The island post office had been in the practice of adding to the postage charged on inter-colonial letters, the inland rate of twopence a letter. If the terms of the report were adopted in their entirety, and a uniform rate were charged throughout the provinces of threepence a letter, the island would have to relinquish its inland charge.
The deputy postmaster general took a serious view of the effect of the proposed relinquishment of the inland postage. The revenue for 1850 was £1440. Applying his estimates of the proportions by which the receipts from the several classes of correspondence would be reduced, he concluded that, under the scheme submitted, the revenue would probably not exceed £660.[292]
Notwithstanding this unfavourable anticipation, the government gave its assent to the scheme agreed upon by the other colonies, and the rate of postage on letters exchanged with other colonies became threepence per half ounce, while the charge on letters exchanged within the island remained twopence per half ounce.
FOOTNOTES:
[284] Can. Arch., G. series v. 126 (August 18, 1846).
[285] Cardwell to postmaster general, June 10, 1846, and accompanying papers (Br. P.O. Transcripts).
[286] Journals of Assembly, N.S., 1847.
[287] Journals of Assembly, Canada, 1849, App. B.B.B.
[288] Journals of Assembly, N.S., 1848.
[289] Journals of Assembly, Canada, 1849, App. B.B.B.