“_Journal, June 29th._—A letter has been addressed by the Commissioners of Stamps and Taxes to the Treasury, setting forth, and greatly exaggerating, the exertions of its own officers with regard to the postage stamps, saying not a word of Edwin’s exertions, which have been much greater than those of any one else, but adding that, as, from the unpopularity of the covers and envelopes, it will probably be unnecessary to manufacture any more, and as certain arrangements which they propose can be adopted with regard to the labels and stamped paper, it will be unnecessary to employ Edwin any longer. The fact is, that they are utterly ignorant of machinery and of the difficulties it presents, and are consequently unable to appreciate Edwin’s peculiar powers. In their opinion the whole difficulty consists in the distribution of the stamps and in going through certain forms for their registration. At the very moment that they propose to dispense with his services, Edwin is applying counters to Barnes’ presses, is improving the presses to be employed in stamping the paper of the public (which before he took them in hand were for this purpose quite worthless), and is preparing one of a superior construction. If the business is left in the hands of the Commissioners without such aid as Edwin gives, my opinion is that we shall soon be in a mess.” After some delay, arising from the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s close occupation, I succeeded in laying the case fully before him. He at once expressed agreement in my view of the question, and the result was that, happily alike for my brother and for the public convenience, five months later the obnoxious letter was withdrawn; and my brother, though for a time subjected to more or less of annoyance, was never afterwards disturbed in his office. On the contrary, some years later his superintendence, originally confined to the postage department, was extended to the whole stamping system.[299] Before leaving the subject of stamps, I must say a few words about the form in which the adhesive stamps are printed, and the mode of their production. It may be necessary to inform those who buy stamps only in small quantities—probably the great mass of her Majesty’s subjects—that, as I originally proposed,[300] the whole sheet of penny stamps contains two hundred and forty, the equivalent, of course, of £1; and that as each row contains twelve stamps, the £1 is easily divisible into shillings, while the shillings, in like manner, may be promptly reduced to pieces worth respectively sixpence, fourpence, twopence, or a single penny. In the outset it was foreseen that the stamps might be used in ordinary payments.