A Plea For Stamped Envelopes

Posta 26 stiüiipeu envclnpcs rere firat introduccd in iliis eountry in tlie year 1 SOR, ;üi( nlliüiujrli ofterud at tile price far btlow iliat f the otdtíiutf envelop 8 nf T lie trad.-, th'jv do not us Jel seeiu to be jjist ly appreciatcd l.y t In' pul lie. Tliere han been bu' süght variation in tlie num bpr cf stainped eiivfiopefl issued annually. Iu 1854it!imouiited to 2G1,'2SO; i,, 18:ÍG to 757,150; ín 1858 t. 734,275; in lSql to2GO,7o, tlielntter boiiijf léHnfhsn lTippr ceit. oí thi! ii-8Ue üf ampárate pot;ige stamps, wliieli iiicn-asc! l'roin 55,000,000 in 1854 tu 21 1,000.000 in 1861. Tlie reuter cln;:ipness of govcriiment cii'tlopos ;S cr.i,'.iv;j vi i i ili:su ff traiío is general. y overloolítd, buciiuse tlio pur cliasur of tlití f'i.niier is required to pay tlie additioiKjl cliar'ge of pígtagt'. One baudred stahiped ciiyelopes aro Bofd for 8;3 IS, whll'e tl.o sume tiumber of p!ain erivulopcs, of similar qnality, may be procurad for ahout 0 40; but to tliis suui niust bu addod S3.00 the valué of tlie p"starre stamps whiol; qjuat be afijsud to such unvelopes befiíre tliey can b used n thc ina;l, thus mabhig 100 lüttera cost $3.40, or 22 cents more thaii wboii ci'Vered witl) goveniment eiivelupea. - Henee it appears tliat pers'ins tío make use of unstampod envi-lopes pay for tbera about 100 pe cent, more tila! if tbey cuiployed giumped eiivdopa. The immber ofufparate pogtage .itamps i.spued during tlie yéar endina June 30th, I8fil, w:.s. as above stated, upwards of 200 000,000. Awnning liat a 1 l;e nuinbea of iinstaniicd cnvelopes were u.seil for ;etters at 36 cents per 100, wliieh is a very low estimatc, tbe cost tliereof vvould liave been 72,000, wlieieaa pnverii'.;ient envclopes wouk! have c.st tlie cnhsuirer onlj $36,000; lienoo a s;;) equal t'i thc differenes of tliese amounts, naiiicly. $-'J6,00il, mav lie eonsiilcí cd a- actually lost to tila public, whicli is pwilJg. to a g-eat degree, tí tbe w::it, flL proper appreoiatinn iïf tho advantages of tlie s'amped euvelopes. Obji-etion is not utifrrqnently made to t!ie government envelopes, either on account of i(s form, size or quility, or boc:mso the daiiger f oaing botli the envelopes and the postape stamp tbereon, sliould it b misHirected or otherwise ie oidentally deftleed. Suoh object ion the Po-tiiiaster General hal de'ormined, if possible, to rem .ve. uid to tliia end pro poses to dirange lor chi bossing ui. der proper restriotiona. i]ie postale s amps qn aiiy envclopes tfaiit inuy bö off ed for tlial purpos.; by stiitioners, b:mker.=, mercl'üii's niid otlier business men. Such partios wil! tlius be amibled to procure ítanipcd eiivelopes of v f'ri imd qu-i J.i ly ncjiipted to tjiiir owi'i tastes, whicli are now so vai-iod. tliat llioy ciinnot bo anticipnted by twe Pont office Department. It is also b' lievt-d that stationer wili be indiiced to provide tliems lves v;th yMrietirs nf stnnippd enyel' 'pes t-uited to tlie wants of 'h'ir CUitOHiew, tiinkiiia sucli envolopeg of au equality wiili the ordiiüiry s'ainppd artiele n r pnrtion c f tlieir ütoels in trade. It is deemed espedirnt, liciwever, as a precaatinn agdipst fraud tlia' no ojig bo permtttid to on'er info rucIi tra (Je without first liaving frnm tlie Postmnster Ger.er.il a rvL'ular liepn.se lor that purpose, and that I all private porties dcsirit g tn have tlieir own cnvilopes ftiimp (1 must be sati.sfictnrily slinwu to be iti good standing ind be rpquiifl to have thefr na mes printed ! oi tlie etivp.lnpe?. They vvill tl-en nn i payment hf th postae-e. obtain a purmit to have tlie work !one bv the eivernilipnt liontaoior ïor stainped envdopes ut New Y'M-k. Tlie Postinas'pr-General onnsiders the tjse r,{ tIR ataiiiped eiivi'lopi- nmpe ::]■ vantdfrpous to the Dupartinotit. tlian thut of separate stamp as the ddresi of the furmer prevcnts thein froj)bejng used n spcond time, jrliilo the lattpr niay be so used, if postuifistei's negli-ct th' du'of eatieeliiipr tbeit). To the public alsotliey afford adpai}tnL'P5 in addiriou to tbose arisintr from tlieir cheapnoss, bi;e:iuse thcy are mure convenient, saving tlie tiouble find delav nf atfapbinj; separate stamps, which aro l!alle to be rejnovyd, cansng etterg to be de'ainpd for postMg, Tlie objection tn stamped envelopes; tbat the postige is lo?t in .-ase of niisdireotion, innst bo remedied by aljowing poMinii?ters, under eert.iin rulos prescribed by tlie Postmaster General, to redeera damagi.'d envelopos