The Sun.
London, England, 1839-12-13 00:00:00

MORNING EDITION.

the party to blame. Should the stamp slip, with ad-
dress sought for be not found, and no stamp be or have
been missing of the period of transmission of the letter,
the fault would lie at the Post-office from which letter
transmitted, and this leads to a further suggestion, that
for additional security the address of a letter might be
required to be recorded, or receipt given at the office
tram which transmitted, on the payment of a trifling fee.
Thus, also, if forgery of the stamp may be appre
hended, a more leisure opportunity may be obtained for
the examination of the stamps (on return of the files),
than in the hurry of despatching or of sorting the cor-
respondence for delivery ; while the whole used stamps
being returned to the various Post-offices to be destroyed
atfer being preserved for a time, would prevent the pos-
sibility of any being used a second time, which might
also be attempted.
Admitted, that the plan suggested, which I have
humbly thought is completely practicable for insur-
ing the safe delivery of correspondence, would not,
if adopted, give complete security that all the corre-
spondence was safely delivered—as the letter carrier,
or country postmaster, could not at once be detected
of destroying letters, if he brought back or returned
all the stamp slips on his file—neither can he at
present at once be detected of destroying letters if
he account for the postago of unpaid letters of the
correspondence entrusted to him for delivery ; but
Ise would scarcely venture with such liberty, even
with what he might consider an unimportant communi-
cation, when he must obviously either deliver all the
letters in his charge, or bring or send back evidence to
lay at the Post office for a time, which would undoubt-
edly lead to his conviction in the event of complaint
being made of a letter being lost or undelivered in his
district. In the case of non-delivery of a letter being
complained of, and on examination of the files, the stamp
slip (bearing address, &c.) found in the office of the
district of delivery, the declaration of the party to whom
letter addressed, that no such letter was delivered to
him of the period, would establish the guilt of the letter-
carrier.

It is sot conceived that the public would refuse to
undertake the additional trouble of marking a duplicate,
or abridgment of the address, on the stamps accompany-
ing their various correspondence, when the plan for in-
suring the safe delivery of same was unfolded, for no indi-
vidual despatches any communication but what he desires
shall be delivered. Parties neglecting to do so would not
have it in their power to convict the party to blame in
the event of their letters being lost or mislaid, &c. The
plan suggested, would, in effect, if adopted, compel
every individual to register the address of his letter in
the Post-office, to be preserved for a time, and would be
infinitely superior to another I had in contemplation to
submit alone, that individuals anxious about the safety
of their communications, might obtain, if required, a re
cord of the addresses of same, or a receipt in a book to
be kept by themselves for the purpose, on the payment
of a trifling fee. This, it is obvious, could not be gene-
rally acted upon, and even acted upon, the party to
blame in the event of non-delivery could never be dis-
covered, unless separate instructions were to accompany
such letters to the Postmasters of the district of deli-
very, and receipt also taken on delivery, which would
scarcely be practicable. Great additional duty would
also result at the Post-office. (Vide note 4.)
This branch of the subject, I have humbly thought,
ought to be, and will be, considered as very important.
Should the plan suggested, or a better one (I have
heard of no one being proposed), for ensuring the safe
delivery of paid correspondence, not be adopted, it is
feared that ultimately, in the absence of any check,
great liberties will be taken with our correspondence,
particularly by letter carriers and country postmasters,
not only in the hope of money inclosures, but to avoid
trouble of delivery, &c. Such a plan it is not conceived
would impede the working of the proposed measure,
but the opposite—would give better security than exists
at present for the safe delivery of our whole correspond.
ence, and would be attended also 'vita the advantages
already adverted to, of furnishing a better opportunity
ter the examination of the stamps, and of 4tctually
preventing same being used more than once. Nobably
one individual would be sufficient to undtrtake the
duty suggested in every office out of London. A search
(which would not be a laborious one, as the files of the
date of transmission would only require to be examined)
under such a system, holding out almost certain cen-
viction in the event of non-delivery being oomplained of,
it is not conceived would often occur, and a small fee
might be charged for same, if considered advisable.
In the event of their Lordships, notwithstanding the
objections urged against stamp envelopes and. stamped
paper, determining upon the adoption of either, they
eould be prepared and cut in a form to admit of the
portion bearing the stamp being detached ; and the
plan proposed for insuring the safe delivery of correi-
spondence could he acted upon with either. In regard
to the correspondence of public offices and of individuals
adopting the envelope, as at present, which eoeld not
be prevented, the slip stamp, it is obvious, could be fitted
to same on envelopes being prepared.
Having not in the preceding observations touched
upon two of the points to which their Lordships
have directed attention in minute of 23d August,
vie., security from forgo.), and the expense of the
production and circulation of the stamp, 1 beg humbly
to remark, that the stamp being determined on, the
best security from forgery would probably be in
the manufacture of a particular paper for the pur-
pose (Dickenson's Patent suggested), bearing cer-
tain marks to be readily distinguished on inspection
of the stamp slip or other [node adopted, and by licensing
only a limited number of respectable shopkeepers in the
cities and towns, in addition to the various Post Offices
to retail same. Thus any attempt at forgery, to be
successful, would require combination and great outlay,
and could not be successful to any extent even with the
best imitations, as it might be arranged that the whole
stamps should he issued only to the retailers from the
Stamp-office, or Head Post-office of the respective dis-
tricts. It is not to be expected, that any individual
would think it an object or incur the hazard and ex-
pense to attempt a forgery merely to evade his own
postage. Their Lordships have not desired any design
as to the stamp itself, and probably there could be no
stamp determined upon but what might be success-
fully imitated. The preventive checks proposed, of
a licensed and limited number of retailers only being
permitted, &c., would, in the absence of any market
tor the extensive introduction of forged stamps make
any attempt at forgery a failure. An additional check
in the event of the correspondence passing through the
Post-office being numbered as proposed, would be,
comparing the number of stamps issued for any given
period with the number of the correspondence for the
period, which could be returned from the various
offices, allowing for those on hand.---(Vide note ii.) As
to the expense of the production and circulation of the
stamp, I am not prepared to give any estimate, It
must be obvious, that such would be greatly less
the slip or label stamp than if stamped envelopes or
stamped paper may be adopted. Were a dozen or
more fac similes prepared (and probably this will be
necessary to keep un a sufficient supply), so many could
he struck or thrown off on the same sheet of paper at
once. (The necessary preliminary outlay which would
attend twelve or more stamps being used in produc-
tion, would be another protectionin from forgery. And in
regard to circulation, in addition to what has been sug-
gested, applicable to towns, mail guards might be licensed
:Is retailers and could carry even in their pockets a
supply of the slip stamp sufficient to meet the wants
of the country districts, As I infer from their Lord-
ships' minute,p,tti
hetl. itt
to is
make a
in eoonteamddpiltaitoinoanl, shouldcharge the
r
stamp ho odl
saine to meet the cost of production, I humbly sub-
mit, that it would be desirable to have the stamps
retAiled at a penny neat, and the cost defrayed from
the Post-cfllce revenue. Retailers, however, might
be permitted to charge a commission of a halfpenny or
Denny per dozen. (N.--Were copperplate designs to
oe supposed not more liable to attempts at forgery,
the expense of the production of these would be com-
paratively small.)
In conclusion, I ventured to remark farther on the
subject, that although compulsory pre-payment by stamp
would be most desirable, in order that the various Post-
masters and Clerks being relieved from all pecuniary
esponsibility, and their duties generally lessened, a
reduction of their salaries, &c. may be effected, as well
as to avoid the delay to the delivery, which would be
consequent on the postage being collected as at present,
&c. Yet, as many communications are made, the
postage of which ought to fall on parties to whom ad-
dressed, which might thereby to a certain extent be
prevented, it may be important to consider whether
pre-payment should be enforced or not. A general
postage of twopence on unpaid letters would be 137,;
haps sufficient to prevent any great number 01 such
being transmitted.

NOTES AND ADDENDA.
1. The present mode of collecting the postage, re-
commended to be continued by many, may be ob-

jected to,
Because the deliveries in cities and towns could not
be accomplished expeditiously but by a largo accession
to the number of letter carriers, which would increase
greatly the expenditure of the Post Office Estlblish-

payment in advance, as at present
recommended
nient, &e.
2.
C
objectionable.
Because less likely to insure public convenience than
ompulsobryy others,
by stamp.
Because the number of clerks in the various Post-
offices would tail to be increased, and to be in at-
tendance at all hours. The duty of country Postmas-
ters and at receiving houses in towns would also be in-
creased. And,
Because the safe delivery could not be ascertained.
No cheque on the letter carriers, &c. could possibly be
devised in connection with this method.
3. The writer has been informed by individuals,
whose correspondence too is not great, of the frequent
los% or non-delivery of letters, particularly post paid.
Very lately he may mention, he himself, in conductirg a
correspondence with a Member of Parliament, had an
important franked communication in reply lost, and all
the satisfaction he could obtain was, that if such had

'een put into the London Office ft would certainly have

leen delivered, Ascertained that it was regularly put