llowing extract from the Montreal <i>Courant</i>, of September 2, 1829,
describes the improvement which had at that date been effected in the
postal communication between that city and Prescott:--

"Expeditious Travelling.--On Saturday last the Upper Canada
line of stages performed the journey from Prescott to this
city in about 17 hours, leaving the former place at a little
before 3 A.M., and arriving here a few minutes before 8 in the
evening. Not many years ago this journey occupied two and
sometimes three days, but owing to the great improvements made
by Mr. Dickinson, the enterprising proprietor, by putting
steam boats on the Lakes St. Francis and St. Louis, and
keeping his horses in excellent condition, it is now performed
in little more than one-third of the time."

The following advertisement, which appeared in the year 1833 in the
<i>Colonial Advocate</i>, published at Queenston by the late Mr. W. L.
Mackenzie, will give some idea of the postal facilities in the Upper
Province at that period:--

"POST RIDER WANTED IMMEDIATELY.

"The proprietor of this newspaper wishes to contract with a
steady man (who can find and uphold his own horse), to deliver
it to the subscribers once a week during the winter, on the
route between York and Niagara <i>via</i> Ancaster."

Regular steam communication was established across the Atlantic in the
year 1841, and about that time the rate of postage on letters between
any part of Canada and any part of the United Kingdom was, on the
recommendation of Mr. Stayner, reduced to a uniform charge of 1s. 2d.
sterling, per half ounce. Thus, it is believed, was first recognized the
principle of a uniform rate of postage--irrespective of distance--which
has since been so universally adopted.

In 1848 there were 539 post offices and 6895 miles of post route; the
annual transportation of the mail was 2,225,000 miles; the estimated
number of letters carried in a year 2,000,000; and the gross revenue
$260,000.

On the 6th April, 1851, was effected the transfer of the post office in
Canada from the control of the Imperial authorities, to the Colonial
Government. Mr. Stayner retired from office, and the Hon. James Morris,
the first Canadian Postmaster General, assumed charge of the department.

In 1851 postage, which had previously been charged according to the
distance the letter was carried, which