ted ultimately with the
Postmasters-General in London. The service could be extended only by
their authority, and the colonists found that the Deputy in the
colonies, being bound by his instructions from the Postmasters-General,
was unable to extend and improve the service in the manner which they
themselves thought desirable. A large number of immigrants entered the
provinces, especially Upper Canada, during this period, and settlements
were springing up in remote districts far away from the post routes.
Heriot was admonished from London that in considering the provision of
new services he must look to the revenue to be anticipated as well as to
the convenience of the public, and to adopt no scheme involving
sacrifice of revenue. His instructions forbade the opening of any post
office or post route unless the anticipated revenue was sufficient at
least to pay the postmaster and courier. He found that these
restrictions prevented him from providing a service in any degree
adequate to the demands of the settlers, or indeed adequate to their
real needs. It was essential that the settlers in the remote districts
should be kept in touch with civilization. They could not be allowed to
pass beyond the reach of the Government. They must be kept in contact
with the means provided for the administration of the law. For these
reasons it was essential to provide post accommodation, although in the
nature of the case it could not be expected that a revenue sufficient to
cover the cost would be obtained. All these considerations were pressed
on the Deputy, and he was so far persuaded as sometimes, in response to
urgent local representations, to depart from his specific instructions.
But such cases usually led to a reprimand. The natural result was that
the province was driven itself to undertake by grants from the public
funds the provision of many local services which it deemed essential.

Thus grew up the anomalous system under which the colonies made large
grants in aid of the service, but were unable to exercise any
substantial control over its administration. The more important routes
were self-supporting and were controlled entirely from England. In order
to obtain extensions of the service the colonists, through the Governor,
requested the establishment of certain services, undertaking that, if
the revenue derived from these services should prove insufficient to
meet the expenditure, the balance should be made up by the colony