" Kingston 4 " 31 "
" Brockville 3 " 29 "
" Ottawa 3 " 24 "

In August, 1857, the exemption of postage on newspapers was confined to
newspapers transmitted from the office of publication to regular
subscribers--all other newspapers being made liable to charge. On the
1st February, 1858, Mr. Spence retired from office, and was succeeded as
Postmaster General by the Hon. Sidney Smith. In May, 1857, the Canadian
Ocean Steamers, under contract with Mr. Hugh Allan, commenced a weekly
service between Quebec and Liverpool in summer, and Portland and
Liverpool in winter. These steamers, and the Grand Trunk Railway,
between Portland and Quebec on the east, and Detroit on the west, which
was completed a few month afterwards, have made Canada one of the great
postal as well as commercial highways between Europe and the Western
States. Closed mails are now carried under treaties with the several
governments with regularity and despatch.

In July, 1859, postage was re-imposed on newspapers sent from the office
of publication to regular subscribers. Postage rates were computed in
dollars and cents; and letters addressed to any place in Canada, if
posted unpaid, were subjected to an additional rate of two cents per
half ounce. A large augmentation continued to take place in every
department of the post office; the mails carried by the Ocean Steamers,
especially, rapidly increased. The four mails of January, 1862, carried
30,000 letters from Canada, and brought 31,000 letters to the
Province--a number far beyond the previous average of a mid-winter
month. In May, 1862, Mr. Smith resigned his office, and was succeeded by
the Hon. M. H. Foley, who now presides over the department.

The following statement will convey some idea of the rapid growth of the
postal system in this Province, since the transfer to the control of the
Colonial Government, in 1851:--

KEY:
A: No. of Post Offices.
B: Number of miles of Post Route.
C: Number of miles of annual Mail Travel.
D: No. of letters carried by post per annum.
E: Number of Registered Letters.
F: Gross Revenue.
G: Expenditure, exclusive of Railway Mail payments.

-----+------+--------+-----------+-----------+---------+----------+----------+
Year.| A | B | C | D | E | F | G |
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