The Postmaster General's Report for 1869 states that the use of these stamps ceased about the 1st of February, 1869. They were used principally at Chicago, Ill., and Milwaukee, Wis. Reprints were made of all of them except the 5 cents with white border, with the other early issues in 1874.
There was a very wide margin of some 65 mm. at the top and bottom of the sheet, the manufacturers imprint appearing at the top and bottom in colored letters on a small white label let into the colored ground. It is not known how many stamps formed a sheet.
Notwithstanding the very liberal provisions of all the laws regarding postage on printed matter, and particularly those of this Act of March 3rd, 1863, we find the Postmaster General in his report of November 15th, 1869, complaining that the Department was largely defrauded of its revenues by abuses rendered possible by the provisions of that Act, and suggesting that:
"For this mischief there is but one adequate remedy, and that is to require prepayment on all printed matter. A due regard to the convenience of the publishers of newspapers would require that postage on newspapers should be charged according to the weight of packages, and that such packages should when suspected, be liable to be opened and searched, and penalties provided if they were found to contain improper matter."
Nothing seems to have resulted from his recommendations, however. The inconveniences of the system led to calling the attention of Congress to the matter again in the Report of the Postmaster General, in 1873. He says:
"In my report for 1869, I had the honor to suggest a plan for the prepayment of postage on newspapers and other matter of the second class by weight of packages rather than by the present system, which requires the manipulation of each particular paper, and allows the payment of postage at either the mailing office, or the office of delivery. A careful revision of the subject confirms me in the opinion, that the postage on all such matter should be collected in advance at the mailing office. * * * No stamps are used for the payment of such postage; and the Department is compelled to accept in full satisfaction whatever sums of money postmasters choose to charge against themselves. So execrably bad is this system, that postal officers of high standing have estimated that not more than one-third of the postage properly chargeable on newspapers is accounted for and paid over. Furthermore, disputes are continually arising, as to whether the sheets they transmit, come within the meaning of the term newspapers. * * * I respectfully submit the following plan for the prepayment of postage on newspapers of the second class, and urge its adoption. Let all publishers, their business managers or agents, be required at the beginning of every quarter, to state under oath the number of papers of a certain name, they will send by mail during the quarter, and pay the postage thereon in advance. On the other hand, postmasters to make return of all newspapers, with particulars, mailed to regular subscribers. No stamps would be required. Every paper answering to the description would be forwarded. No manipulation of each paper would be required, and the saving to publishers in time and labor, would, it is thought, be greater than the amount paid for postage, while the saving to the Department, would justify a reduction of 40 per cent in the rates, on this class of matter. Periodicals to come under the same law."