Convention between the General Post-Office of the United States of America and the General Post-Office of the Netherlands. THE undersigned, being thereunto duly authorized by their respective Sept. 26, 1867. Governments, have agreed upon the following Articles for the ameliora- Contracting tion of the postal service between the United States of America and the parties. Kingdom of the Netherlands: ARTICLE I. There shall be an exchange of correspondence between Correspondence the United States of America and the Kingdom of the Netherlands by to be exchanged; means of their respective Post Departments, and this correspondence shall embrace: 1. Letters, ordinary and registered. to embrace 2. Newspapers, Book-packets, prints of all kinds (comprising maps, what. plans, engravings, drawings, photographs, lithographs, and all other like productions of mechanical processes, sheets of music, etc.,) and patterns or samples of merchandize, including grains and seeds. And such correspondence may be exchanged, whether originating in either of said countries and destined for the other, or originating in or destined for foreign countries to which these may respectively serve as intermediaries. ARTICLE II. The offices for the exchange of mails shall be on the part of the United States: 1. New York. 2. Boston. On the part of the Netherlands: The travelling office Moerdijk. Each Post Department may at any time, after notice to the other, discontinue either of the offices of exchange on its side, always leaving one office; and the two offices by agseement may at any time establish additional offices of exchange. Offices for exchange of mails. Arrangements mails. ARTICLE III. Each office shall make its own arrangements for the despatch of its mails to the other office by regular lines of communica- for despatch of tion; and shall at its own cost pay the expense of such intermediate transportation. It is also agreed that the cost of international ocean and Cost of transterritorial transit of the closed mails between the respective frontiers portation. shall be first defrayed by that one of the two Departments which shall have obtained from the intermediaries the most favorable pecuniary terms for such conveyance; and any amount so advanced by one for account of the other shall be promptly reimbursed. ARTICLE IV. The standard weight for the single rate of international postage and rule of progression shall be: 1. For letters, 15 grammes. 2. For all other correspondence, mentioned in the second paragraph of the first article, that which the despatching office shall adopt for the mails which it despatches to the other, adapted to the convenience and habits of its interior administration. But each office shall give notice to the other of the standard weight it adopts, and of any subsequent change thereof. The rule of progression shall always be an additional single rate for each additional standard weight or fraction thereof. The weight stated by the despatching office shall always be accepted, except in case of manifest mistake. Weight for single rate of postage. ARTICLE V. The single rate of postage on the direct correspondence Rate of postage. exchanged between the two administrations, subject to the reserve mentioned in article VIII., shall be as follows: 1. On letters from the United States, 15 cents (U. S.) Rates of postage. Rates when direct steam lines shall be established. Prepayment optional. Proceedings when postages are unpaid, or not sufficiently paid. Registered 2. On letters from the Netherlands, 40 cents (Dutch.) 3. On all other correspondence mentioned in the second paragraph of the first article, the rate shall be, for the mails despatched, that which the despatching office shall adopt, adapted to the convenience and habits of its interior administration. But each office shall give notice to the other of the rate it adopts, and of any subsequent change thereof. ARTICLE VI. Whenever a regular line of steam communication, acceptable to the two offices, may be employed directly between any port of the United States and any port of the North of Europe at such rates that the entire cost of transportation between the two frontiers shall not exceed for each single letter rate 5 cents (U. S.) and for each kilogram of other correspondence 10 cents (U. S.;) in that case it is agreed that the international single letter rate of postage by such line shall be reduced to 10 cents (U. S.) from the United States and 25 cents (Dutch) from the Netherlands. And the two offices shall by common accord fix the time when this reduction shall take effect. ARTICLE VII. The prepayment of postage on ordinary letters shall be optional, subject to the conditions in article VIII. mentioned; but on registered letters, and on all other correspondence mentioned in paragraph the second of the first article, it shall be obligatory. ARTICLE VIII. If, however, the postage on any correspondence shall be prepaid insufficiently, it shall nevertheless be forwarded to its destination, charged with the deficient postage, adding full amounts instead of fractions of 1 cent (U. S.) or 5 cents (Dutch.) Upon the delivery of any unpaid or insufficiently paid letter, or of any other insufficiently paid correspondence, there shall be levied a fine in the United States not exceeding 5 cents (U. S.), in the Netherlands not exceeding 15 cents (Dutch.) This fine and also the deficient postage on all other correspondence than letters, shall not enter into the accounts between the two offices, but shall be retained to the use of the collecting office. ARTICLE IX. Registered correspondence shall, in addition to the correspondence. postage, be subject to a register fee, not exceeding 10 cents (U. S.) in the United States, and not exceeding 25 cents (Dutch) in the Netherlands; and this fee shall be always prepaid. What corre spondence may be registered. Basis for regulation of ac counts. Regulations for despatch of correspondence. ARTICLE X. Any correspondence may be registered, as well international correspondence as that originating in or destined for other countries to which these two administrations may respectively serve as intermediaries in either direction for the transmission of such registered articles. Each Department shall notify the other of the countries to which it may thus serve as intermediary. ARTICLE XI. Accounts between the two offices shall be regulated on the following basis: From the total amount of postages and register fees collected by each office on letters, added to the total amount of prepaid postages and register fees on other correspondence which it despatches, the despatching office shall deduct the amount required, at the agreed rate, for the cost of the intermediate transit thereof between the two frontiers; and the amount of the two net sums shall be divided between the two offices, in the proportion of three-fifths to the United States office and two-fifths to the office of the Netherlands. ARTICLE XII. The correspondence mentioned in the second paragraph of the first article shall be despatched under regulations to be established by the despatching office; but always including the following: 1. No packet shall contain anything which shall be closed against inspection, nor any written communication whatever, except to state from whom and to whom the packet is sent, the numbers and the prices placed upon patterns or samples of merchandize. 2. No packet may exceed two feet in length or one foot in any other dimension, or the equivalent in Dutch measurement. 3. Neither office shall be bound to deliver any article the importations of which may be prohibited by the laws or regulations of the country of destination. 4. So long as any customs or stamp duty may be chargeable on any articles exchanged in the mails such duty may be levied for the use of the customs or stamp revenue. 5. Except as above no charge whatever otherwise than is herein expressly provided, shall be levied or collected on the correspondence exchanged. ARTICLE XIII. The two Post Departments shall establish by agree- Exchange of ment and in conformity with the arrangements in force at the time, the correspondence by open mails conditions upon which the two offices may respectively exchange in open mails the correspondence originating in or destined to other foreign countries to which they may reciprocally serve as intermediaries. It is always understood, however, that such correspondence shall only be charged with the rate applicable to direct international correspondence augmented by the postage due to foreign countries, and by any other tax for exterior service. ARTICLE XIV. Each office accords to the other the privilege of transit of closed mails exchanged in either direction, between the latter nd any country to which the other may serve as an intermediary, by its isual means of mail transportation, whether on sea or land. Such territorial transit shall be reciprocally free of expense. For such transit by sea the United States office shall receive as follows: 1. For transit across the waters of the Atlantic ocean, or between the two frontiers by sea: (a) For letters, 8 cents (U. S.) per single letter rate (b) for other correspondence, 12 cents (U. S.) per kilogramme, net. 2. For transit across the waters of the Pacific ocean: (a) For letters, 10 cents (U. S.) per single letter rate; (b) for other correspondence, 20 cents (U. S.) per kilogramme, net. For such transit by sea, the Netherland Office shall receive as follows: For transit across the waters of the Atlantic ocean or between the two frontiers: (a) For letters, 8 cents (U. S.) per single letter rate; (b) for other correspondence, 12 cents (U. S.) per kilogramme, net. Transit of closed mails through either country. ARTICLE XV. The postal accounts between the two offices shall be Postal acstated quarterly, and transmitted and verified as speedily as practicable, counts, when tr be stated, &c. and the balance found due shall be paid to the creditor office, either by exchange on London or at the debtor office, as the creditor office may desire. The rate for the conversion of the money of the two countries shall be fixed by common agreement between the two offices. Transfer of without expense. ARTICLE XVI. When in any port of either country a closed mail is transferred from one vessel to another without any expense to the office closed mails of the country where the transfer is made, such transfer shall not be subject to any postal charge by one office against the other. Official communications. ARTICLE XVII. Official communications between the two offices shall not be the occasion of any accounts on either side. ARTICLE XVIII. Letters wrongly sent or wrongly addressed, or not Missent letters. deliverable for whatever cause, shall be returned to the originating office at its expense, if any expense is incurred. Registered correspondence of all kinds not deliverable for any cause shall also be returned in like manner. All other correspondence which cannot be delivered shall remain at the disposition of the Receiving office. Any postages upon correspondence returned, which shall have been charged against the office of destination, shall be discharged from the account. ARTICLE XIX. The two offices shall by mutual consent establish detailed regulations for carrying these Articles into execution, and they may modify such regulations in like manner from time to time, as the exigencies of the service may require. Detailed regu lations When conven and how long to continue. ARTICLE XX. This Convention shall take effect on the first day tion takes effect, of January next, and shall continue in force until terminated by mutual agreement; or otherwise until one year from the date when one office shall have notified the other of its desire to terminate it. But the two offices may by common accord modify it at any time, as the exigencies of the service may require. Subject to approval. Execution. Approval by the PostmasterGeneral; It is subject to approval on the one part by the Postmaster-General of the United States, on the other by the Minister of Finance of the Netherlands. Executed in duplicate at the Hague, the twenty-sixth day of September, in the year 1867. [L. S.] JOHN A. KASSON, Sp. Com'r, &c., &c., U. S. POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, } Having examined and considered the foregoing Articles of a Postal Convention for the amelioration of the Postal Service between the United States of America and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which were agreed upon and signed in duplicate at the Hague, the twenty-sixth day of September, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, by the Hon. John A. Kasson, Special Commissioner, &c., on behalf of this Department, and by Mr. J. P. Hofstede, Chief Director of the General Post Office of the Netherlands, on behalf of his Department; the same are by me hereby ratified and approved by and with the advice and consent of the President of the United States. In witness whereof, I have caused the seal of the Post-Office Department to be hereto affixed, with my signature, the day and year first above written. [L. S.] ALEX. W. RANDALL, by the Presi dent of the United States. I hereby approve the aforegoing Convention, and in testimony thereof, I have caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. [L. S.] By the President: ANDREW JOHNSON. F. W. SEWARD, Acting Secretary of State. Convention for the Amelioration of the Postal Intercourse between the THE post department of the United States, by its special commissioner, October 11, 1867. John A. Kasson, esq., and the federal council of the Swiss Confederation, Contracting by Dr. Jaques Dubs, vice-president of the federal council and chief of parties. the federal post department, have agreed upon the following articles, subject to ratification by the respective authorities of the two countries : ARTICLE I. There shall be an exchange of correspondence between Correspondthe United States of America and the Swiss Confederation by means of ence to be extheir respective post departments, and this correspondence shall em- to embrace brace: 1. Letters, ordinary and registered. 2. Newspapers, book-packets, prints of all kinds (comprising maps, plans, engravings, drawings, photographs, lithographs, and all other like productions of mechanical processes, sheets of music, &c.) and patterns or samples of merchandise, including grains and seeds. Such correspondence may be exchanged, whether originating in either of said countries and destined for the other, or originating in or destined for foreign countries, to which these may respectively serve as intermediaries. ARTICLE II. The offices for exchange of mails shall be, on the part of the United States, New York. On the part of the Swiss Confederation (a.) Basle. (b.) Geneva (when the Swiss Confederation shall find it expedient). The two offices, by agreement, may at any time establish additional offices of exchange. changed; what. Offices for exchange of mails. Arrangements for despatch of mails, &c. Cost of trans ARTICLE III. The principle is agreed, that each office shall make its own arrangements for the despatch of its mails to the other office by regular lines of communication, and shall at its own cost pay the expense of such intermediate transportation. It is also agreed that the cost of international ocean and territorial transit of the closed mails between the portation. frontiers of the two countries shall be first defrayed by that one of the two departments which shall have obtained from the intermediaries the most favorable pecuniary terms for such conveyance, and which shall effect such transport in that case in both directions; and any amount so advanced by one for account of the other shall be promptly reimbursed. ARTICLE IV. The standard weight for the single rate of international postage, and rule of progression, shall be: 1. For letters, fifteen grammes. 2. For all other correspondence, mentioned in the second paragraph of the first article, that which the despatching office shall adopt for the mails which it despatches to the other, adapted to the convenience and habits of the interior administration. But each office shall give notice to the other of the standard weight it adopts, and of any subsequent change thereof. The rule of progression shall always be an additional single rate for each additional standard weight, or fraction thereof. The weight stated by the despatching office shall always be accepted except in case of manifest mistake. Weight for single rate of international post age. Rates of post ARTICLE V. The single rate of postage on the direct correspondence exchanged between the two administrations, subject to the reserve men- age. tioned in Article VII., shall be as follows: 1. On letters from the United States, 15 cents. |