Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-09-13
THE RICHMOND DISPATCH-~srNDAY. SEPTEMBER 49, 1885.

Of the Committee Of the Post-0llice
and Post Roads, and was both in the
committee and in Mr.. NIcs's Office
the advocate Of the reforms above
alluded to. In the Tgenty-scyenth
Congress he crowned his series
Of reforms by inaugurating a move
ment for reducing the rate of postage to
ten and five cents. The House pa ''ed
the bill, but the Senate did not reach
il, and it failed OF becoming Law until
the following year. Mr.. Briggs had
passed mean lille from Washington to
Boston. and Mr.. Shaw was fall Of ad-
miration for his friend, whose seven
years as Governor of Massachusetts,
were
GOOD YEARS FOR THE BAY STATE.
Mr.. johnson came into his office, ac-
compauied by the printer of the new
stamps, few minutes after Mr.. Shaw
had arrived, on that August morning.
Sheets of the stamps were laid before
the PostmaSter-General, who, after re-
ccipting for them, handed them to his
visitor to inspect. Mr.. Shaw returned
them after hasty glance, and then
drawing out his wallet he counted ont
Is cents, with which he purchased two
of the stamps-the first two ever issued.
The scent stamp he kept as a curiosity,
and the l0-cent stamp he presented
to Governor Briggs as an appropriate
gift.
The two denominations Of stamps
remained in use four years. In July,
1851, appeared new series Of and
3 cents, and soon after subsequent
issue Of the additional denominations
of 5, 10, IL. "a, 80, and 90 cents. In
1861 this series was called in by Mont
gomery Blair, Lincoln's Postmaster.
General, and a new series issued.
July /, 1863. the first 2-cent stamp
appeared, and it was to accommo-
Gate local postage. April /, 1868.
newspaper stamps Of 5, 10. and 25
cents were issued, but fell into
early disuse. In March, 1868, j. A.
J. Crcsswell. Grants POStmaStcr-Ge
eral, brought ont new seriee, bat
they did not come into favor, and after
two months were superseded by a Sc
rieS Of the denominations Of |, >. 3, 5.
E. 10. Is, 80. and 30 cents. In 1873
the repeal of the ranking privilege
made necessary the Department stamps
of special design. They are as follows
Executive. !, >, 3, 6, and 10 cents;
State, |, >, 3, 6, s. 10. II, Is, -, 30.
and 90 cents. and %. -, slO, and s2o:
Treasury. War, and Navy, each, !. ,.
3, &, ., 10, -, Is. "a, 80, and 30 cents
and
INTERIOR. JUSTICE. AND posi-
OFFICE,
each the same. excepting the Q-ccn,
stamp. Since December II, 1875. pre-. /
rayment stamps for newspapers and I
periodicals from publication Office have I
been issued. The denominations are
2. 3, i, Is, 5, Q. 10, T., -, 80, 43, GO, /
y, 81, and 90 cents, AMI 81, -, s., |
;6~$9, $l2. $2i. 33G. SIS. ami $50.
The aggregate issue Of postage stamps
n 1854 was l,459.76N, 800; OF news
PAPER and periodical stamps, 2,439, POS,
md Of official stamps, 1889, 40.
The idea Of the stamped envelope wa,
lSo the thought Of a Connecticut man.
.leVen years after John NJ. Mics the
'ost-Oilice Department was taken by
!. Il. Hubbard, OF the same State. and
{ his suggestion, IN June. 1893, the
Ist issue Of stamped envelopes be-
an. The denominations were 3
nd cents. aud April -.
S55. 10 cent envelope was
ddcd. In October. 1850, a new series
'as issued. with additions Of and (
cnts, in December, 1860. In war
me were issued envelopes denominated
>. 3, q, ., 10, II, 20, %. 30. and 10
lnts. October /. 1870, this series
as changed in design. The first
printed request envelopes " were Is
ied IN May, 1868 the first newspaper
rappers IN October, 1861. and the
rst postal-cards in May, 1873.
1t may be added that, while it is
orth remembering that the two con-
.cticut POStmasters-General respect
ely originated the use Of postage
amps and stamped envelopes IN
merica, another Connecticut man.
lward Allen, Of Norwich. invented
e envelope machine, which manalac-
re 10000 stamped envelopes per day.