In England, as a part of the system devised by Mr. Rowland Hill, the
prepayment of letter-postage is greatly facilitated, and, of course, the
tendency to prepayment is increased, while the management of the
post-office itself, in all its departments, is simplified to the highest
degree, by the use of adhesive postage-stamps. The stamp is a small oblong
piece of paper, with a device upon it, (Queen’s head) so skilfully
engraved and printed as almost to defy counterfeiting, against which
indeed the small value of each one, the danger of speedy detection, and
the high penalty for counterfeiting a royal signet, are equally effective
safeguards. The stamp is coated on the back with an adhesive gum, which
securely fastens the stamp to the letter, by being slightly wet and
pressed down with the finger. These are printed in sheets, and are sold at
all post-offices, at precisely their postal value; 1_d_., 2_d_., or 1_s_.,
as the case may be. The postmasters purchase them for cash, of the general
post-office, and are allowed a deduction of one per cent for their
trouble. The small shop-keepers of all descriptions, who buy from the
post-offices without discount, generally keep postage-stamps to sell for
the accommodation of their customers and neighbors, just as they would
give small change for a larger piece of money with the same view. Such a
shop would lose favor by refusing to keep stamps to sell.
Each individual buys stamps for his own use, in as great or small numbers
as he pleases, always at the same rate. You keep them on your
writing-desk, along with wafers and wax. You carry a few in your wallet,
ready for use at any place. You seal your letter, and direct it, and then
attach one of these stamps, drop it into the letter-box, or send it to the
post-office, and that wonderful machinery takes it up, passes it about,
finds the owner, and delivers it into his hand, without any additional
charge. Nothing can exceed the simplicity of the process but the
perfection of its working.
As the current value of these stamps is the same in every part of the
country, and is precisely identical with that of the coin they represent,
they serve as a currency to be used in payment of small sums at a
distance. This is more useful in England than in the United States,
because there they have no bank notes of small denominations. But even in
this country, as soon as they are in general use, they will be found
vastly convenient in making small payments at a distance.
Besides the label stamps, the English post-office manufactures and sells
stamped envelopes, which will at once enclose the letter and pay the
postage. The price of the envelope is half a farthing, in addition to the
1_d._ for postage; that is, eight stamped envelopes are sold for 9_d._, or
24 for 2_s._ 3_d._
Stamped half sheets of paper are also furnished by the post-office, a
farthing being charged for the paper, besides the 1_d._ for postage. These
are much used for printing circulars, for which they are very convenient.
They are also bought by the poor to write brief letters on.
It is a common practice, in writing to another person on your own
business, to enclose a postage stamp to prepay the letter in reply. Some
persons, who have much correspondence, procure their own address printed
in script on the back of stamped envelopes, and then send these enclosed
to bring back the expected return. Persons doing a great deal of business
with each other, through the post-office, keep each other’s envelopes on
hand. The child at school or the son in college, is furnished with his
father’s envelopes, stamped and directed.
The postage stamps are cancelled, by an obliterating stamp in the office
where they are received, so that no postage stamp can ever be used a
second time. Each post-office is furnished with a cancel stamp, and an
ineffaceable ink for this purpose. There are five different forms of
cancel stamps, one used for London letters, deliverable within the London
District, one for letters mailed in London for places elsewhere, one for
all other places in England and Wales, one for Scotland, and one for
Ireland. Thus it is seen at a glance, from what section a letter comes.
Sometimes the stamp denoting the place at which a letter is mailed, is not
sufficiently plain. To meet this, and to serve some other conveniences,
the cancel stamps have a blank in the centre, in which is inserted the
number belonging to that office. Thus the shape tells the district, and
the number the office from which each letter comes. The London stamp has a
circular blank for letters that are mailed within the London circle, and
deliverable also within it, and a diamond-shaped blank for letters going
out of London.
The post-offices in each section are all numbered consecutively, and each
office is permanently known in all other offices by its number as well as
its name. Each office has its number engraved in the blank space of its
cancel stamp, as in the first and last above, so that the place from which
the letter comes is known at a glance.