The History of the Post Office in British North America

st office relaxed-Grievances of newspaper publishers-Opinion of law offic

last of the deputies of the postmaster general of England, and in many respects the most notable. Stayner was brought up in the post

and, to a degree at no time enjoyed by his predecessors. What was equally import

ir own hands, the governors and legislative councils in the two provinces took the side of Stayner, and while they urged upon him and the postmaster general the expedi

suggestions and recommendations so little regarded, that they occupied a r?le scarcely more important than that of being the hands and voice of a department, which, unpopular at

ment, he opened a post office at Guelph. He assured the postmaster general that he had not done so until he had satisfied himself that the prospective reve

n the Maritime provinces and the United States were exchanged. This action, though most desirable in the public interest, brought down upon him a rebuke, and a r

ities were becoming too insistent to leave it possible to delay these demands until formal sanction was obtained from England. In November 1829, Stayner informed the postma

ative infrequency of the Canadian service. He suggested that he be allowed to expand the service, and to increase the frequency of the

s under a growing sense of the insecurity of the legal foundations of the post office in the colonies. To Stayner's gratification he received a letter from the postmaster general[211] enj

terests, as intimately acquainted with local conditions as the assemblies themse

de at the instance of the deputy of Nova Scotia, who, being in England at the time, explained to the postmaster general how much more closely New Brunswick was associated with Nova Scotia than with Quebec, and pointed out that orders from home affecting New

ibed in a few lines. There was a trunk line from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Niagara and Amherstburg on the western boundaries of Upper Canada. T

bly. Between Halifax and Quebec, a courier travelled each way weekly. The section between Quebec and Montreal, the

k line there were six cross routes, four in Lower Canada, and two in Upper Canada. Two of these left the trunk line at Three Rivers-one running to Sorel, by way

twice weekly. In Upper Canada, the only cross routes were one from Cornwall to Hawkesbury, with weekly mails, a

States post office had a daily service by steamer on lake Champlain, which ran as far northward as St. Johns. In 1831, Stayner made a notable improvement in the ma

ttee consisting of Fothergill, Ingersoll, Matthews and Beardsley, to inquire into the state of the post office. Their report, which was made in 1829, did not disclose any new facts. Indeed, it would not seem that the ass

in, was the result of starving the service, recommended the establishment of a provincial post office, subject to the legislatures. Post routes should be

he system. He maintained that it was impossible for Stayner from his headquarters in Quebec to follow the rapid changes in the conditions of settlement in Upper Canada, and was of opinion th

quested that arrangements should be made for a regular interchange of co

question their own way. He explained that there was a plan in full operation by which the correspondence between Liverpool and Upper Canada was conveyed across the ocean independently of the post office at

tter per week by post, though thousands were sent outside the post office, by the same vessels as carried the mails for the post off

Freeling reminded the postmaster general that his powers might not be equal to his desires. He observed that in the lieutenant governor's letter, a question was involved as to whether, and if so, to what extent, the revenues o

e assailants of the system had been confined to what the official clique regarded as the radicals and republicans and grievance-mongers. In the houses of ass

ittle used by the masses of the people. It is doubtful if the post office were employed in 1830 any more freely than the telegraph is to-day. In their contention that it was a viol

wspaper publishers in Lower Canada approached the governor general, Sir James Kempt, with a request that they might be relieved of the payment of postage on the newspapers which they sent to subscribers.[214] They did not

upon changed their request, and asked that they might be put on the same footing as the newsp

sed, they could not be regarded as free from public charges. In Canada there was no stamp duty on paper. This difference betwee

lic revenue, but formed part of the emoluments of the deputy postmaster general, observed that with as muc

r forty years past. In 1790, a shilling a year was all that was charged as postage for each copy of a weekly newspaper. This rate was increased by degrees to one shilling and threepence, one shilling and eightpence, two shillings, two shillings and sixpence, until, in 1830, it had r

me to his knowledge that the sums collected from the publishers did not appear in the accounts of the postmasters with the de

the successive advances or indeed for the original charge. Finding none, he turned to the authorities for information. It was he who led the deputation to t

. The postmaster declined to accept the papers without the postage, and Armour appealed to the postmaster general in London. In due time the reply from the department was

cause the postage was not paid. The postmaster should have sent the newspapers forward, and since the postage demanded by Stayner was not paid, i

n of his papers by that means. On these conditions, the postage on each copy sent from Montreal to any of the post offices on the island of Montreal, to St. Johns or to the nearer settleme

rs, the postmaster general, in order to accommodate the publishers permitted the deputy postmaster general to make private arrangements with them for the transmission of their newspapers. By ancient and auth

payment of postage. All he demanded was the establishment of an equitable rate, placed on a legal basis. His idea was that the postmasters who handled the newspapers should be paid from five to ten per cent. of their cost. The rates charged by Stayne

uted it to some neglect or indignity, which Armour fancied he suffered at the hands of a former deputy postmaster general, whil

settled districts, which yielded the largest revenues. But, according to Stayner, Armour's silence could have been purchased by a share of the official printing which Stayner declined to give him. Whatever grounds Stayner had for making the insinuation, there can be no

ishers presented a petition to the house of assembly of Lower Canada, setting forth the high rates they had to pay as postage for the transmission of their newspapers

ts. In this they were only moderately successful, as the only person who was in a position to

the imperial government, which in none of its instructions had recognized the right of the assembly to institute the inquiries being made. To answer the questions put

m inquiries made in the British house of commons by Joseph Hume. It appeared that the large sum of

t properly chargeable with postage at all. The committee declined to accept this view; and while perfectly friendly to Stayner, and admitting th

ich embraced the earliest settlements in the country. On the south shore of the St. Lawrence, and along the Etchemin and Chaudiere rivers, the

this great extent of territory was afforded by seven post offices lying along the line of the post route between Quebec

ept as letters, and yet there was no other means available for their circulation. If the law had not conferred on the post office a monopoly of carrying le

ing ground for speculation and suspicion that could not fail to do harm to the institution. If, under the present

ements, and to assume that the revenue arising from the service was not properly applied. The committee in conclusion expressed their confidence in the good will of both

or general, who coincided with him in his view as to the impropriety of his submitting to the questioning of the house regarding the affairs of a branch of the

ld information from the assembly was a source of irritation. The facts which had come to their knowledge through questions in the house of commons at Westminster, the ungracious admissions which the possession of the

ances before the department. In 1832, it denounced the methods of the department, and presented an address to the go

fore the assembly. He had no new facts to present, but managed to

eded to enable it to establish offices wherever they might be required; that if the rates were higher than was necessary for that purpose they should be lowered; and that any surplus revenue should b

isting arrangements were not satisfactory, but on the point of remedy opinions differed sharply. The reformers, of whom Dr. Duncombe was

e legislature to pass an act, taking to itself the control of the provincial post office. They believed that the revenues from the service would amply suffice to

ce, and, as such, it was not placed by the acts of 1778 and 1791 under the jurisdiction of the provincial legislature. They did not believe that the provincial post office furnished a revenue sufficient to cover

dly rising settlements in the remoter parts of Upper Canada, an administrator, having his headquarters at Quebec could never understand the necessities of the new districts,

were presented by Duncombe and Bidwell. They were opposed by the attorney general (Henry John Boul

he house of assembly a number of postmasters who voted not accordi

e the legislature; that newspapers should be distributed throughout the province free of postage; that the correspondence of the members of the legislature should pass free durin

ies in both provinces appeared to have dropped the idea of independent provincial establishments, and gave it as his opinion that the legislatur

ue therefrom was disposed of. As for the request of the legislatures that newspapers should be distributed by the post office free of charge, there seemed no sound reason why this should be done. A moderate rate should be fi

and indeed it appeared at that moment to be of more than usual consequenc

colonies, to call for the opinion of the law officers upon it. When the case was prepared by the solicitor for the post office, it was still more impressive, and the postmaster general thought better of his desire to h

with the general political conditions in Upper and Lower Canada, made it desirable to remove any

lies that the whole system rested on an illegal basis, and that the revenues collected by the post office in the colonies

icitor general in 1832; and on the 5th of November of that year a deci

given by the acts of 1711 and 1765, had the force of law in the Canadas, and (second) whether the postage received for the inland conveyance of letters within those provinces o

lve practical considerations of the highest political importance, bringing directly into question the pri

r the regulation of commerce, but that if they could be so considered, they would by the terms of that act be at the disp

act, the language of which was, not that rates then existing should be no longer levied, but that after the passing of the act of 1778, no tax or duty should be levied. But the law officers had no great confidence in the arg

uld relinquish to the provinces any surplus revenue after the expenses were paid, and permit an account of the receipts and expenditures to be laid on the tables of the legislatures. While forced to concede this much the postmaster general was convinced that the appointment of the officers of the department should remain with the crown. Other

office. The interview was quite satisfactory. The colonial secretary agreed to the propositions. L

the Canadian people. William Lyon Mackenzie, and Denis Benjamin Viger, representing as they maintained, the body of the publ

e request was refused on the ground that the postmaster general did not feel authorized to communicate with any person but the colonial se

On all other points of colonial policy, Mackenzie declared, people would be found to differ, but as regards the post of

ly feasible scheme would be to bring all the colonies of British North America under one deputy postmaster general, who should be responsible to the postmaster general of

ect, however, he expressed himself strongly. He said the packet service between the Canadian provinces and the mother country was

lfpenny for postage, and another by way of New York, which was only thirty-four days in coming, and cost only one shilling and fourpence-halfpenny. The announcement of the arrival of the English mail by the Halifax packet was scarcel

than the Eldons and Lyndhursts in London, had assured him that the necessity of imperial control of the colonial post office was the strongest reason for believing that parliament never intended to div

hey must give up all idea of ever having the question settled. The several colonies could never be brought to concur in thei

provincial post office. But, as his opinion had the support of so ultra a radical as Mackenzie, t

e willing to furnish the legislatures with annual statements of the revenue and expenditure, to leave with the colonies all surplus reven

bills had to originate with the provincial legislatures, the postmaster general would despair of bringing the matter to a successful conclusion, as he was convinced that the requisite acti

, the surplus of any postal revenue raised within the colonies under the act of 1765, could be appropriated and appl

t of rates for the colonies, or whether the acts of 1778 and 1791 made it necessary tha

, and that, if objections were raised in the provinces to the payment of postages fixed by the British parliament, whether by the act of 1765 or by an act to be thereafter p

officers were aware of the difficulties which would arise, if after the act of 1765 had been repealed, the colonial legislatures failed to agree on a scheme of rates or on the necessary arrangements f

king the operation of the bill contingent upon suitable legislation being adopted by the legislatures of the several provinces. In order to facilitate the passage of identical legislation by each

l of the imperial act of 1765, so far as that act authorized the collection of postage in the colonies, but stipulated that it should not become operative until acceptable

the expenditures, the surplus should no longer be sent to London to form part of the revenues of the Un

24] Under this bill, the postmaster general at St. Martin's-le-Grand was to be the head of each provincial system, and the appointment

ondence between the provinces, the charge for postage was to be fixed in accordance with t

he postmaster general in London would, as theretofore, control the arrangements, and the charges were fixed, regardless of provincial boundaries. As the imperial act stipulated that

ince should be held responsible for, to make up the deficit. Upper and Lower Canada were to bind themselves to pay in such a case

ons of all the colonies. He was to be established at Quebec. His position in relation to the deputy postmaster general of Lower Canada was somewhat peculiar. While, in general, he

ecessary for the proper administration of the service, and for the expansion of the system to meet the requirements of the new settlements. It was impossible for Stayner to g

number of robberies which took place on the grand route between Montreal and

dropped off the courier's sleigh somewhere in the neighbourhood of Prescott, and it could not be found. As the contents of the bag included b

I know all about it, I have the bag at home." It turned out that this man had found the bag, rifled it, and us

e letter, which contained ￡200, was posted in Toronto, and addressed to a gentleman living near L'Original. As the department, owing to the lack of effecti

distance of upwards of two thousand one hundred miles. It is satisfactory to be able to say that he managed to locate and secure the arrest and convicti

TNO

to Stayner, A

to Stayner, Sep

h., Br. P.O. T

h., Br. P.O. T

h., Br. P.O. T

f Assembly, L.C.

Assembly, L.C.,

., 1832-18

, 1831-1832, App. 201. Address to

h., Br. P.O. T

Arch., Q. 3

833, Can. Arch., Br.

Statutes, 4, Wi

bly for 1835. Those submitted to the other provinces were identical except as to