CHAPTER IX

THE SMALL "CENTS" ISSUE, 1870-82

In the _American Journal of Philately_ for August 20, 1869 we find the following: "Canada is shortly to have a new set of stamps. Taking lessons in economy from our own country, it seems they are about altering their stamps to make them smaller, so as to save paper. The head will still remain exactly the same as now, but the frame and margin around the head will be considerably less." The 1869 set of the United States was then in use, and it may well be that the smaller sized stamps appealed to the authorities in comparison with their own rather large sized productions, even though their suggested parsimony had nothing to do with it. The current 1/2 cent stamp was taken as the model, and the other values reduced in size to correspond with it, while keeping their former colors. The main features of the designs were therefore retained.

No special announcement of the new series was made that we have been able to discover, and they were only introduced, apparently, as stocks of the large sized stamps on hand were used up. We find the first record of the change in the _American Journal of Philately_ for February 20, 1870: "The stamps of the New Dominion have now made their appearance, altered as described by us last August." Though not specified, this referred to the 3 cent stamp, and its actual issue probably took place in January. _The Philatelist_ chronicles it in the issue of March 1, 1870, as being of "the same colour and general description as before". [Illustration No. 28 on Plate II.]

The next value to appear was the 1 cent, which was noted in the _Stamp Collector's Magazine_ for April 1, 1870; it was probably issued, therefore, some time in March, for the _American Journal of Philately_ records it in its issue of April 20, 1870. [Illustration No. 25 on Plate II.]

Two years then elapsed before further additions were made, and lent some color to the report in several European journals that the cause of the new issue was the destruction by fire in Montreal of the plates of the 1 cent and 3 cent of 1868, and that the other values of the set would remain as before. The _American Journal of Philately_ learned, however, that only the press room of the Bank Note Co. was damaged, and that the plates were intact. At last the 6 cent in reduced size made its appearance and was chronicled in the _American Journal of Philately_ for February, 1872, to be followed in the March issue by the announcement of the 2 cent. The former value must therefore have been issued in January and the latter in February. [Illustrations Nos. 30 and 26 on Plate II.]

Again in the _American Journal of Philately_ for November 20, 1874, we find it "reported" that Canada "has issued a 10c. rose", and the next issue says it "is printed in a peculiar pale rose, we can not call to mind any other stamp of this particular tint." The actual issue therefore, was probably about November 1, 1874. Just what called forth this new value in the Dominion series does not appear, unless it be the section in the Postal Treaty between Canada and the United States which fixed the rate on patterns and samples at 10 cents for not over 8 oz., with prepayment obligatory.[104] This rate did not go into effect, however, until January 1, 1875. Of course as a multiple of the 5 cent rates which came into force on October 1, 1875, the new 10 cent stamp was very useful, but that was nearly a year subsequent to its issue. The new stamp is illustrated as No. 32 on Plate II.

[104] See page 121.

The next of the series to make its appearance was the 5 cent, which was noted in the _American Journal of Philately_ for February 20, 1876 as having "just been issued." [Illustration No. 29 on Plate II.] This doubtless means about the 1st February, so that its large sized predecessor had only about four months of life. There were now left in the large sized stamps only the 12-1/2 and 15 cents. In its issue for May, 1872, the _Stamp Collector's Magazine_ quoted from the _Canadian Philatelist_ as follows:--"It is unlikely that the 12-1/2 c. small size will be issued, as the large ones are very little used, and can now be bought at the post-office at 12 cents." This last statement is rather surprising. Nevertheless, it was announced in the _American Journal of Philately_ for October, 1879 that "Canada will shortly issue the 12-1/2 and 15c. values of postals in small size, to correspond with the others of the series." This paper seemed to have been usually well informed concerning Canadian postal matters, but the expected new stamps did not materialize. The dies and plates were undoubtedly prepared, for the 12-1/2 cent stamp at least exists in a finished state, but is very scarce. Proofs of both values were illustrated in _Le Timbre-Poste_ for November, 1888, with the following remarks: "On nous envoie les essais des futurs timbres 12-1/2 et 15 centavos qui doivent compléter un peu tardivement, la série des timbres à ce format. Nos exemplaires sont imprimés, le premier en lilas, le second en vert sur papier de la Chine." Commenting on this in the _American Philatelist_ for December, 1888, Mr. W. C. Stone says: "We heard of these some ten or twelve years ago and saw them both last summer in New York." We have been fortunate enough to be able to illustrate the 12-1/2 cent (see No. 89 on Plate V) from the Worthington collection, and this finished copy, with full gum, is in a bright blue as we should expect. We regret that it was impossible to locate a copy of the reduced 15 cent to illustrate as a companion piece. The reasons that the plates of these two stamps were never actually brought into use, though evidently prepared with the other values in smaller size, were probably these: The 12-1/2 cent of 1868, as we have seen, though issued to postmasters for several subsequent years, was not printed after 1871, nor was the old stock exhausted when its use was discontinued. There was therefore no call for any supply to be printed from the new plate. The 15 cent was not printed between 1869 and 1875, and after that in such relatively small quantities each year until 1896, that, unless we are greatly mistaken, the original plate never wore out, but was used without change to the end.

The old adage that "history repeats itself" was again exemplified in Canadian stamps when in July, 1882, the 1/2 cent stamp, for fourteen years unaltered, was once more reduced to a smaller size than the regular series. The general effect of the design remained the same, but the foliate ornamentation gave place to angular outlines. The illustration will be found as No. 27 on Plate II.

All of the above mentioned stamps, except the 1/2 cent as will be explained, were line engraved on steel and printed in sheets of 100, ten rows of ten. The marginal imprints turn out to be of three varieties in this series, and we have pieced together what information we can concerning them, for strips with marginal imprints are extremely hard to find now. The first plates made, including at least the 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 cent stamps, and probably the 10 cent as well, since that was engraved before the 5 cent, had the denomination in shaded Roman capitals, 4 mm. high, [Illustration No. 121 on Plate XI], over stamps 2 and 3 of the top row. Sometimes the shading is hardly apparent, as in our illustration, but it can be detected. Beginning over stamp 4, extending over stamps 5 and 6, and ending over stamp 7, is the inscription we found on the series of 1868 (see illustration 107 on Plate IX), "BRITISH AMERICAN BANK NOTE CO. MONTREAL & OTTAWA" in colorless Roman capitals in the little strip of color 1 mm. wide and 51 mm. long. This imprint is also beneath the bottom row of stamps and at each side, reading up at the left and down at the right [Illustration No. 111 on Plate X]. We have so far not seen this inscription on the 5 cent and 10 cent sheets, and doubt if it exists on the former at least.

About 1875 the engraving company seem to have dropped their Ottawa branch, for on the large 5 cent stamp, whose plate was made in that year, we find the new imprint "British American Bank Note Co. Montreal" in capitals and lower case letters on a colored strip 56 mm. long and 2-1/2 mm. wide, having a pearled border. This imprint is found on all four sides of the sheet, as before, as reference to Plates X, XI and XII will show, and on the plates of all values. In the case of the 6 and 10 cent stamps, and perhaps some others as well, the value SIX, TEN, etc. is now found in the shaded Roman capitals over stamp number 9 of the top row, but lacking the word CENTS. Over stamp number 2 of the top row is the figure of value, 6 mm. high, [Illustration No. 118, Plate XI]. A sheet of the small 5 cent stamps which we have seen, however, does not follow this arrangement but reverts to the first style with FIVE CENTS in the shaded Roman capitals over the first three stamps of the top row only, though having the four "Montreal" imprints. Again, a sheet of 3 cent that we have examined has the word THREE alone in the shaded Roman capitals over the first two stamps of the top row, and the "Montreal" imprint at the center of the top and bottom rows only, there being nothing at the sides. A sheet of 1 cent presents still another style, having the "Montreal" imprint at top and bottom alone, and no other marginal inscriptions. We have seen no sheet or margin of the 2 cent stamp bearing the "Montreal" imprint, but it doubtless exists.

Whether the arrangement of these marginal inscriptions is a special one for each value, or whether each style described exists in all values there does not seem to be material enough at hand to determine. Probably neither statement is wholly in accordance with facts, as there must have been a great many plates of the 1 cent and 3 cent stamps, with proportionately fewer for the less used values. There seems to have been no system of plate numbering, as far as we can discover, though some margins show reversed letters or figures about 3 to 4 mm. high in various positions; they do not appear to have any special significance, however.

In regard to the 1/2 cent of 1882, which we excepted from the above statements, there is a special arrangement to consider. The stamp was of course line engraved on steel, as before, but the plate printed two panes of 100 impressions each, side by side. These panes were the usual 10 × 10 arrangement, and were separated by a space of 11 mm. through which they were cut into two "post office sheets". The marginal inscriptions were simply the "Montreal" imprint [illustration No. 127 on Plate XII] which appeared six times--at the top and bottom of each pane, in the right margin of the right hand pane and the left margin of the left hand pane, there being no imprint in the space between the two panes. Over the top inscription of the right pane is the reversed figure 1, 4 mm. high, and in the same position on the left pane the corresponding figure 2, evidently to designate the panes.

Once again, and this time the fact was noted in some of the philatelic journals, the imprint was changed. The engraving company had been required by the Government to do its printing at Ottawa,[105] and under "Canada Notes" in _Mekeel's Weekly Stamp News_ for December 21, 1892, "Canadensis" reports: "The new plates of the Canada stamps now bear this imprint: 'British American Bank Note Co. Ottawa', instead of Montreal. The matrix being made from the old die are exactly like the previous issues." The new imprint is a copy of the first one we described, with "Montreal &" omitted. It is 40 mm. long and 1-1/2 mm. wide and is well shown in illustration No. 123 on Plate XII. These new plates were doubtless the ones heralded in the _Dominion Philatelist_ for September, 1892, wherein it is stated that "the present issue of Canada 3 c. Stamps are being printed and issued in sheets of 200 instead of 100 as formerly." And again in the same paper for May, 1893: "The Canada 1c., 2c., and 3c. stamps are now being printed in sheets of 200." This new sheet arrangement consisted of ten horizontal rows of twenty stamps each. The "Ottawa" imprint appears three times, once in the middle of the top margin, over stamps 10 and 11, and twice in the bottom margin, beneath stamps 5 and 6, and again beneath stamps 15 and 16. There are no imprints at the sides. The denomination appears in the top margin at both right and left and in a new style of lettering on these larger plates. Thus we find ONE CENT or TWO CENT over stamps 2 and 3 as well as 18 and 19, or THREE CENT over the first four and last four stamps in plain Egyptian capitals, (see illustration No. 120 on Plate XI).

[105] See page 128.

One other imprint was used on the 2 cent value at least, but we have so far seen it on no other. It was 49 mm. long and nearly 2 mm. wide, but otherwise is a duplicate of the smaller "Ottawa" imprint. A portion of it is seen in illustration No. 129 on Plate XIII. The sheet was in the 10 × 10 form, and the imprint appeared at top and bottom only, there being no other marginal inscriptions. From the sheet form it would seem probable that it preceded the use of the sheets of 200 stamps.

The colors of these small stamps were intended to be the same as those of the larger stamps they superseded, and in the main they were so. The orange and orange yellow shades of the 1 cent stamp appear to have been the earlier ones, while the yellow tints came in the later printings. The 2 cent follows the green of its predecessor very closely. The 3 cent, as might be expected, is more prolific in the variety of shades presented. The _Philatelist_ chronicled it (March, 1870) in the "same colour as before," while Moens, in _Le Timbre-Poste_, was more specific and gave it as red-brown. In May, 1873, the _Stamp Collector's Magazine_ lists it in orange-vermilion, while _The Philatelist_ says vermilion and _Le Timbre-Poste_ bright orange. The 5 cent stamp did not vary a great deal except in tone, though _Le Timbre-Poste_ notes it as "black-gray" in July, 1877. The 6 cent was also fairly constant in its brown shade. The 10 cent appeared at first in what, for want of a better name, may be called a rose-lilac. The _Stamp Collector's Magazine_ called it pale rose, and the _American Journal, of Philately_ said it was a "peculiar pale rose" which was a new tint. The latter paper notes it again in a "bright carnation" in March, 1876, while _Le Timbre-Poste_ in August of the same year chronicles it in "pale red instead of lilac."

We have been thus particular in listing the record of early shades because of the changes which come later.

In the January, 1888, issue of the _Halifax Philatelist_ we find the following note under "Canada":--"The plate of the 2 c. stamp has been re-engraved. Color is now dark green". No details of such re-engraving were forthcoming, but in the June, 1888, number of the _Philatelic Record_ is a paragraph which evidently refers to the same stamp:--"A correspondent has sent us a specimen of the 2 cents, green, which he calls a _new die_. We fail to see it; but what we do see is, that the stamp is printed from a lithographed transfer." This surprising statement seemed to excite no special comment save from the sagacious M. Moens, who remarks:[106] "Nous avons également reçu ce timbre qui parait lithographié, par suite d'usure de la planche, croyons-nous, car la feuille entière que nous avons annonce que l'impression a été faite, comme antérieurement, par la British American Bank Note Co. de Montreal et Ottawa, qui ne s'occupe pas d'impression lithographique que nous sachions."

[106] =Le Timbre-Poste=, XXVI: 61.

Without doubt M. Moens gave the correct explanation, for the imprint that he mentions will be recognized as the one to be found on the earliest plates of the small stamps, and 1888 was thirteen years at least after the second type of imprint with "Montreal" only had been introduced. Hence the stamp in question was probably a late print from a worn plate, which gave a rather flat and indistinct impression that might suggest lithography, though it is certain that Canada has never yet stooped to such a cheap means of postage stamp production. A similar case may be recalled with the 1/2 penny stamp of St. Helena which was issued in 1884, and which presented a like appearance.

Whether the above incident had anything to do with the change of the printing company from Montreal to Ottawa, which we have already noted in describing the imprints, we cannot say, but it is certain that it was the beginning of changes, in shade at least, which affected the whole series of stamps. We have the authority of the Postmaster General's Report for 1889 that the "removal of the British American Bank Note Co. from Montreal to Ottawa" had taken place--evidently early in 1888, as will be seen later--so that the use of an old worn-out plate might have been a case of temporary necessity. Further details are given by the Canadian correspondent of the _Weekly Philatelic Era_[107] as follows: "About six years ago the Government insisted on their contractors doing their printing at the Capital, and the British American Bank Note Co. erected a handsome establishment on Wellington Street, where all postage stamps have since been printed. It may be remembered that the Ottawa printings were signalized by distinct varieties in shade from the earlier Montreal issues, varieties that have never been sufficiently distinguished in the standard catalogues."

[107] =Weekly Philatelic Era=, XII: 23.

These changes in the stamp shades were soon noted. In March, 1888, the _Philatelic Record_ described the 10 cent stamp as "now in carmine-red", while two months later it chronicled the 5 cent as changed "from bronze-green to greenish-grey." We have already noted the change in the 15 cent to a color approximating its original mauve, "only more of a bluish tinge," which the _Halifax Philatelist_ recorded in July, 1888. The following October the same paper listed the 3 cent in a "bright carmine", and in July, 1889, announced the 2 cent in "blue green". The 6 cent lagged behind the others and did not manifest itself until the _American Journal of Philately_ announced it in October, 1890, in a "rich brown." Once again, _Le Timbre-Poste_ for April, 1892, stated that the 5 cent had "since the 8th March, appeared in gray black". The 1 cent doubtless had its special hue of yellow along with the other changes, but it was not recorded, probably because not distinct enough from the usual run of variations in which it had been appearing.

That the above changes were hardly of a character to warrant dignifying them as a "new issue," which is frequently done, is shown by a moment's consideration. The 1/2 cent and 1 cent stamps showed no appreciable difference in coloring and therefore caused no comment. The 2 cent did not maintain its blue green shade unaltered, and the 3 cent soon reverted to its former brilliant red hue, as the _Philatelic Journal of America_ for May, 1889, says that "the carmine color recently adopted has been dropped, and the stamps are printed in colors similar to the ones in use before the change was made." The 5, 6 and 10 cent stamps, however, made permanent changes, but only such as might readily be traceable to a new mixing of the inks in the case of the first two. The 10 cent can hardly be so easily disposed of, as lake and brown-red are of quite different composition from a rose-lilac. But there can have been no official intention of altering the shades or colors or more definite and permanent changes would certainly have been made throughout the set. It remains, therefore, to classify them simply as shade varieties of the original set.

Mr. King gives a list of eight varieties of paper[108] for the "small cents issues", but we have deemed it sufficient to note a thick and a thin white wove paper, and a closely ribbed paper. All values are reported as existing with the compound perforation (11-1/2 × 12) spoken of under the 1868 issue. We also find all values occurring in an imperforate condition. The 3 cent was first noted in the _Philatelic Record_ for December, 1882; the 15 cent we have already spoken of under the 1868 issue; and the 5, 6 and 10 cent at least, from the shades of the specimens we have seen, belong to the printings subsequent to the color modifications of 1888-90. Concerning these imperforates, we find in a paper on Canada, read before the Royal Philatelic Society by Mr. M. H. Horsley,[109] the following note:--

In my opinion, which I have had confirmed by several most competent authorities, the various imperforated copies which I show you, some used and some unused, are absolutely genuine varieties. Imperforated copies of various values were sold over the Post-office counter in Montreal about the years 1891-3, at their face value, and have been good for postage whenever people cared to use them. The quantities in this condition are, I believe, extremely small.

[108] =Monthly Journal=, VIII: 237.

[109] =London Philatelist=, XVI: 88.

Supplementing this Mr. Pack writes:[110]--

I quite agree with Mr. Horsley in regard to the various imperforate copies of the issues of 1882 to 1895. There are a good many specimens of these stamps imperforate, and they were on sale at a Canadian Post Office.

[110] =London Philatelist=, XVI: 144.

The above statements are correct, and we can vouch for them by documentary evidence. Not only were the various values of the series we are considering on sale in imperforate condition, but also the 8, 20 and 50 cent stamps which we are next to consider, and the shade of the 8 cent stamp shows it to have been among the earlier printings--probably in 1893. We are fortunate in being able to present illustrations of all these imperforates in blocks of four or more, which will be found on Plates IX, X and XII.

That these imperforates are perfectly good for postage and are recognized by the Canadian Post Office to this day, equally with their perforated prototypes, has been proved to our satisfaction because we have employed some on registered matter addressed to the United States. As this class of mail requires to be fully prepaid, any irregularity would at once be detected and the covers would tell the story. We illustrate a pair of the 2 cent imperforate on a registered cover mailed at Como, Quebec, on March 20, 1905. [Plate XIII, No. 129.]

As before, we find that a few stamps have been "split" and used for half their value, copies of the 2 cent and 6 cent having been cut vertically and doing unquestioned duty as 1 cent and 3 cent stamps respectively. As this practise is unauthorized they can be regarded mearly as freaks that have slipped through by carelessness--or favor.

Turning once more to the Postmaster General's Reports, we begin with that of the 30th June, 1875. This notes that:--

The Act passed in the last Session of Parliament for the regulation of the Postal Service of Canada, came wholly into force on the 1st October, 1875.

1. Letters passing by mail at 3 cents per 1/2 oz.

2. Local or drop letters at 1 cent per 1/2 oz.

3. Post cards 1 cent each.

4. Canadian newspapers and periodicals, from office of publication at 1 cent per pound of bulk weight.

5. Transient newspapers and periodicals, circulars, books, pamphlets, etc., open, 1 cent per 4 oz.

6. Newspapers or periodicals weighing less than 1 oz. each, when posted singly, 1/2 cent each.

7. Closed parcels not containing letters, 12-1/2 cents per 8 oz.

The Act referred to was "An Act to amend and consolidate the Statute Law for the regulation of the Postal Service. [_Assented to 8th April, 1875._]"[111] and was mainly a repetition of _The Post Office Act, 1867_,[112] with certain amendments incorporated. The principal changes which interest us are as follows:--

[111] 38^o Vict. Chap. 7.

[112] 31^o Vict. Cap. X. See page 95.

1. This Act shall be known and may be cited as "The Post Office Act, 1875," etc., etc.

10.--6. Cause to be prepared and distributed postage and registration stamps necessary for the prepayment of postages and registration charges, under this Act; also stamped envelopes for the like purpose and post-cards and stamped post bands or wrappers for newspapers or other mailable articles not being post letters.

19. [_Letter rate of 3 cents per 1/2 oz._]: and such postage rate of three cents shall be pre-paid by postage stamp or stamps at the time of posting the letter, otherwise such letter shall not be forwarded by post, except that letters addressed to any place in Canada and on which one full rate of three cents has been so pre-paid, shall be forwarded to their destination charged with double the amount of the postage thereon not so prepaid, which amount shall be collected on delivery.

20. [_Drop letter rate restricted to_ "one cent per half ounce weight."]

22. The rate of postage on newspaper and periodical publications printed and published in Canada, and issued not less frequently than once a month from a known office of publication or news agency, and addressed and posted by and from the same to regular subscribers or news agents, shall be one cent for each pound weight, or any fraction of a pound weight, to be prepaid by postage stamps or otherwise as the Postmaster General may, from time to time, direct; and such newspapers and periodicals shall be put into packages and delivered into the post office, and the postage rate thereon prepaid by the sender thereof, under such regulations as the Postmaster General may, from time to time, direct.

23. Newspapers and periodicals weighing less than one ounce each may be posted singly at a postage rate of half a cent each, which must be in all cases prepaid by postage stamp affixed to each.

24. On all newspapers and periodicals posted in Canada, except in the cases hereinbefore expressly provided for, and on books, etc., etc., [_repeats Sec. 26 of Act of 1867_], the rate of postage shall be one cent for each four ounces or fraction of four ounces, ... and this postage rate shall be prepaid by postage stamps or stamped post bands or wrappers....

27. [_Repeats Sec. 29 of Act of 1867_] And when any letter or other mailable matter is posted in Canada without prepayment, or insufficiently prepaid, in any case in which prepayment is by this Act made obligatory, the Postmaster General may detain the same, and cause it to be returned, when practicable, to the sender.

28. [_Replaces Sec. 30 of Act of 1867_] And for avoiding doubts, and preventing inconvenient delay in the posting and delivery of letters,--no Postmaster shall be bound to give change, but the exact amount of the postage on any letter or other mailable matter shall be tendered or paid to him in current coin as respects letters or other things delivered, bearing unpaid postage, as shall also the exact value in current coin as respects postage stamps, registration stamps, stamped envelopes or post cards, post bands or wrappers, purchased from any Postmaster and the exact amount of postage payable to any letter-carrier on any letter or mailable matter delivered by him.

38. [_Repeats Sec. 40 of Act of 1867 concerning dead letters, but lowers the charge for returning to three cents and allows for deduction of postage prepaid in the case of insufficiently prepaid matter._]

87. The foregoing sections of this Act shall come into force and effect on the first day of October, in the present year one thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, except only in so far as they relate to the rates of postage on newspapers and periodicals sent to the United States, as to which they shall come into force on the first day of May now next....

From the above quotations we see that the new Act made prepayment of letters by stamps obligatory, and imposed a fine of double the deficiency if insufficiently prepaid; that the unlimited weight of drop letters was restricted to 1/2 oz. per rate; that newspapers and periodicals were classed together and publishers given the low rate of 1 cent per pound; that the rate of 2 cents on transient newspapers was reduced to 1/2 cent per ounce, and 1 cent up to four ounces; etc.

The Report of 1875 further informs us that the free delivery of letters by carrier had been commenced in the following cities on the dates given:--

Montreal 1st October, 1874. Toronto 1st March, 1875. Quebec 1st April, " Ottawa 1st May, " Hamilton 1st " " St. John, N.B. 1st " " Halifax, N.S. 1st July, "

Previous to the above dates a charge (in addition to the ordinary postage) of two cents on each letter received by mail, of one cent on each letter posted in the city, and of one cent on each newspaper, was collected by the letter-carrier on delivery of the same. Halifax was an exception, as letters and papers sent out for delivery by letter-carrier had been delivered without extra charge since 1851.

The British American Bank Note Co. was paid for

Engraving and printing postage stamps for Post Office Department, $22,675.50.

The Report of 1876 contains no special items not already noted, but that of 1877 states that the letter rate of postage with Newfoundland had been reduced from 6 cents to 5 cents per 1/2 oz., and the same rate had been obtained with Germany from 1st April, 1877.

The Report of 1878 announces the admission of Canada into the Universal Postal Union from the 1st July, as we have already detailed.[113] The Report of 1879 says: "A reduction has been made, from the 1st September last, in the postage rate on closed parcels sent by post within the Dominion, from 12-1/2 cents per 8 oz. of weight to 6 cents per 4 oz. Under this change small parcels not exceeding 4 ounces in weight are admitted to pass for 6 cents instead of 12-1/2 cents as before." This sounded the death knell of the 12-1/2 cent stamp, which dropped in the number issued to postmasters from 84,150 in 1879 to 13,400 in 1880 and 4950 in 1881. It was issued in decreasing numbers down to 1888, when it disappears from the accounts.

[113] See page 109.

Nothing further of importance transpired until 1881, when a supplementary agreement touching certain points was signed with the United States Post Office Department:--

ADDITIONAL ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE DOMINION OF CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

For the purpose of affording to the public increased facilities for the exchange of written correspondence, and also of preventing evasions by publishers, of the postal laws and regulations of the United States, the undersigned, duly authorized by their respective Governments, have agreed upon the following additional articles to the Postal Agreement of 27th January and 1st February, 1875:

Article I.

Insufficiently paid letters mailed in the United States and addressed to Canada, or _vice versâ_, mailed in Canada and addressed to the United States, on which a single rate of postage or more has been prepaid, shall be forwarded charged with the amount of the deficient postage, to be collected on delivery and retained by the Post Department of the country of destination. The amount of such deficient postage shall be indicated in figures, by the despatching exchange office, on the upper left-hand corner of the address.

Article II.

When newspapers, periodicals and other printed matter, published or originating in the United States, are brought into Canada and posted there for destinations in the United States, apparently to evade the postage rates or regulations applicable to such matter in the United States, the Canada Post Office may require prepayment of the same to be made at a rate equivalent to double the Canada domestic rates.

* * * * *

Article IV.

The present articles shall be considered additional to those agreed upon between the two offices on the 27th January and 1st February, 1875, and shall come into operation on the 1st of May, 1881.

* * * * *

The Report of June 30, 1882 states that newspapers and periodicals published in Canada (under certain conditions as to form and manner of posting) are transmitted free by Post within the Dominion when posted from the office of publication to regular subscribers, from 1st June, 1882. This must have been due to a Department Order, as the Statutes of Canada reveal no such enactment at this time. The same Report announces the issue of reply post cards, but those will be dealt with later.

Statistics make up most of the Reports until that of 1886, when an item of interest in connection with the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway is found: "The first through train left Montreal on Monday the 28th June, 1885, and arrived at Port Moody, the Pacific terminus of the road on the 4th July. Mails for British Columbia commenced to pass over the Canadian Pacific Railway by this first train." This marked the independence of Canada from the United States in the matter of transcontinental transportation of mails. The distance from Montreal to Port Moody is given as 2892 miles.

In connection with this event the following note may be of interest:[114]--

Up to the time the Canadian Pacific Railway was built, nearly all letters from the Northwest bore United States stamps. The Northwest mounted police took their mail to Bismarck, Dak., and others were sent to Fargo, from whence they were sent around to Detroit and thence into Canada. The pony express was used in the Canadian Northwest, but no system, no stamps and probably no stipulated charges were made to get a letter to the frontier of the United States.

[114] =Mekeel's Weekly Stamp News=, II: 32: 2.

The Report of 1887 says that:--

Provision has been made for the transmission by mail between all places in Canada, from 1st February, 1888, of small articles of ordinary goods and manufactures in packages, open to inspection, on payment of a postage charge of 1 cent per oz. Also a new convention with the United States Post Office providing that from the 1st March, 1888, the same class of matter will be admitted to pass between Canada and the United States, subject to Customs inspection.

The Report of 1888 announces the extension of free delivery by letter carriers to Victoria, B. C. Since the list of free delivery offices given on page 133, there are to be added as well:--

London, Ontario 24th April, 1876. Winnipeg, Manitoba, 1st April, 1882. Kingston, Ontario, 1st July, 1882.

The Report of 1889 states that "the Post Office Act of 1889 increased the limit of weight of a single rate letter from 1/2 ounce to 1 ounce. The rate on drop letters at the same time was fixed at 2 cents per ounce." The Act[115] referred to was an amendment to the Post Office Act, (assented to on the 2nd May, 1889), and the notice of the changes issued to the public was as follows:--

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC.

* * * * *

CHANGES IN POSTAGE RATES UNDER AUTHORITY OF POST OFFICE ACT 1889.

The rate of postage upon Letters posted in Canada, addressed to places within the Dominion or in the United States, will be 3 cents per ounce instead of 3 cents per half ounce as heretofore.

Upon Drop Letters posted at an Office from which letters are delivered by Letter Carrier, the postage rate will be 2 cents per ounce, instead of 1 cent per half ounce. The rate of postage upon Drop Letters, except in the Cities where free delivery by Letter Carrier has been established, will be 1 cent per ounce.

The fee for the Registration of a letter or other article of mail matter, will be five cents upon all classes of correspondence passing within the Dominion. For the present and until further instructed, the registration fee may be prepaid by using the 2 cent Registration Stamps and Postage Stamps to make up the amount.

Letters insufficiently prepaid will be charged double the deficiency as heretofore, provided at least a partial prepayment has been made.

Letters posted wholly unpaid will be sent to the Dead Letter Office for return to the writer.

POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, JOHN G. HAGGART. OTTAWA, 8th MAY, 1889 _Postmaster General_

[115] 52^o Vict. Chap. 20.

The Act also made another change, not noted in the circular, by which section 24 of _The Post Office Act_, 1875, which provided a rate of 1 cent per 4 ounces on printed matter, seeds, etc., and samples of merchandise, was amended so as to limit the weight of printed matter to 2 ounces for the 1 cent rate.

The 1889 Report also chronicles the "removal of the British American Bank Note Co. from Montreal to Ottawa," a fact which we have already commented upon at length in its results upon the stamps issued after the transfer.[116]

[116] See page 128.

In 1890 we find that "the complaints which were so prevalent some time since, of the want of adhesiveness in the postage stamps have almost entirely ceased. It is hoped, therefore, that the efforts of the manufacturer to remove the cause of complaint have been successful." And again in 1891: "Complaints of defective mucilage would be far less frequent if the public would kindly bear in mind that it is the _envelope_ of a letter, or the _cover_ of a packet, and _not the postage stamp_, which should be moistened when stamps are affixed in prepayment of postage. When a stamp is passed over the tongue the mucilage is frequently almost wholly removed." They should have had these instructions engraved on the margins of the plates, as did the British authorities with the old one penny black!

The Report for 1892 announces the preparation of letter cards, which will be treated of later, and also says: "Postage stamps of the value of 20 cents and 50 cents are about to be issued. These will be useful in prepayment of parcel post." And this brings us to our next chapter.