CHAPTER II

THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN IDEA 77

Early instances of contrivances to denote prepayment of postage--The "Two-_Sous_" Post--_Billets de port payé_--A passage of wit between the French Sappho and M. Pellisson--Dockwra's letter-marks--Some fabulous stamped wrappers of the Dutch Indies--Letter-sheets used in Sardinia--Lieut. Treffenberg's proposals for "Postage Charts" in Sweden--The postage-stamp idea "in the air"--Early British reformers and their proposals--The Lords of the Treasury start a competition--Mr. Cheverton's prize plan--A find of papers relating to the contest--A square inch of gummed paper--The Sydney embossed envelopes--The Mulready envelope--The Parliamentary envelopes--The adhesive stamp popularly preferred to the Mulready envelope.