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435
Her Majesty's Mails
·
William Lewins
321
Though
it
was
agreed
on
all
hands
that
stamps,
or
stamped
paper
of
some
sort,
should
come
into
use
with
the
advent
of
cheap
postage,
it
was
by
no
means
easy
to
hit
upon
a
definite
plan,
or,
when
a
number
of
plans
were
submitted,
to
decide
upon
the
particular
one
to
be
adopted.
Stamped
paper,
representing
different
charges,
was
first
suggested.
Folded
in
a
particular
way,
a
simple
revenue-stamp
would
then
be
exposed
to
view,
and
frank
the
letter.
Another
suggestion
was
that
a
stamped
wafer,
as
it
was
called,
should
be
used,
and,
placed
on
the
back
of
a
letter,
seal
and
frank
it
at
the
same
time.
The
idea
of
stamped
envelopes,
however,
was
at
first
by
far
the
most
popular,
and
it
was
decided
that
they
should
be
the
prepaying
medium.
Plans
and
suggestions
for
the
carrying
out
of
this
arrangement
being
required
at
once,
the
Lords
of
the
Treasury
issued
a
somewhat
pompous
proclamation,
dated
August
23d,
1839,
inviting
"all
artists,
men
of
science,
and
the
public
in
general,"
to
offer
proposals
"as
to
the
manner
in
which
the
stamp
may
best
be
brought
into
use."
So
important
was
the
subject
considered,
that
Lord
Palmerston,
the
then
Foreign
Secretary,
was
directed
to
apprise
foreign
Governments
of
the
matter,
and
invite
suggestions
from
any
part
of
the
civilized
world.
Three
months
were
allowed
for
plans,
and
two
prizes
of
200l.
and
100l.
were
offered
for
proposals
on
the
subject,
"which
my
Lords
may
think
most
deserving
of
attention."
The
palm
was
carried
off
by
the
late
Mr.
Mulready,
Royal
Academician,
who
designed
the
envelopes
now
known
by
his
name.
These
envelopes,
which
allegorically
celebrated
the
triumphs
of
the
post
in
a
host
of
emblematical
figures,
were
of
two
colours;
the
one
for
a
penny
being
printed
in
black,
and
the
other,
for
the
twopenny
postage,
in
blue
ink.
They
gave
little
satisfaction,
however,
and
at
the
end
of
six
months
were
withdrawn
from
use.
There
was
little
room
left
on
the
envelope
for
the
address.
They
left
to
the
common
and
vulgar
gaze,
as
Miss
Martineau,
we
think,
has
pointed
out,
emotions
of
the
mind
which
had
always
best
be
kept
in
the
background,
and
instead
"of
spreading
a
taste
for
high
art,"
which
had
been
hoped,
they
brought
it
into
considerable
ridicule.[175]
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