The Stamps of Canada | Page 4

by the treaty of Paris in 1763. Of all its Canadian
dependency France retained only the Islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon,
off the coast of Newfoundland, and the vexatious French-shore rights.
During the war of American Independence Canada was invaded by the
Americans, and the end of the war saw a great influx of loyalists from
the United States, and the formation of two new colonies--New
Brunswick and Upper Canada (now Ontario). The treaty of peace in
1783 took away from Canada territory now included within Minnesota,
Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin. In 1791, owing to

differences of race, Upper Canada was separated from Lower Canada;
but discontent resulted in rebellion in 1837-8 which occasioned Lord
Durham's mission and report. The results of that were the granting of
responsible government to the colonists, and in 1840 the reunion of the
two provinces. But the different elements, British and French
Canadians, worked no better together than they had done while
separated; and in 1867, as an escape from the deadlocks which
occurred, confederation was consummated. After the War of
Independence the history of Canada is chiefly concerned with the
gradual removal of the commercial preferences she had enjoyed in the
English market, and the gradual concession of complete powers of
self-government.
The half-breeds of the north-west broke out in rebellion in 1869-70, but
it collapsed as soon as the forces led by Colonel Wolseley reached Fort
Garry on Winnipeg. Riel, the leader, escaped, to return later and foment
another outbreak in 1885. This proved more dangerous but was
eventually suppressed and Riel executed. The chief events since have
been the Halifax award (1888), which justified the Canadian contention
against the United States interference with fisheries. The Behring Sea
award (1897) settled the sealing difficulty; and a joint commission met
at Quebec in 1898 to determine all outstanding questions between
Canada and the United States. In 1903 these reached a final solution in
the Alaskan Boundary Commission's settlement of the frontier line
between British Columbia and Alaska.
CHAPTER I.
--Its Postal History.
The Stamp Collector's Magazine for August, 1868, contained an
interesting article on the history of the Canadian Post-office, largely
compiled from information given in the "Canadian Postal Guide,"
which we cannot do better than quote in full.
The earliest records of the administration of the post-office in Canada,
are dated 1750, at which period the celebrated Benjamin Franklin was

Deputy Postmaster-General of North America. At the time of his
appointment, the revenue of the department was insufficient to defray
his salary of $1500 per annum, but under his judicious management,
not only was the postal accommodation in the provinces considerably
extended, but the revenue so greatly increased, that ere long the profit
for one year, which he remitted to the British Treasury, amounted to
$15,000.
In the evidence given by Franklin before the House of Commons in the
year 1766, in regard to the extent of the post-office accommodation in
North America, he made the following statement:--
The posts generally travel along the sea coasts, and only in a few cases
do they go back into the country. Between Quebec and Montreal there
is only one post per month. The inhabitants live so scattered and remote
from each other in that vast country, that the posts cannot be supported
amongst them. The English colonies, too, along the frontier, are very
thinly settled.
In 1774, Franklin was recalled, and the following year the War of
Independence broke out, and the office was filled by Mr. Hugh Finlay,
who had, under his predecessor, been postmaster at Quebec.
Canada is divided into Upper and Lower. From a Quebec almanack of
1796, we glean that there were seven offices in the former and five in
the latter. Mr. Finlay is designated as "Deputy Postmaster-General of
His Majesty's Province of Canada."
At that time mails were dispatched monthly to England, and
semi-weekly between Quebec and Montreal, or Halifax. At Baie des
Chaleurs the visits of the postman must, we conclude, have been few
and far between, as they were only favored with a mail "as occasion
offered".
In 1800, Mr. George Heriot succeeded Mr. Finlay. At this time Prince
Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, were all under the
authority of the Canadian administration.

The following is taken from the advertising column of the Upper
Quebec Gazette, printed in 1807:--
The mail for Upper Canada will be dispatched from the post-office at
Montreal, on the following days, to wit:
Monday, 14th January. Monday, 12th February. Monday, 12th March.
Monday, 7th April--the last trip.
A courier from Kingston may be looked for here in 14 or 15 days from
the above periods, where he will remain 2 or 3 days, and then return to
Kingston.
Another courier will proceed from this with the Niagara mail, via