The History of the Postmarks of the British Isles from 1840 to 1876 - John Hendy (1909)

126 THE POSTMARKS OF THE BRITISH ISLES FROM 1840.
values of jd., ^d., |d., and id., to be used upon : Circulars, Jd. ; newspapers, ^d. ; books,
etc., |d. and id.
Whatever the object of this may have been, the Companies would appear to have
violated the Post Office copyright, in addition to delivering letters contrary to the
privileges of the Postmaster-General, and proceedings were instituted against the
" London and Metropolitan Company." The case was heard on the 29th August, 1867, at
Bow Street, when the Stipendiary Magistrate, Sir Thomas Henry, decided against the
Company and inflicted a fine of ^5.
The Company was again convicted on the 25th June, 1868, of infringing the Postmaster-General's
monopoly.
Brydone made an attempt to run the " National Delivery Company," but without
the use of stamps, and the attempt was a failure.
In the year 1869 a Company was registered under the Joint Stock Companies Acts,
styling itself the " Circular Delivery Company, Limited." An action was taken, on
the 2nd June, 1869, against this Company, in the Court of Queen's Bench, for infringing
the Postmaster-General's exclusive privilege. The Court convicted the Company, and
this was the death-blow to companies of this nature.
As early as February, 1866, Mr. Darby Griffith, member of Parliament for Devizes,
called attention to the fact that certain railways were carrying newspapers franked by
means of adhesive stamps. The Great Western Railway charged one halfpenny, and
the North British, Caledonian, and other Scotch railways charged one farthing on each
newspaper, such charges covering the cost of conveyance along the whole extent of
their lines.
Public attention having again been drawn to the excessive rates of postage charged
on newspapers, circulars, and, in fact, all printed matter, by the prosecution of the
Circular Delivery Companies, the question was once more brought before Parliament,
and eventually an Act was passed, in 1870 (33, 34 Vic. ch. 79), under which the rates
were lowered to -^d. on all newspapers complying with regulations, and all printed
matter could be transmitted at the rate of id. for every two ounces or fraction of that
weight.
In the year 1871 the Dean of Jesus College, Cambridge, obtained permission
to organize a system of delivering notes in Cambridge for the members of the College.
In 1879 the Bursars of Clare, Caius, and King's Colleges, and Trinity Hall, obtained
similar permission to that granted to Jesus College. Nothing further was heard of the
collection and delivery of letters at the Universities until the year 1885, when a gentleman
resident at Oxford called the attention of the Postal Authorities to the subject, and
it was ascertained that at Cambridge the practice of using distinctive stamps was confined
to three colleges—Selwyn, Queen's, and St. John's, Jesus using a distinctive
envelope. While at Oxford it was found that the following seven colleges used distinctive
stamps :—All Souls, Exeter, Hertford, Keble, Lincoln, Merton, and St. John's.
The Postmaster-General, as soon as these facts were brought to his notice, communicated
with the several college authorities, pointing out that the practices in which
they were engaged were in contravention of the exclusive privileges conferred upon the
Postmaster-General by Act of Parliament, and requiring that a stop should be put to
such practices.
The college authorities, for the most part, readily submitted to these representations.
At Cambridge the use of stamps and the systematic collection and delivery ot
letters entirely ceased ; at Oxford reluctance was shown on the part of some of the
colleges to comply with the wishes of the Postmaster-General, but in the result the use
of stamps and all the more marked features of a private post were abandoned.