provinces-Complaints of newspaper publishers-Receptio

have been mentioned only in so far as it was necessary to describe the means by which the Canadas maintained communication with

scheme for closer and more regular communications between the colonies and the mother country which was set on foot as a consequence of

participate with the other colonies in the benefits of the new service. When in 1755 the post office was opened at Halifax, the English settlements in the Maritime provinces were very recent and very

f them re-embarked, and sailing along the southern shore reached Malagash harbour, where they laid the foundation of the town of Lunenburg. The settlement was augmented by further arrivals in the two following years,

Acadians had just been expelled. The only other new settlement founded in the Maritime provinces until the French power in America was broken by the cap

l along the Annapolis valley from Windsor to Annapolis; also at several points on the south shore between Halifax and Liverpool, and at the western extremity of the pro

In 1767 a census was taken of the province, and the total population was found to be over 13,000. Of these 1200 were in the territory afterwards forming part of the province of New Brunswick, and there were 500 in Prince Edward Island.

d what it was when the migration from the revolted American colonies began. They took up lands in all parts of the provinces. Eighteen hundred householders made h

there were practically no inhabitants east of Halifax and Colchester counties. Pictou was not entirely unoccupied, as a small group from Pennsylvania and Maryland had come into the district in 1765, who were joined by a few Highland Scotch fami

ar, the number of English colonists in this province did not exceed 2500. These were scattered in small groups on Passa

the St. Croix river to St. John harbour, and with longer intervals onward to the eastern limits of the province. On the St. John river and tributaries ov

had begun, the people being mostly Acadians. There were small Sco

the harbours and coves on the seaboard. The settlements on the bay of Fundy and the St. John river were brought into conn

ry their cattle and produce to the new and promising market. The inland settlements along the Annapolis valley had the adv

nding with the mother country left much to be desired. On the establishment of the packet service between Falmouth and New York in 1755, the mails for Halifax brought out by

forty-eight vessels entered Halifax harbour, much the greater proportion of which were from New York or Boston. But with the outbreak of the war, communication with the revolt

at the line would be established. Lord North wrote to the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia in August 1783[225] that Halifax would doubtless inc

e to Halifax, the settlements in the Maritime provinces had to depend on the New York service for their correspondence with the mother country. The British post office maintained

Nova Scotia post office had no less difficulty. There were few British vessels running between Halifax and the ports of the United States, and co

rom the faulty arrangements. Lieutenant governor Parr, in forwarding the memorial, expressed his entire concurrence in its ter

anada and Nova Scotia were canvassing the possibilities of facilitating communication between their provinces. Despatch couriers passed between Quebec, fo

out of the exchanges between Canada and Great Britain, which passed over their territory, and their unwillingness to assist in exped

ity of liberating Canada from its dependence on the United States in its correspondence with the mother country. The refusal of the postmaster general of the United States to allow Canadian couriers

. Dorchester, the governor general, who had taken much interest in the question, sent Finlay in 1787 to make a survey of a route from Quebec to Halifax, and to arrange for couriers to pass monthly between the two places. The British government gave its approval to h

Canada at that port marked the commencement of the inland services in the Maritime provinc

cotia.[227] St. John post office was opened in 1784, the office of postmaster and king's printer being combined. The courier between St.

ts on the route, the expresses which had been employed in this duty were suppressed, much to the distaste of

to Fredericton if it weighed less than an ounce. If it weighed over an ounce the charge was quadrupled. The following are the rates charged by the

ingle sheet, weighing less than one ounce, and that in case the letters should weigh above an ounce, the ra

tters in the published correspondence of the time, he is persuaded that those letters did not pass through the post office. The

ipman, the solicitor general of New Brunswick, in writing to Edward Winslow in London, tells him that he would write more freely if it were not for the enormous expense, but he would tax the good will of every person he could hear of, who was going to England. No person was allowed to go o

ure the safe conveyance of the mails. The presence of American privateers in the bay of Fundy rendered the passage of the packets between

turned inland, taking a road which led to the juncture with the old Westmoreland road which ran from St. John to fort Cum

of the provincial governors to extend the means of communication throughout the province of Nova Scotia.[230] Population wa

cts the expenditure of the postal revenue were as explicit as those under which Heriot was struggling in Canada. He won through his difficulties, however, with more success than attended Heriot's efforts, although he did nothing that Heriot did not do, to m

the legislature, and obtained the assistance of that body in maintaining routes, which did not provide sufficient postage to cover their expenses. On his part he engaged, in disregard of the injunctions of the

t of the mail services in operation at that date, t

Halifax and Digby cost ￡348 a year, of which the legislature paid ￡200. The packet service across the bay was maintained by the legislatures of the two provinces. The settlements beyond Digby

s begun in 1812, was discontinued at the close of the war. It had been found so advantageous, however,

tion. He wrote that the large immigration from Scotland and other parts of Great Britain had increased the number of settlements and thrown open t

nths, the results, as Howe conceived them, were very encouraging. The expenses of the courier at this period far outran the revenues, and accordin

statement reached England, the secretary at once drew the attention of the postmaster general to the fact that, while Howe had done extremely well, his actions in appropriating the revenue to

ing to secure the good will of the lieutenant governor of his province, and his compromises with post office principles were p

cotia. Until 1820 there was no progress made in improving the system, except that the c

n the Miramichi river.[232] There were two flourishing settlements on the river-Chatham and Newcastle

e of New Brunswick, and partly by private subscription. Those who did not subscribe to the courier, might or might not receive their letters. It depended on the caprice of the cour

ments. These letters were forwarded to Fredericton by the first courier. It happened that among the persons to whom the letters

appen to be sailing in that direction. To guard against any similar mishap in future, Howe left the letters for the Mir

able proportions. In 1823, four hundred and eight square-rigged vessels from the United Kingdom loaded on the Miramichi. There was some bargaining be

not seem to have had his usual success in these negotiations, for the governor declined to deal with him, insisting on corresponding

o the postmaster general, gives an interesting account of his trip in establishing these offices.[233] He took a vessel from St. John to Dorchester, where

et by the request of the lieutenant governor to open an office at St. Stephen. He

ot bear to sanction an extension of the service which did not turn in something to the treasury. Howe had, indeed, been careful that the post office should not be even a temporary loser by his arrangements. He had gone no further than to ap

loits during the French and English wars, had not begun to come under permanent settlement until after the close of the American revolution. After the fall o

land, acquired during a series of surveys of the coasts and harbours of the Maritime provinces. Contrary to what might have been expected, he turned away from Louisburg, and placed his ca

eigned among the administrative officials, during which the domestic affairs of the colony we

coast, about Arichat and Petit de Grat, there were 405 persons, all French. About St. Peters there was a mixed English and French population numbering

nd of 1801 the population was only 2531, of whom 801 were in the Sydney district, and 192 in and

In 1802, the Scotch movement into Cape Breton began to assume considerable proportions. A ship bringing 300 settlers into Sydney, was followed by others year after year, until, at the date

mber of the legislative council and afterwards chief justice. He held the postmastership until 1812, when he was succeeded by Philip Eley, who was in office in 1817,

o elapse between the arrival of the letters from England and the first opportunity of replying to them. Half the delay, Ainslie thought, might be av

and the proposition was rejected. In the winter of 1817, an overland communication was opened between Sydney and Halifax, an Indian carrying the mails between the two places once a month during the wi

237] John Ross is mentioned as postmaster of the island in that year. He was succeeded by Benjamin C

the island. The postal service of the island was within the jurisdiction of Nova Scotia. It was not, however, until 1816, t

er service to Pictou, and thence to Prince Edward Island by packet. This service was established in 1816, and an arrangement was made with the island government,

nd his expenses, together with a receipt for the deficiency which was paid by the government. This arrangement had the immense advantage that from the very first the island service was in the hands

rmined to retain, and extend the utility of the packet service at all costs. Owing to the greatness of the charges, and the

en St. John and Fredericton, and St. Andrews on the United States boundary, and the United States post office arranged to have

etween England and Halifax, the vessel to remain at Halifax for one week before returning. He would have the public despatches for New York and Bermud

ils for the colonies should be sent by way of New York. Dalhousie, who was lieutenant gove

ivable that publishers anywhere could be satisfied with the arrangements then in operation. But, most curiously, when the question came bef

gislature to be relieved of the charges for the conveyance of his paper. The post office com

ive, or transmit by post, newspapers printed in the colonies, or coming from abroad except from Great Britain. They found, moreover, that the secretary of the general post off

master general made a charge of two shillings and sixpence per annum on each newspaper forward

d free. In accordance with this idea, the committee suggested that the assembly should take on itself the charges due for the conveyance of newspapers. They found that there

in his contention with the publishers, his position was by no means free from criticism. Indeed

his hands the whole of the provincial printing. He was also interested either di

ce free of postage. There were two other newspapers published in Halifax-The Acadian Recorder and The Free Press-and the publishers felt, not unnaturally, that in being compelled to pay two shillings

to be, it had no support from the authorities in the colony. The lieutenant governor in sending the petition to the colonial office, took occasion to speak of the high character of Howe and of his father, the precedi

the matter, as they were engaged at the time in adjusting the relations between the colonial governments and the post office, and if the provin

to give to certain of his officers the right to distribute newspapers by post. This right had been in existence since the first establishment of a post office and of a newspaper

e lieutenant governors of the provinces in January 1835. The object of the plans, it will be remembered, was in effect to have the

powers he had until that time exercised over the revenues of the provincial system, and allow the surplus, if any should arise, to

eputy postmaster general for the Maritime provinces, they recommended, when the question arose, that his emoluments be increased. Whenever the lieutenant governor or the legislature of either of the provinces desired the extension of the post

y not realized that any such difficulties existed. The thirteen years controversy between the British post office and the assemblies in Upper and Lower Canada appears to have excited no attention in the lower provinces. W

. The committee were of opinion[241] that, if modified in certain respects, the bill would be well adapted to accomplish the object in view. In their view th

d be selected, not by the postmaster general, but by the governor of the province, who would be more

be adopted that session. The only point to which they invited the attention of His Majesty's government was the salary of the deputy po

e by Howe, the deputy postmaster general, and had shown no disposition to join the Canadas in their agitation, the implied admission

amount remitted annually to England, as profit from their inland posts, and satisfied themselves that if this amount were retained by the deputy postmaster general, and dev

ncial post office. A bill for that purpose was adopted in 1838,[242] and received the assent of the lieutenant governor. By it, the deputy postmaster general w

to the other provinces. The British packets, by which mails were exchanged between Great Britain and the North American colonies, landed at Halifa

ts own cost, on condition that the British post office should pay the salaries of the dep

erica. Any partial legislation would be unacceptable, and this was particularly the case with legislation on the part of Nova Scotia, the key to British North America. By obtaining control over the expenditure for the mail service through the province, t

e government hoped to derive from the mission of Lord Durham, who was then in Canada, was that of devising some plan for the regula

acts adopted by the Nova Scotia legislature. In the resolution expressing regret that the measures in question had not been allowed to go into operation, the assembly were careful to intimate their confidence in the disposition

vernment, William Young and Herbert Huntingdon were sent as delegates to confer with the colonial secretary on t

er any but their own inland service. They were willing that the great through lines should remain within the jurisdiction of the postmaster general of Great Britain, and that the provincial authority should be confined to the management of the side or cross posts. This pr

out considerable sums each year for the maintenance of the service, appeared to the British government to entitle Nova S

demand for that purpose should be made upon the provincial funds. Should, however, the legislature deem it advisable to add to the lines of communication, the tre

int. It also intimated its willingness to allow all the packet or ocean postage collected in the colonies to

r any amendments which might be proposed to meet those objections. The packet postage, it should be explained, belonged entirely to the British government which provided and pa

TNO

(Can. Arch.), N.S

See

Gazette, Dece

inted under the auspices of the New

st 30, 1812 (Can. Arch., B

ne 20, 1816 (Can. Arch., B

Br. P.O. Transcr

August 11, 1823, with enclosures (Ca

ober 18, 1825 (Can. Arch.,

c Almanac,

ing, April 5, 1819 (Can. Arch

colonial office

c Almanac,

h., Br. P.O. T

Assembly, Nova Sco

1834, and accompanying papers (Can.

Assembly, Nova Sco

Assembly, Nova Sco

Baring, June 21, 1839, and accompanying pap