“All letters going to the United States from Nova Scotia, west, to be stamped on the face, whether they were paid or not, by the office which despatched the mail to the United States. The stamp which was used for that purpose corresponds in all particulars with the supposed surcharges. This stamping I have no doubt has occasionally been done on the postage stamps, and thus those so-called surcharges have become known. “All the efforts that I made to find out who first proposed the introduction of postage stamps in Nova Scotia were in vain. But I presume, judging from the accounts of the Post Office Department, that the Hon. Joseph Howe was instrumental in doing so. This indeed was an act worthy of the liberal and enlightened mind of one of Nova Scotia’s greatest sons. “DONALD A. KING.” “NOVA SCOTIA STAMPS. “In the December number of this paper I had an article on the proper date of issue of the Pence stamps of Nova Scotia. In it I ventured to assert that they were issued in the middle of 1851. Since then, on further investigation, I have discovered the exact date of issue. The proof is obtained in the following extract from the _Chronicle_ of the 30th of August, 1851: “‘NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC. “‘Postage stamps having been received from England, notice is hereby given that stamps of Three Pence, Six Pence, and One Shilling can be purchased at this office on and after _Monday, the 1st day of September next_. “‘NOTE.—Postage stamps before being used should be examined to ascertain that they will firmly adhere (as in the event of their falling off the letters become charged with postage), they should then be placed on the front of the letter, _and upon the right hand corner of the upper side_. Should this direction not be attended to, from the rapidity with which the duty must be performed, letters which bear stamps will frequently be taxed, while the parties receiving them will be put to much trouble in obtaining a return of the postage improperly charged. “‘In all cases of complaint, whether of any irregularity, the covers of the letters (and contents in all practicable cases) must invariably be kept and sent to the post-office as affording the only means of investigating the complaint. “‘A. WOODGATE, D.P.M.G. “‘GENERAL POST OFFICE, HALIFAX, _August 25th, 1851_.’ “This will, I think, settle the matter as to the proper date of issue.