The government of Prince Edward Island, though invited by Elgin to participate in the conference at Montreal in October 1846, took no part in it. In November 1847, Johnston, one of the representatives from Nova Scotia, sent to the lieutenant governor a copy of the report of the Montreal commission, requesting an expression of his sentiments, and inquiring as to the prospect of the legislature concurring in the opinions contained in the report. The deputy postmaster general in the course of an examination of the report pointed out that the only valid objection the government of Prince Edward Island could have to the adoption of its conclusions, was that the uniform charge of threepence on inter-colonial correspondence would make a serious inroad in the receipts of the Prince Edward Island post office. The island post office had been in the practice of adding to the postage charged on inter-colonial letters, the inland rate of twopence a letter. If the terms of the report were adopted in their entirety, and a uniform rate were charged throughout the provinces of threepence a letter, the island would have to relinquish its inland charge. The deputy postmaster general took a serious view of the effect of the proposed relinquishment of the inland postage. The revenue for 1850 was L1440. Applying his estimates of the proportions by which the receipts from the several classes of correspondence would be reduced, he concluded that, under the scheme submitted, the revenue would probably not exceed L660.[292] Notwithstanding this unfavourable anticipation, the government gave its assent to the scheme agreed upon by the other colonies, and the rate of postage on letters exchanged with other colonies became threepence per half ounce, while the charge on letters exchanged within the island remained twopence per half ounce. FOOTNOTES: [284] _Can. Arch._, G. series v. 126 (August 18, 1846). [285] Cardwell to postmaster general, June 10, 1846, and accompanying papers (Br. P.O. Transcripts). [286] _Journals of Assembly_, N.S., 1847. [287] _Journals of Assembly_, Canada, 1849, App. B.B.B. [288] _Journals of Assembly_, N.S., 1848. [289] _Journals of Assembly_, Canada, 1849, App. B.B.B. [290] _Ibid._, N.S., 1849 [291] _Imperial Statutes_, 12 and 13 Vict., c. 66. [292] _Journals of Assembly_, P.E.I., 1850, App. H. [Illustration: WILLIAM HENRY GRIFFIN, C.M.G. (_Deputy Postmaster General_ 1857-1888)] CHAPTER XVI Provincial administration of the post office--Reduced postage--Railway mail service--Arrangements with United States.