of a uniform
reduced rate for the whole Empire was carefully considered; but it
was not found possible to fix upon a rate acceptable to all the
Governments concerned. A resolution was therefore adopted, leaving
it to those parts of the Empire which were prepared for penny
postage to make the necessary arrangements among themselves.

Since then other portions of the British Empire have fallen into line
and the ties binding the English speaking peoples have been further
strengthened by the adoption of penny postage between the United States
and Great Britain as well as with many of her Colonies.

Elihu Burritt, the "learned blacksmith" of New Britain, Connecticut, was
one of the earliest advocates of Ocean Penny Postage and late in 1848 he
issued a pamphlet setting forth his views on the subject. Exactly fifty
years later Imperial Penny Postage was inaugurated though it was on a
much broader and more liberal basis than Burritt had dared to hope in
his fondest imaginings.

Canada, as will be noted from the preceding extract, was the leader in
the movement for Imperial Penny Postage and marked the culmination of
its ambitious plans by issuing a special two cents stamp. Mr. Mulock,
the then Postmaster-General of the Dominion, was responsible for the
idea of issuing a special stamp as well as the sponsor for its design.
The new stamp was first mentioned by the Ottawa correspondent of the
_Outlook_ as follows:--

Mr. Mulock, the Postmaster-General, has chosen the new inaugurating
stamp. It is in the form of a miniature map of the world
distinguishing British possessions and illustrating the relative
vastness of the Empire, in which Canada, of course, plays a
prominent part.

In commenting on this paragraph the _Philatelic Record_, for December,
1898, stated "A poster stamp even of the large plaster type, which
'distinguishes British possessions and illustrates the vastness of the
Empire', will indeed be a _multum in parvo_, and probably the less said
the better in anticipation of the realisation of such an apparently
absurd idea for a design on such a small engraving as a postage stamp
needs to be."

The _Ottawa Evening Journal_ gave further particulars about the
forthcoming stamp, viz.:--

The new Imperial Penny Postage Stamp, to be used between Great
Britain and a number of her colonies after Christmas Day next, has
been designed by the Postmaster-Gen