The Postmaster General for the Province of Canada was a member of the Executive Council for the Province of Canada responsible for the operation of the mail service. From 1784 to 1850, Deputy Postmasters General were appointed in the Canadian colonies, subordinate to the Postmaster General in Britain. On July 28, 1849, the British Parliament passed An Act for Enabling Colonial Legislatures to Establish Inland Posts. Legislation was passed in the Province of Canada in 1850 to regulate the operation of the postal service. The official transfer was completed in 1851. After Canadian Confederation in 1867, this function was transferred to the new federal government. In the Province of Canada, the Postmaster General also automatically became a member of the Board of Railway Commissioners.