“On receipt of this, I wrote Mr. F. M. Passow, who was chief clerk of the Nova Scotian Post Office Department, to enquire whether the plates ever came here. He said, ‘I doubt if the plates were ever sent out to Halifax; I never saw them.’ To make this positive, we find, in the letter to the Provincial Secretary above referred, indisputable evidence that the plates were in England in 1857. The letter is as follows: “‘GENERAL POST OFFICE, HALIFAX, _July 2nd, 1857_. “‘SIR,—The stock of postage stamps procured from England some time ago being nearly exhausted, I have the honour to request that you will be good enough to issue the necessary directions to Mr. Stanford, No. 6, Charing Cross, London, for a further demand; viz.— 10,000 sheets of 3d. postage stamps, value £20,000 2,500 ” 6d. ” ” £10,000 1,250 ” 1s. ” ” £10,000 Each sheet to contain 160 labels of Three Penny, Six Penny, and One Shilling stamps, making each sheet of the value of £2, £4, and £8 respectively, and to be the colour of those affixed on the margin. “‘The last supply of stamps was furnished by Mr. Trelawney Saunders, who has transferred his business to Mr. Stanford. In applying for these postage labels, therefore, it will be necessary you should furnish Mr. Stanford with your authority to produce the key for opening the box containing the dies, which are now in the possession of the engravers, Messrs. Perkins, Bacon, and Petch, who also are in possession of a key for the safe custody of the dies. “‘It is particularly requested that the stamps may be forwarded at as early a period as possible, those remaining on hand being not only nearly expended, but much injured. When making the requisition, it would be as well to caution the engravers not to pack the parcels too close; for when they are strictly confined they adhere, and become useless, as was the case with some of the packages in the last supply furnished. “‘I have, &c. &c. “‘(Signed) A. WOODGATE. “‘The HON. C. H. TUPPER, M.D., M.P.T., _Halifax_.’ “Only two requisitions for stamps (those of July 8th, 1851 and July 2nd, 1857) for Nova Scotia can be found, although no doubt more than two supplies were sent.