Frank Hilder
, Essex South Eastern
asked the Postmaster-General if he will consider the advisability of applying to touting moneylenders and to persons carrying on other businesses which are noxious to the community the same postal restrictions as are applied to persons who offend against the lottery Laws; and is he aware that in some of the British Dominions the Post Office has, and exercises with benefit to the community, the power of suppressing or strictly limiting nefarious undertakings by refusing them the right to use the Post Office?
Mr Herbert Pease
, Darlington
The Laws relating to lotteries and certain other matters prohibit the use of the post in connection therewith. There is, however, no similar legislation regarding money lending. I have no power to interfere with moneylenders' circulars sent through the post. I am aware of the facts stated as regards certain British Dominions.
Laws are the rules by which a country is governed. Britain has a long history of law making and the laws of this country can be divided into three types:- 1) Statute Laws are the laws that have been made by Parliament. 2) Case Law is law that has been established from cases tried in the courts - the laws arise from test cases. The result of the test case creates a precedent on which future cases are judged. 3) Common Law is a part of English Law, which has not come from Parliament. It consists of rules of law which have developed from customs or judgements made in courts over hundreds of years. For example until 1861 Parliament had never passed a law saying that murder was an offence. From the earliest times courts had judged that murder was a crime so there was no need to make a law.
