ion of this Act.

VIII.--And in conformity to the agreement made as aforesaid between
the Local Governments of the several Colonies of British North
America, be it enacted that the Provincial Postage on letters and
packets not being newspapers, printed pamphlets, magazines or
books, entitled to pass at a lower rate, shall not exceed
Threepence currency per half-ounce, for any distance whatsoever
within this Province, any fraction of a half-ounce being chargeable
as a half-ounce; that no transit postage shall be charged on any
letter or packet passing through this Province, or any part
thereof, to any other Colony in British North America, unless it be
posted in this Province, and the sender choose to prepay it; nor on
any letter or packet from any such Colony, if prepaid there; that
Twopence sterling the half-ounce shall remain as the rate in
operation as regards letter by British mails, to be extended to
countries having Postal Conventions with the United Kingdom, unless
Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom shall see fit to
allow this rate to be changed to Threepence currency; that the
prepayment of Provincial Postage shall be optional.

That all Provincial Postage received within the Province shall be
retained as belonging to it, and that all Provincial Postage
received within any other Colony of the British North American
Colonies may be retained, as belonging to such Colony. That no
privilege of franking shall be allowed as regards the Provincial
Postage. That Provincial Stamps for the prepayment of postage may
be prepared under the orders of the Governor in Council, which
stamps shall be evidence of the prepayment of Provincial Postage to
the amount mentioned on such stamps; and that such stamps, prepared
under the direction of the proper authorities in the other British
North American Colonies, shall be allowed in this Province as
evidence of the prepayment of Provincial Postage in such other
Colonies respectively, on the letters or packets to which they are
affixed and which have been mailed there.

The passage of the above Act and its approval by the Imperial government
was followed by a notice to postmasters which gave the date at which the
transfer of the postal system from Imperial to Provincial authority was
to take effect, gave more expli