Canada: Its Postage Stamps and Postal Stationery Part 7

Mr. King's varieties X and XI are both peculiar, the former being a "very soft, thin, cream wove which is quite fragile and will not bear much handling," and the latter a "soft, thick, coa.r.s.e white wove paper; the surface presents a sort of hairy appearance, and the quality is better than series X." The 3d. is the only value occurring in these two varieties, which we have placed under "soft white wove paper" in the check list.

Lastly comes the ribbed paper. The first variety is a very soft, thin paper on which the 3d. appears. This is Mr. King's variety VII, and he makes a variety VIII of the same paper in a "cream" tone. The same value comes on a thicker, hard paper, Mr. King's variety IX, and he lists a 6d. in violet black as well.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the first issue of Canadian stamps furnishes plenty of material for study, and is an extremely difficult series to work out and put into proper form for a reference list. Mr. King truly says:--"If the papers and shades of this series of stamps are thoroughly studied, there are more varieties than in all the other British North American stamps put together; in many cases they are minute, in others more decided, but in every case distinct." Some criticism may be made of our not using _in extenso_, the excellent "Reference List"[32] prepared by Messrs. King and Corwin, but it has seemed wise, in working with the specialized collections already alluded to, to condense this list to some extent; nor do we think its correctness and usefulness have been impaired thereby.

[32] Monthly Journal, VII: 9.

We have spoken of the three values of stamps already treated as the "first issue" of Canada. Some may cavil at this, for there are three more values belonging to the pence series which may be regarded as part of the "first issue," inasmuch as they were complementary as well as supplementary to the original three. But they did not appear until nearly four or more years later, and therefore escaped the laid paper varieties. For this reason, and because there appears another important question to solve in connection with two of them, we have reserved a separate chapter for these three. We may also say that as one of them appears in the perforated series of pence values we have left the consideration of these latter stamps until the next following chapter.

CHAPTER III

THE REMAINING PENCE ISSUES

A resume of the chief happenings of the year and other items of interest is given in the annual reports of the Postmasters General, and a brief summary of these first few years will not be without its importance here. It will be recalled that the Provincial Government took over the control of its posts on the 6th April, 1851, and by the _Act to Amend The Post Office Act_, pa.s.sed 30th August, 1851,[33] the Postmaster General was required by statute to "report to the Governor General of the Province annually, for the purpose of being laid before Parliament at each Session, _First_. A report of Finances, Receipts and Expenditure of the Post Office Department for the year ending on the fifth day of April previous," etc., etc. Accordingly the first annual report of the Postmaster General was rendered on the 5th April, 1852. In it we find the following information:--

[33] 14^o & 15^o Vict., cap. LXXI, sec. 12.

Upon the transfer of the control of the Post Office Department in this Province, by the Imperial Post Office Authorities to the Provincial Government, on the 6th April, 1851, the number of Post Offices in operation was found to be 601--the number of miles of established Post Route, 7595--over which the annual transportation of the Mails was 2,487,000 miles--and the Gross Revenue raised under the authority of the Imperial Post Office, at the high tariff of rates then prevailing, had been for the year preceding the transfer 93,802 currency, including in that sum the collections in Canada of British Packet Postage, estimated to have amounted to 10,000 sterling.

The Provincial Act of the 12th and 13th Vic. cap. 66, providing for the management of the Department after the transfer, reduced the Postage charges in Canada upon all letters pa.s.sing between places within the Province, or within British North America generally, to a uniform rate of 3d. per 1/2 oz.; whereas under the tariff in force previous to the transfer, the average charge on each letter was computed to have been as nearly as possible 9d. per 1/2 oz.; the reduction therefore consequent upon the introduction of the uniform 3d. rate was equivalent to 2/3, or 66-2/3 per cent, on the former average letter Postage charge.

The Postage charge on Box or Drop Letters, and the additional charge on letters delivered in the Cities by Letter Carriers, have in each case been reduced to one half penny, being one half the former rates.

With regard to newspapers, the Postage charge has been altogether taken off upon several important branches of newspaper circulation, and papers to and from the other British North American Provinces, papers sent to the United States, and Editors' exchange papers, pa.s.s free of all Postage charge whatever. The rates on printed papers, circulars, pamphlets, books, &c., have also been modified and reduced.

The gross receipts of the Department for the year under review are given as 71,788 18s. 5d. currency, a drop of over 20,000 from the previous year; but this is a good showing after all, for when it is remembered that the new uniform rate of postage was but one third the former average rate, it is readily figured out that correspondence nearly doubled under the new tariffs. This is confirmed by the following comparative statement of pieces mailed:--

One week preceding 5th April, 1851, No. of letters, 41,000; papers, 90,000.

One week preceding 5th April, 1852, No. of letters, 86,051[34]; papers, 101,000.

[34] This is explained in the report for 1853 as being "a clerical error for 71,726."

There were 243 new post offices added during the year and 1023 miles of post routes.

"An agreement was concluded with the Post Master General of the United States, which has continued in satisfactory operation since April, 1851, under which letters pa.s.s between any place in Canada, and any place in the United States, at a Postage rate of 6d. currency, per half oz., except to and from California and Oregon, when, the distance being over 3,000 miles, the rate is 9d. per half oz. Letters are posted on either side, paid or unpaid, at the option of the sender."

The total correspondence pa.s.sing between the two countries is given as having a postage rating of $85,636.97.

The second annual report of the Postmaster General is dated the 31st March, 1853, and contains little of interest but statistics. 176 new post offices were established and 504 miles of new post routes added.

The gross revenue of the Department for the fiscal year is given as 84,866.6.11-1/2. and the total postage on the correspondence pa.s.sing between Canada and the United States was $104,966.40.

The third report, of 31st March, 1854, speaks of a large reduction in the postal charges upon newspapers circulating within the Province and on certain cla.s.ses of periodical prints, which took place on Feb. 1, 1854, but gives no further details. Concerning the British packet postage, however, the report says:--

In March, 1854, the charge on packet letters pa.s.sing between Canada and the United Kingdom and most foreign countries was reduced by the Imperial Government from 1s. 2d. sterling to 8d. sterling per 1/2 oz. when sent in closed mails through the United States, and from 1s. to 6d. when sent direct from a Provincial Port, Quebec or Halifax.

Further on are the following recommendations:--

Should no further change be likely soon to take place in the charges on the correspondence with England, it would promote the public convenience to procure Postage stamps of the value of 10d. and 7-1/2 d. respectively to correspond with the present packet letter charges.

And again:--

Much unnecessary labor and waste of time is occasioned to this Department by the practice now followed of rating and collecting Postage on all Government and Legislative correspondence, and it would be an improvement, in my belief, very worthy of adoption, to authorize by enactment the transmission of all such matter through the mails, under proper regulations, free of Postage charge, and that in lieu thereof, a certain fixed annual sum estimated to be equivalent to the aggregate of the Postage arising upon such correspondence, should be paid by the Receiver General to the Post Office, to be accounted for as Post Office Revenue.

Perhaps the most pregnant remark is one short statement:--"The use of stamps has materially increased"; for it will be remembered that the first annual report of the Postmaster General was pessimistic with regard to the employment of stamps, fearing that their use was diminis.h.i.+ng.

The accounts accompanying the report contain but one item concerning stamps:--

Rawdon, Wright & Co., Postage Stamps furnished Post Office Department 12.11.3

This amount was of course only for printing supplies, evidently for the 250,000 3d. stamps received during the fiscal year.

In the fourth report, of 31st March, 1855, there are several items of interest. The lowering of the British packet rates proved a popular step, naturally, and the report states that "Notwithstanding the important reduction granted by the Imperial Government in the postage rate between this country and the United Kingdom in March, 1854," the results were as follows:--

British Packet Postage collected in Canada in year ending 31 March, 1855 (postage rate 8d. sterling) 16,449.14.3-1/2.

British Packet Postage collected in Canada in year ending 31 March, 1854 (postage rate 1s. 2d. sterling) 17,495.1.4-1/2. which was a drop of but six per cent. in receipts upon a reduction of over forty per cent. in the postal charge.

Again:--

In March, 1855 the Imperial Post Office authorized a reduction in the charge on letters pa.s.sing through the English Posts between Canada and France, from 2s. 8-1/2d. Currency to 1s. 8d. Currency per 1/4 oz. letter.

The suggestions contained in the report for 1854 concerning the franking of official mail matter, and the payment of a fixed annual sum to the Post Office Department on this account, were acted upon, and the report states:--

In July last the Act of last Session came into effect, removing altogether the Postage charge on the circulation of Provincial Newspapers and according a franking privilege to the correspondence of the Legislature and of the Public Departments of the Government.

The Act referred to was doubtless the following:--

18^o Vict. Cap. LXXIX.

An act to abolish Postage on Newspapers published within the Province of Canada, and for other purposes connected with the Post Office Department of this Province.

[_a.s.sented to_ 19th May, 1855.]

WHEREAS papers devoted to the advancement of Education, Temperance, Science, Agriculture and other special objects, are now exempt from postage; And whereas it would further materially aid the diffusion of useful knowledge to remove all postal restrictions on the transmission of Newspapers in general, published within this Province, and of all doc.u.ments printed by order of either House of Parliament: Be it therefore enacted by the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council and the Legislative a.s.sembly of the Province of Canada, * *

* * and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, as follows:

I. All Newspapers published within the Province of Canada, shall be transmitted by mail free of Postage.

IV. All Letters and other mailable matter addressed to or sent by the Governor of this Province, or sent to or by any Public Department at the seat of Government, shall be free of Provincial Postage under such regulations as may be directed by the Governor in Council.

V. All Letters and other mailable matter addressed to or sent by the Speaker or Chief Clerk of the Legislative Council or of the Legislative a.s.sembly, or by or to any Member of either of said branches of the Legislature during any Session of the Legislature, shall be free of Provincial Postage.