Litmus Test

[palani]

In case you might have been wondering .... How do you know you are dealing with your own domestic government?

1) They don't charge fees.
2) They don't pay postage.
3) They don't expect postage to be paid to communicate with them.

Here is a copy of an envelope in which a local clerk was communicating with the Sec of State (circa 1840). See any postage?

http://i48.tinypic.com/21mdoi1.jpg



How do you know you are dealing with people domestic to you?

1) They don't charge you a fee for helping you.
2) You don't charge them a fee for helping them.

[Hatha Sunahara]

You're playing on the word domestic. "Of, or pertaining to the home."

The government of my 'country' is not the government of my home. I am the government of my home. The government of my country is foreign to me. More often than not, I do not consent to it.

Hatha

[Glass]

In Australia there is a proscribed method to petition the Govenor by post. The document should be twice folded to form an envelope sized item. It should be sealed on the long edge and left open at the ends. I don't recall if it requires the word Petition on the outside, however I suspect it might but I'm not sure. This form of postage item should be exempt from stamp (duty) requirements.

I think there is a variation whereby you can place your folded petition inside a similarly folded pale blue card. Similar to that used for mason communications amongst themselves and in their petitions or motions to the court.

[palani]

I think that is why the envelope I show in the OP made it into the microfiche. The envelope is actually the back side of the correspondence folded properly. I expect there were no stationary stores around back then that sold commercial grade envelopes.