New post office legislation, An Act for the Regulation of the Postal Service, (SC31 Vic. [1867], c.10), effective 1 April 1868, provided for a uniform postal system throughout the new Dominion and reduced the ordinary rate of domestic postage from five cents to three cents per half-ounce, or five cents if posted unpaid; if stamps were used, postage is wholly prepaid. Drop letters were charged one cent per one-half ounce; periodicals weighing less than one ounce were charged one half cent each; circulars were one cent per ounce; transient newspapers two cents; parcels 12 ½ cents per eight ounces with a limit of three pounds. The charge on letters sent to and received from the United States was lowered from ten cents to six cents per half ounce (the combination of the three-cent rate of each country).

In 1868, the Post Office departmental headquarters organization consisted of the Deputy Postmaster General, the Secretary’s branch, the Accountant’s branch, the Money Order branch, the Cashier’s branch, and the newly created Savings Bank branch. The nucleus of the headquarters organization was formed by such officials and civil servants as William Henry Griffin (1812-1900), who had previously worked for the Post Office department of the Province of Canada. Eventually, authority in the field would be exercised by officials or inspectors responsible for each of the various Canadian postal divisions. They would deal with local matters and in turn refer the more delicate and difficult decisions to Ottawa.

Tom Hillman