From the third circular only this is to be noticed: "The attention of the public is invited to the fact that under a recent Act of Congress the special delivery system heretofore in effect in cities and towns having a population of 4,000 and upwards, has been extended to all post offices in the United States, to take effect on and after October 1st, 1886. The privileges of this system have also been extended to all classes of mail matter." The remainder of these circulars are devoted to directions to postmasters at the two classes of offices, and to the public. These stamps are printed in sheets of 100, and distributed in half sheets of 50, the center of the sheets being marked as usual by an arrow head. There are consequently 10 stamps in a row, and 10 rows in the whole sheet. The makers imprint appears four times on the sheet, above and below the center row of each half sheet, and the plate number is also four times repeated on the sheet. 3,699,560 special delivery stamps were issued up to June 30th, 1886. XXVI. NEWSPAPER AND PERIODICAL STAMPS. ISSUE OF 1865. The newspaper stamps issued by the United States Post Office Department do not correspond in their usage very nearly to the stamps denominated newspaper stamps in other countries. The series under review had a very limited and peculiar use. While the dissemination of learning and information had always been fostered in every way by the Acts of Congress, and the distribution of newspapers and periodicals had always been undertaken by the post office at rates that did not pay for the expense of the service, in the intention of encouraging these publications, the Department always found a great rival in the express companies, which, having conformed their rules to the exigencies of business, were enabled to deliver newspapers and periodicals from the trains to the agents and dealers always hours, sometimes days before those sent by the mails reached their destination, as these were sent to the post office and there assorted, some to be delivered locally and others to be made up again into the new mail for further transportation, while those sent by the express companies being transferred at the depot, often finished their journey before the mails could be made up and started. This service assisted the express companies in those violations of the postal laws which each year the Postmaster General called to the attention of Congress, and Congress endeavored to reach by new laws. The government got the expensive service, the express companies the paying business partly because of their more liberal rates, but particularly because of their more expeditious service. The attempt was therefore made to so frame the law that the post office might successfully compete for the carriage of newspapers. The Act of the XXXVII Congress, III Session, Chapter 71, Section 38, approved the 3rd of March, 1863, reads: