Observations.
It is by no means improbable that other similar devices were in use in other towns and cities at this period, by which prepayment of postage was secured. The salaries of many of the smaller offices depended on the amount of postage collected, and the importance of all offices was estimated by the revenue collected. It was natural, therefore, as the public demand for such accommodation grew, that the postmaster should adopt a device tending to their own benefit. There are in the possession of the present author a number of hand stamps, apparently cut from letters and envelopes, inscribed such and such a "Post Office," "5 Cents Paid," which would seem to be stamps of this kind, but in the absence of further information, are not here chronicled. The wide spread use of such stamps would appear from the following caution, published in the Courier, of New York, July 18th, 1845.
"The postmaster of this city has given notice that he has prepared stamps for the use of merchants, and requests them to provide themselves with these stamps to facilitate the business of the post office, and for their own convenience. It will be observed that the postmaster warns the public that any stamps offered for sale at any place other than the post office of this city are spurious. That the use of proper stamps by merchants will be a great convenience is admitted; but these stamps, thus offered, should be considered in no other light than the personal obligations of the postmaster, unauthorized as far as the public know, by any proper authority, and if issued by the postmaster of one city, may also be issued by the postmaster of any town or city in the United States; and if this practice becomes general, the amount in these stamps held by the public will be very considerable, and will evidently lead to great abuses and probably losses.
In case of the death or removal of a postmaster, we know of no legal obligation of his successor to consider these stamps of any value whatever.
Post office stamps to be of general utility, should be issued by the General Post Office at Washington, sanctioned by law, and with suitable penalties in case of forgery: they would be of great advantage to the Post Office Department, and would much facilitate business in various ways, but if issued by any or all postmasters, will in some cases be used "to raise the wind," and may raise it pretty effectually in cases of death or default, as the amount held by the public in any of the large cities would be a very considerable sum."
(Signed) CAVEAT.
This article was reprinted by numerous journals, among them the Express, of New York, July 18th, 1845.