[154] Weekly Philatelic Era, XIII: 393.
[155] Monthly Journal, X: 35.
[156] Weekly Philatelic Era, XIII: 400, 403.
[157] Mekeel's Weekly Stamp News, XIII: 187.
[158] 61 Vict. Chap. 20.
CHAPTER XIV
THE "CHRISTMAS" STAMP OF 1898
Ocean Penny Postage, which became the dream of Postal Reformers almost from the date of the adoption of the plan of Rowland Hill, is at length within measurable distance of becoming an accomplished fact. It is true that it is not yet to be the Universal Penny Postage, or even the Imperial Penny Postage so perseveringly advocated by Mr. Henniker-Heaton; but these will come in time, and an immense step in the desired direction has been taken by the adoption of the partial scheme, which is to come into force within a few months." So wrote Major Evans in July, 1898,[159] upon the conclusion of the Imperial Conference on Postal Rates which took place in London during that month.
Many of our readers may have seen the illustrated envelopes, in various designs, which were issued some fifty or sixty years ago in advocacy of an "Ocean Penny Postage." Great Britain, having committed herself to domestic penny postage in 1840, after the herculean labors of Sir Rowland Hill in that behalf, seems to have been looked to by succeeding postal reformers to furnish over-sea transportation along the same lines. Chief among these advocates was Elihu Burritt, the "learned blacksmith" of New Britain, Conn., who not only published documents on the subject but went to England and delivered addresses in support of the idea. Major Evans says:[160]—"What appears to have been the first pamphlet on 'Ocean Penny Postage', issued by Elihu Burritt, was probably published quite at the end of 1848, or early in 1849. It contains a poem dated Christmas, 1848, which may give us approximately the date of publication." This proves extremely interesting, inasmuch as Imperial Penny Postage was put into effect on Christmas, 1898, just a half century later to a day.