After a few months of French occupation, a rebellion broke out and the British, Portuguese and Neapolitans assisted the Maltese rebels. On 7 October 1799 Alexander Ball, the British Civil Commissioner of Malta, issued a notice which set up a mail delivery service in the rebel-held parts of Malta. Some rooms in San Anton Palace were used as a post office, and mail was sent to Sicily every week. After Malta had become a British protectorate in 1800, the Island Post Office was established as a government department handling inland mail and ship letters, and it continued to be housed at the Casa del Commun Tesoro. The Chief Secretariat's Office took responsibility of the Post Office in 1815. Starting from 1819, the Island Post Office used various handstamps reading "Malta P Paid", "Malta Post Paid" or "Malta Post Office" on mail.