CHAPTER VI

THE ISSUE OF 1859

With two valuations placed upon the cumbrous English monetary system inherited by Canada from the Mother Country--"sterling" and "currency"--and with the practical illustration of the advantages of the decimal system manifest in all the transactions with its great southern neighbor, whose currency was already legalized in the Province,[80] it was only a question of time when Canada would adopt a decimal system of its own. This was done, but all that interests us is the Decimal Postage law resulting, which is as follows:--

[80] See page 52.

22^o Vict. Cap. XVII.

An Act to amend the Post Office Laws.

[_Assented to 4th May, 1859._]

Whereas it is expedient to amend the Post Office Laws, in the manner hereinafter provided: Therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council and Assembly of Canada, enacts as follows:

1. There shall be payable on all Newspapers sent by Post in Canada, except "Exchange Papers" addressed to Editors and Publishers of Newspapers, such rate of Postage, not exceeding one cent on each such Newspaper, as the Governor in Council shall from time to time direct by regulation, and such rate shall be payable on all such Newspapers posted on or after the first day of July next.

2. So much of any Act as provides that Newspapers posted within this Province shall pass free of Postage, in cases other than those in which they will be free under this Act, is hereby repealed.

3. In order to adapt the operations of the Post Office to the Decimal Currency, the internal letter postage rate shall be changed from three pence to its equivalent of five cents, per half ounce--the charge for advertising a dead letter from three farthings to two cents--the charge for returning a dead letter to the writer, from one penny to three cents; and in all cases where a one half-penny or penny rate of Postage is chargeable, these rates shall be changed to one cent and two cents respectively.

4. To promote simplicity and economy in the business of the Post Office, all letters posted in Canada for any place within the Province, and not prepaid, shall be charged seven instead of five cents per half ounce on delivery; and on letters posted for the British Mails, for the other British North American Provinces, or for the United States, when not prepaid, there shall be charged such addition to the ordinary rate, not in any case exceeding a double rate, as the Post Master General may agree upon with the Post Office Authorities of those Countries, for the purpose of enforcing prepayment.

5. The Post Master General may establish a Parcel Post and parcels other than letters and not containing letters, may be sent by such Parcel Post, and when so sent shall be liable to such charges for conveyance and to such regulations as the Governor in Council shall from time to time see fit to make.

* * * * *

8. [_To inclose a letter in a parcel or a newspaper, posted as such, is a misdemeanor._]

From the above Act we see that the transmission of newspapers has again been subjected to revision looking toward an increase of revenue, all free transmission by post being now limited to exchange copies between editors or publishers. The making of prepayment by stamps obligatory was another step which had been quite strongly recommended in the last Postmaster General's report in these terms:--

No single improvement would be so valuable to the Post Office service as the introduction of the system of the pre-payment of letters by stamp. It is not recommended that pre-payment of letters should be made absolutely compulsory, but where stamps are readily procurable, pre-payment in that form should be insisted on, and the principle of pre-payment should be enforced by imposing an additional charge on letters posted unpaid.

By referring to the Act subsequently passed we see that these recommendations were carried out to the letter.

In regard to the fifth section of the Act, concerning the Parcel Post, we come across another example of the curious shuffling of dates and apparent _ex post facto_ law making which we have previously noted. In quoting the Postmaster General's report for _30th Sept., 1858_,[81] we found it stated that the Parcel Post had been in operation "from _1st January, 1859_," and now we have the Legislative Act providing for it passed under date of _4th May, 1859_! This is going it one better on "reading history backward" by actually making it backward! The reports at least, as we previously deduced, were evidently written some time after the dates given them and did not confine their record to happenings previous to those fictitious dates. Confirmation of this is furnished by the Postmaster General's report that we have to consider, that of the Hon. Sydney Smith for the year ending 30th September, 1859, the report being actually dated 20th February, 1860.

[81] See page 67.

* * * * *

Further details concerning the Parcel Post are not given until the Report for 30th June, 1864, where we read:--

By means of the Parcel Post a parcel may be sent within the Province to or from any place, however remote from the ordinary lines of traffic conveyance, on prepayment of a postage rate of 25 cents per lb., provided that the weight or size of the parcel does not exceed the carrying capacity of an ordinary mail bag; and provided that the contents of the parcel are not of a character to injure the rest of the mail.

The rate is given in decimal currency, then in use, but at the time of the establishment of the Parcel Post the equivalent rate would have been 1s. 3d. currency. In the Report for 1865 it is stated that:--

The provisions of the Parcel Post have been extended to parcels passing between Canada and New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and parcels not containing letters may now be forwarded by post from one end of British North America to the other, on prepayment of a uniform rate of 25 cents per lb.

In the report for 1859, mentioned above, we find the following:--

The Law of last Session directing the conversion of all postage rates into decimals, and the collection of postage in the new decimal currency, was put in operation on the 1st July.... Decimal stamps of the value of 1 cent, 5 cents, and 10 cents for ordinary correspondence, and of 12-1/2 cents for Canadian, and of 17 cents for British Packet Postage Rates were obtained in readiness for the commencement of the Decimal Postage Law in July, 1859, and have from that date been issued in lieu of the stamps previously in use.

The cents issue of Canadian stamps therefore dates from July 1, 1859. The stamps themselves were merely an adaptation of the designs of the pence series to the corresponding values of the decimal currency. The ONE CENT stamp was unchanged from the half-penny except for the substitution of the new for the former value. The FIVE CENTS stamp had these words in place of the old denomination, with a quarterfoil ornament separating them at each side from CANADA and POSTAGE. Oblique figures 5 were placed in the spandrels on a cross-hatched ground instead of the upright figures 3 on foliations. A similar change was made in the TEN CENTS, Roman numerals X being placed obliquely in the spandrels on a cross-hatched ground where upright figures 6 were previously on foliations; while the new denomination was substituted for the old. The sole change in the 12-1/2 cent stamp was to substitute "12-1/2c." in the spandrels for the former values in sterling and currency. The 17 cent stamp had the value in words replacing TEN PENCE, but the new value was so much longer that the emblems between the old value and CANADA POSTAGE were removed and replaced by two small elliptic ornaments. "8d. stg." still occupies the upper spandrels, but figures 17 are placed in each of the lower ones. The central designs in each of the above stamps are absolutely identical with those of the pence stamps that preceded them--indeed the portrait and surrounding oval with inscriptions on the 12-1/2 c. are all unchanged. From this it is evident that the new dies were "built up" from the old ones, the central portions being transferred and the required changes in surrounding inscriptions, etc., being newly engraved. This was easy enough of accomplishment since the American Bank Note Co., who furnished the new stamps, were the successors of Messrs. Rawdon, Wright, Hatch and Edson, the firm name having been changed on May 1, 1858, and the dies of the pence issue were of course in their possession. Illustrations of the five values will be found as Nos. 10, 15, 12, 13 and 14, respectively, on Plate I.

There was one addition to the list of values in this set during its period of use--a 2 cent stamp. In the Postmaster General's Report for 30th June, 1864, it is noted:--"A new Postage Stamp, of the value of two cents, was added to the other denominations supplied, from the 1st. August last [1864]." The Report for the succeeding year has this further to say:--"A provision has been made for the transmission and delivery of Canadian periodicals, addressed to the United Kingdom, at the reduced rate of two cents each," and it was evidently largely on account of this that the new stamp was ordered. Its design was unmistakably "built up" as with the rest of the set, the 1 cent stamp serving as the model, figures 2 being placed in ovals in the spandrels and the wording of the value being changed to correspond. (Illustration No. 11 on Plate I). The stamp was issued as stated on the 1st August, 1864.

All the stamps of this issue were, as before, line engraved and printed in sheets of 100, ten rows of ten. The same style of marginal inscriptions as in the first issue is found--"American Bank Note Co. New-York" in minute letters of the type known as "diamond," repeated twice in each margin, reading up on the left, down on the right, and inverted at the bottom of the sheet. In the 1, 2, 5 and 12-1/2c. stamps the imprint is placed against the third and eighth stamps of each marginal row of ten, but from a block of 10c. at hand the inscriptions in the case of this value are apparently "centered" over the space between the third and fourth and the seventh and eighth stamps of each marginal row, thus bringing them over two stamps instead of one. Curiously enough, the 17c. value has no marginal inscriptions at all.

The same plate variety that occurs in the 3d. stamp--the "shifted transfer" or "double strike"--is repeated in its successor, the 5c. stamp. That it is a true plate variety is abundantly proved by the fine block of seven stamps illustrated as No. 96 on Plate VII. The variety will be found in the upper right corner stamp, and the doubling of the frame lines at the left and of the oval frame line above CANADA will be readily apparent. A single copy is illustrated as No. 19 on Plate I. It seems to have been first noted by Mr. R. Wuesthoff in the _American Journal of Philately_ for June, 1892.

A minor variety of the 5c. stamp printed from a worn plate is also to be noted, in which the fine lines of the groundwork have almost disappeared.

The entire series comes regularly perforated 12, the identical normal perforation of the pence stamps that immediately preceded it, and which we have endeavored to trace to the same source. The abnormal varieties in this series are of course the imperforate ones, and of these we present cuts of a full set in blocks of four, numbered 100 to 105 on Plate IX. That the stamps were actually issued and used in this condition is proved by copies of several with the proper postmarks of the period in the Pack collection. Mr. Pack writes of them[82]:--

I have the 1c. and 5c. postmarked in 1860 and 1861 at Toronto and Prescott, Canada West. I also believe that these varieties were on sale at Kingston, Canada West, at about that time. I have also the 2c. and 10c. in undoubtedly early used condition.

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

Further varieties are formed by "split" stamps, as before, though these were never authorized and seldom used. We are fortunate in being able to illustrate two five cent stamps used with half of a third to make up the 12-1/2c. packet rate. This is No. 97 on Plate VII. The postmark is unfortunately mostly torn away, but is evidently "Montreal," and the last numeral in the year figures seems to be an "8," which would mean "1868." A 10c. stamp also split and used for a 5c. is shown on the entire as No. 99 on Plate VIII. The postmark is "Bowmanville, U.C., Feb. 15, 1860."

The normal colors for the stamps of this series may be given as 1 cent deep rose, 2 cents dull rose, 5 cents deep red, 12-1/2 cents deep green, and 17 cents Prussian blue. It will be noticed that we have omitted the 10 cents--and with reason. If the 6 pence stamp of the preceding issue was difficult to select a normal color for, how shall we find one for its successor? Messrs. Corwin and King say[83]:--"The most surprising fact about this issue is the vast number of colors and shades to be found in the 10 cents. We have several hundreds of them in our collection, and are continually adding new color varieties." They run all the way from a bright red lilac through shades of violet and brown to a black brown, which is so dark and distinct that it has for years been catalogued separately.

[83] =Metropolitan Philatelist, II=: 3.

The paper on which these stamps were printed does not show as much variation as in the previous issue. Mr. King[84] gives a list of five varieties, all of which vary considerably in thickness. It seems sufficient for our purposes, however, to list them under three heads as ordinary wove paper, a thick, hard wove paper, and ribbed paper.

[84] =Monthly Journal, VII=: 32.

These stamps were in issue from the 1st July 1859, until the series issued for the new Dominion of Canada appeared on 1st April, 1868. The stamp accounts in the various Postmaster General's Reports give the quantities received and issued, and we present here a summary of these tables as their reproduction entire would serve no useful purpose unless to show the increase in the consumption of stamps from year to year as the postal business increased.

_Received from_ _manufacturers_: 1c. 5c. 10c. 12-1/2c. 17c. quarter ending 30th Sept. 1859 1,000,400 1,000,089 200,000 200,000 50,000 year ending 30th Sept. 1860 2,000,050 2,499,986 300,000 300,000 50,000 year ending 30th Sept. 1861 2,200,100 3,400,300 499,998 199,996 50,000 year ending 30th Sept. 1862 2,799,900 3,300,350 400,000 399,996 50,000 year ending 30th Sept. 1863 3,500,200 4,300,450 600,050 300,000 100,000 9mos. ending 30th June 1864 3,000,000 3,999,999 800,000 399,990 49,999 year ending 30th June 1865 3,064,800 4,890,598 700,000 676,600 100,000 year ending 30th June 1866 3,910,000 8,100,000 800,000 400,100 50,000 year ending 30th June 1867 5,100,000 5,100,500 999,650 299,950 100,000 year ending 30th June 1868 (?)900,000 3,199,900 400,000 ? ...... ---------- --------- ------- --------- ------- Totals 27,475,450 39,792,172 5,799,698 3,176,632 599,999

The yearly supplies of the 2 cent stamps, first appearing in the 1865 accounts, were as follows:--

1865 360,000 1866 300,000 1867 200,500 1868 50,000(?) ------- Total 910,500

Unfortunately the stamp accounts for 1868 do not separate the supplies received in the old and new designs, so that in the case of the 1, 2 and 12-1/2 cent stamps, which appear in both issues, the quantity delivered by the manufacturers is a total which we cannot divide with certainty. An approximation may perhaps be made, particularly with the 2 cent stamp. The balance of this value on hand 30th June, 1867, was 171,000, and the deliveries in the year ending 30th June, 1868, were 2,050,000. Inasmuch as the yearly issue of this value had been some 250,000, the probability is that the odd 50,000 delivered belonged to the 1859 series, as this would make 221,000 for the nine month's supply to 1st April; the even two millions were doubtless the order for the new series. The yearly issue of the 1 cent had been some 3-1/2 to 4 millions; if from the 2,900,000 received, according to the 1868 Report, we take the odd 900,000, we find it makes 3,308,900 when combined with the balance on hand in 1867. This gives a sufficient supply for the nine months of the old issue and leaves an even two millions again for the new series. The 12-1/2 cent presents a slightly different aspect. The yearly issue had been some 400,000, and the amount on hand in 1867 was 385,750--without doubt a plentiful supply for the nine months preceding the issue of the new stamps. It must be remembered, also, in all these cases, that the "amount on hand" was that of the Department's stock, and that the postmasters were of course in possession of local stocks. It therefore seems probable that the 500,000 12-1/2 cent stamps received in 1868 were of the new series alone. The 5 and 10 cent stamps, however, which are lacking in the new set, can at once be added to their preceding deliveries, and it will be noted that no further supplies of the 17c. stamp were required during the year.

We find in the Department accounts that the American Bank Note Co. was paid $1331.70 for "engraving postage stamps" during the fiscal year, which was the final settlement with that Company.

What became of the remainder of the old issue does not appear, but it seems probable that they were largely used up in the course of regular business, as no object would be gained by turning in the relatively small quantities remaining, for accounting and destruction, unless it be the 17 cent value, which had become rather useless. Curiously enough, the stamp accounts _do_ separate the old and new issues in the "balance on hand, 30th June, 1868," which was three months after the appearance of the new set. These figures are as follows:--

1 cent 319,900 2 cents 700 5 cents 138,400 10 cents 60,650 12-1/2 cents 68,750 17 cents 33,876

Glancing now over the Postmaster General's reports for the years 1859-1868, during which the above issue was in use, and which were the last years of the strictly provincial control, we find many items of interest.

In the report for 1859 it is noted that "the issue and use by the public of Postage Stamps has increased with great rapidity since last return," and the issue of stamped envelopes "for the promotion of public convenience" is announced. These will be treated of by themselves in a later chapter. We find the experiment was made of placing street letter boxes in Toronto, and "with very encouraging results as to the extent to which the number of letters posted in these boxes would appear to demonstrate their usefulness. These Pillar Boxes are visited, at least twice each day, at suitable hours, by Post Office Messengers, in order to convey the letters deposited in them to the Post Office." Preparations were also being made to install letter boxes in Montreal and Quebec.

The Department accounts have the following entries:--

Rawdon, Wright & Co., supply of letter and newspaper stamps $238.69 American Bank Note Co., engraving letter and newspaper stamps 1487.40

Of course the amounts all went to the same concern, as the firm name had been changed on May 1, 1858, as already noted.

The report for 1860 contains interesting statistical information concerning the growth of the Department, which it may be well to put on record:--

Year No. of Miles of No. of letters Postal Revenue Remarks Offices. Post by Post (deducting Route. per annum. dead letters.) 1851 601 7,595 2,132,000

1852 840 8,618 3,700,000 $230,629.00 {First year of { account under { Provincial control. 1853 1016 9,122 4,250,000 278,587.00 {Charge on { newspapers { reduced one-half. 1854 1166 10,027 5,100,000 320,000.00

1855 1293 11,192 6,000,000 368,166.00 {Newspapers conveyed { without charge. 1856 1375 11,839 7,000,000 374,295.00

1857 1506 13,253 8,500,000 462,163.00

1858 1566 13,600 9,000,000 541,153.00

1859 1638 13,871 8,500,000 678,426.98

1860 1698 14,202 9,000,000 658,451.99 {Additional 2c. rate { on unpaid letters { and charge { made on newspapers.

The Report continues:--

From the experience of the past, the confident hope may be entertained that, by a wise and judicious economy, (and without withholding from newly settled portions of the country, the Postal accommodations without which the settlement of the country cannot advance), in a comparatively short space of time the Postage upon letters may be reduced from the present five cent to a _three cent rate_, as near an approach to the Penny sterling postage system of the Mother Country as the relative value of our currency will conveniently permit.

It was eight years before these hopes were realized, however.

The "epistolary intercourse with the United States" is given for the same period, but we need only note that the postal value of the total correspondence exchanged was $83,630.97 in 1852, had increased to $187,469.59 in 1857, and then dropped gradually to $178,132.39 in 1860. The Report says:--

The prepayment of letters passing between the two countries continues optional on either side, at the combined rate of 10 cents per 1/2 oz. from any place in Canada to any place in the United States and _vice versa_, except to or from the States on the Pacific, California and Oregon, when the rate is 15 cents per 1/2 oz.

The accounts present a charge in favor of the American Bank Note Co. of $1697.95 "for engraving Letter and Newspaper stamps and Stamped Envelopes." Of the latter we shall have more to say in their proper place.

The Reports of 1861 and 1862 contain nothing special, and the accounts show payments of $1451.87 and $1583.63 respectively to the American Bank Note Co.

The Report of 1863 states that in November of that year an agreement was entered into with the United States for the transmission between the two countries of seeds, bulbs, etc., at 1 cent per ounce, and also book manuscripts, printers' proof sheets, maps, prints, etc., at the same rate.

In January 1864, the Imperial Post Office extended to the mails between Canada and the United Kingdom regulations conceding patterns of merchandise and trade samples at the same rates as books and printed matter.

The American Bank Note Co. was paid $1946.62.

The next Report is dated 30th June, 1864, instead of the usual 30th September, and is therefore for nine months only. This was done to bring the fiscal year of the Post Office Department to correspond with the financial year of the General Government.

The enactment which was the cause of the change follows:--

27^o--28^o Vict. Cap. VI.

An Act to amend the Law respecting the Public Accounts, and the Board of Audit.

(_Assented to 30th June, 1864_)

10. It shall be the duty of the Board of Audit to prepare and submit to the Minister of Finance the Public Accounts to be annually laid before Parliament.

11. The said Public Accounts shall include the period from the thirtieth of June in one year to the thirtieth of June in the next year, which period shall constitute the Financial Year....

There is nothing particular in the Report for these nine months to quote here, except the payment of the relatively small sum of $619.25 to the American Bank Note Co.

The Report for 1865 states that "Regulations have been adopted establishing a sample and pattern post in Canada, and packets of trade samples, or patterns of merchandise, may be sent by post between any places within this Province, on prepayment of one cent per ounce, under certain conditions to prevent an abuse of the privilege." It further announces that "Street Letter boxes are being placed in all the principal streets of Montreal."

The Reports of 1866 and 1867 were published together, but contain little of interest beyond the statistics we have already used. Payments to the American Bank Note Co. were $2630.11 in 1866 and $1699.03 in 1867. The final payment to the American Co., which we have already quoted from the 1868 report, was $1331.70. We read that "The street letter boxes put up in the city of Montreal have worked satisfactorily. The number of letters and papers posted therein weekly, appeared from returns taken to be, Letters 2400, Papers 500, or at the rate of 150,000 letters and papers per annum."

Authority to establish letter boxes was given by an Act of Parliament which contains several other matters of interest and which we therefore quote.

29^o--30^o Vict. Cap. XI.

An Act to amend the Post Office Act.

[_Assented to 15th August, 1866._]

Whereas the more effectually to prevent frauds upon the Post Office Revenue, it is expedient to amend the Post Office Act: Therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the consent of the Legislative Council and Assembly of Canada, enacts as follows:

1. If any person uses or attempts to use in payment of postage on any letter or mailable thing posted in this Province, any postage stamp which has been before used for a like purpose, such person shall be subjected to a penalty of not less than Ten and not exceeding Forty dollars for every such offense, and the letter or other mailable thing on which such stamp has been so improperly used may be detained, or in the discretion of the Postmaster General forwarded to its destination charged with double the postage to which it would have been liable if posted unpaid.

2. [_To enclose a letter in a parcel, packet of samples or newspaper, posted an such, shall be an offense punishable by a fine of not less than ten or more than forty dollars in each case._]

3. The Postmaster General may grant licenses, revocable at pleasure, to Agents, other than Postmasters, for the sale to the Public, of Postage Stamps and Stamped envelopes, and may allow to such Agents a commission not exceeding five per cent, on the amount of their sales;--and it shall not be lawful for any person to exercise the business of selling Postage Stamps or Stamped envelopes to the Public unless duly licensed to do so by the Postmaster General and under such conditions as he may prescribe: and any person who shall violate this provision by selling Postage Stamps or Stamped envelopes to the public without a license from the Postmaster General, shall on conviction before a Justice of the Peace, incur a penalty of not exceeding forty dollars for each offence.

* * * * *

5. The Postmaster General may, when in his judgment the public convenience requires it, establish Street Letter Boxes or Pillar Boxes for the reception of letters and other mailable matter in the streets of any City or Town in this Province, and from the time that a letter is deposited in any such Street Letter Box or Pillar Box it shall be deemed to be a Post Letter within the meaning of the Post Office Act.

6. [_Wilfully injuring such letter boxes is a misdemeanor._]

* * * * *

8. The Governor in Council may, by regulations to be from time to time made, provide for the transmission through the Mails of this Province, of patterns and samples of merchandise and goods for sale, and of packages of seeds, cuttings, bulbs, roots and scions or grafts, on such terms and conditions as may be set forth in such regulations.

9. [_Wilfully destroying, damaging or detaining any of above articles is a misdemeanor._]

The only other item to quote from the report of 1867 is the following:--"On 1st July, 1867 the Union Act came into operation, and brought under one central administration the Postal Service throughout the Dominion." With this statement we close the account of the Postal history of the Province of Canada, and in the next chapter open up the larger one of the Dominion of Canada, whose later issues, though not without interest, still lack the charm that time can never tear from the simple, yet dignified and beautiful stamps of the Province.