y with modifications
which would have prevented its adoption as the basis of a general
service throughout the five provinces. New Brunswick and both Upper and
Lower Canada rejected the Bill. The Assembly of Lower Canada substituted
a Bill of its own.[116] The Legislative Council were indisposed to
accept the substituted Bill,[117] and in March 1836 adopted an Address
to his Majesty, explaining that in their view it would be exceedingly
difficult, if not impracticable, to secure the co-operation between the
separate Post Office establishments of the several provinces essential
for the attainment of the purpose of the original measure, and they
pointed for illustration to the United States, a country where,
notwithstanding a keen regard for State rights, the whole control and
management of the Post Office department had been delegated to the
Federal Government. Since the Post Office establishment was a most
effective means for strengthening the ties connecting the several
provinces, as well as an essential aid and convenience of commerce, they
deemed the best course to be the retention by the Imperial Parliament of
the exclusive power of legislating for the control and management of the
Post Office in all parts of the Empire. In March of the following year,
there being still no prospect of the adoption of the Bill by the
provinces, the House of Assembly and Legislative Council of Upper Canada
adopted a joint Address to his Majesty, substantially identical with
that adopted a year earlier by the Legislative Council of Lower Canada.
It was clear that little progress was to be anticipated.[118]

In 1840 a Commission was appointed. Its attention was directed more
especially to the faulty administration of the office and the excessive
rates of postage. To remedy the former, and to make the administration
more amenable to local control, they suggested placing the Deputy
Postmaster-General under the control of the Governor-General in all
matters which did not conflict with the authority of the
Postmaster-General in England. As to postage, they were satisfied that
the rates at that time in operation were too high. They considered that
the rates should be such as would yield a revenue sufficient to meet the
expenses of the department, and no more; and in their view, if the
revenue improved after the establishment of such rates, which there
should be no difficulty in calculating, the proper course would be
either to grant further f