The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-23 00:00:00

RATIFICATIONS EXCHANGED IN LONDON.

Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland and the United States of
America, being desirous to promote the friendly rela-
tions existing between their respective subjects and ci-
tizens, by placing the communication by post between
the territories of her Britannic Majesty and those of the
United States on a more liberal and advantageous foot-
ing, having resolved to conclude a convention for this
purpose, and have named as their plenipotentiaries, that
is to say—

Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Right Hon. Henry John
Viscount Palmerston, Baron Temple, a Peer of Ireland,
a member of her Britannic Majesty's Most Honourable
Privy Council, a Member of Parliament, Knight Grand
Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, and
ber Britannic Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs;

And the President of the United States, by and with
the advice and consent of the Senate thereof, George
Bancroft, a citizen of the United States, their Envoy
Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to her
Britannic Majesty;
Who, after having communicated to each other their
respective full powers found in good and due form, have
agreed upon and concluded the following articles :
" Art. 1. There shall be charged upon letters not ex-
ceeding half an ounce in weight, conveyed either by
British or United States packets, between a port in the
United States, a uniform sea-rate of eightpence, or six-
teen cents; and such postage shall belong to the country
by which the packet conveying the letters is fnrnished.
" Art. 2. There shall be charged by the Post-office of
the United Kingdom upon all letters not exceeding halt
an ounce in weight, posted iu the United Kingdom, and
forwarded to the United States, or brought from the
United States, and delivered in the United Kingdom,
whether such letters shall be conveyed by British or by
United States packets, an inland postage. rate of one
penny halfpenny. There shall be charged by the Post-
office in the United States upon all letters not exceeding
half an ounce in weight, posted in the United States and
forwarded to the United kingdom, or brought from the
United Kingdom and delivered in the United States,
whether such letters shall be conveyed by United
States or by British packets, an inland postage-rate of
five cents.

" Art. 3. Upon all letters posted in one country and
delivered in the other, these rates of postage, both sea
and inland, shall be combined into one rate, of which
payment in advance shall be optional in either country.
It shall, however, not be permitted to pay less than the
whole combined rate.

' - /Ire. 4. vi tin 1 rnrcht to letterer above the weielkt ot
halt an ounce each country shall be at liberty to 6....1-
ploy, as regards the collection of the whole combined
rate, the scale of progression in operation in its territory
for charging inland rate postage.
" Art. 5. The United States engage to grant to the
United Kingdom the transit, in closed mails, through
the territory of the United States, of the correspond-
ence and newspapers from the United Kingdom to the
British North American provinces, and from those pro-
vinces to the United Kingdom, at the rate of inland
postage to be charged under this convention for letters
and newspapers between the United Kingdom and the
Unitel States. A British officer shall be permitted to
accompany the closed mails during their transit.
" Art. G. On the other hand, her Britannic Majesty
engages to grant to the United States the transit in
closed mails, through the British American provinces,
of the correspondence and newspapers from one part of
the territory of the United States, at rates not exceeding
here-
after ding
the rates of inland postage now charged or
_
of the
to
charged in the North American provmece,es,d
o
the North American provinces. An awe ci
to
hr
id
n-
ing to the distance such mails may be confficer y
United States shall be permitted to accompany the
closed mails during their transit.
, of letters and
lii u Unitedg d oin Statesth e
tfruma
srntsthyai further reb
sieennugncadigoeeare toclosed
h the
mails,gran grant
to
through the United States, ore throughuanited al:ngcdeoumnriiets
possessions, her part,
con-
trol whereor
managementt he post communicationsofthe
hUnited
newspapers forwarded from t
colonies or possessions, to any other British colony or
or to any foreign country, and from any
possession,
foreign country or. British
.colony or possession to the
transit in closed mails,
United Kingdom. its colonies ore
" Art. 8. Tier Britannic Majesty
to grant to the United States th
through the United Kingdom or any country
m,
moufntichaetilionnited ilingdom, of letters
twr ho
le roer tmh ea
npaog
es t
mceonmt
be under the con-
and newspapers forwarded from the United States, their
colonies or possessions, to any other colony or posses-
sion of the United States, cr to any foreign country, and
from any foreign country,
,or from any colony or posses-
sion of the United States, to the United States, their
colonies or p ien
" Art. 9. When letters sh.ell be forwarded in closed
mails under the stipulations of Articles 5,6, 7, or S et
the present Convention, the payment to be made to the
Post-office of the United Kingdom or of the United
States, as the case may be, shall be made by the ounce,
according to the net weight of the letters, at two rates to

the ountv, . the addition of 25 per emit. ta 114
amount of- 'stage, to compensate the loss that would
otherwise be sustained by the_motle of computation.
Art. 10. The country which sends or receives
elnF:.ed mails through the other, is to render an account
of the letters and newspapers sent or received in such
closed mails, and to account to such country for the
postage due thereon.
"Art. 11. Letters posted in the United States, ad-
dressed to foreign countries, and intended to pass in
transit through the United Kingdom, shall be delivered
to the British Post-office free of all United States
postage, whether packet or inland, and letters from
foreign countries, addressed to the United States, passing
in transit through the United Kingdom, shall be de-
livered to the United States Post-office free of all Bri•
tish postage, whether packet or inland. In the case of
those countries to which letters cannot be forwarded
unless the British postage be paid in advance, such
British postage shall be collected in the United States
(in addition to the United States rates of postage), and
accounted for to the British Post-eiliee. In the case of
those countries to which letters cannot be forwarded
unless the United States pes,Hge be paid in advafice, such
United Staves postage shall be edlected in the United
Kingdom, in e.ddition to the British postage, and ac-
counted for to the United States Post-office.
" Art. 12. The rate of postage to be taken by the
British Post-office upon letters arriving in the United
Kingdom from the United States, either by British or
United States packets, and to be forwarded through the
United Kingdom to colonies or possessions of the United
Kingdom or of the United States, or to foreign coun-
tries, and vice versa, shall be the same as the rate which
is now, or may hereaqtr be, taken by the British Post-
office upon letters to or from such colonies or posses-
sions, or foreign countries respectively, when posted at
the port of arrival, or delivered at the port of departure
of the packets conveying the mails between the United
Kingdom and the United States. The above postage is
irrespective of and beyond the inland rate to be taken in
the United States upon such letters, if posted or delivered
therein, according to the stipulations of Art. 1 of the
convention; and also irrespective of and beyond the sea
rate upon such letters, payable according to the stipula-
tions of Art. 1. The rate of postage to be taken by the
United States Post-office upon letters arriving in the
United States either by British or United States
packets from the United Kingdom, and to be
forwarded through the United States to the colonies
Or possessions of the United States or of the United
Kingdom, or to those territories which according
to the laws of the United States are beyond the
limits of their established routes, or to foreign coun-
tries, and vice versa, shall be the same as the rate
which is now or which may hereafter be taken by the
United States Post-office upon letters conveyed,
whether by sea or land, to or from such colonies, pos-
sessions, territories, or foreign countries respectively,
when posted at the port of arrival or delivered at the
port of departure of the packets conveying the mails
between the United States and the United Kingdom.
The above postage is irrespective of and beyond the in-
land rate to b. 3 taken in the United Kingdom upon such
letters it posted or delivered therein, according to the
stipulations of Article 2 of this convention, and also ir-
respective and beyond the sea rate upon such letters
payable according to the stipulations of Article 1. There
shall be excepted from the above stipulations letters and
newspapers passing through the United Kingdom to and
from France as to which certain rates are fixed by the
Fstal convention existing between that country and the
United Kingdom. But the two contracting parties agree
to invite France to enter into communication with them
without loss of time, in order to effect such arrange-
ments for the conveyance of letters and newspapers and
closed mails through the territories of the United King-
dom, of the United States, and of France, respectively,
as may be most conducive to the interests of the three
countries.

" Art. 13. Letters posted in the United States, ad-
dressed to the British North American provinces, and
vice versa. when not conveyed by sea, shall be charged
according to the rates of postage which are now, or
which shall licre!lft-r be. in operation in the United
States, and in the British North American provinces for
inland lei ters.

" Art. 14. Upon all letters posted in the United States
and addressed to the British North American provinces,
and vice versa, the rates of postage fixed by the preced-
ing article shall be combined into one rate, of which
payment in advance shall he optional, both in the United
States and in the British North American provinces. It
shall, however, not bo permitted to be less than the
whole rate.

" Art. 15. The rates to be taken on newspapers pub-
lished in the United Kingdom, when conveyed between
the United Kingdom and the United States, either by
British or United States packets, shall be one penny for
each newspaper in the United Kingdom, and two cents
in the United States. Conversely no higher charges
than those above stated shall be made by the British or
by the United States Post office, on newspapers pub-
lished in the United States, either when dispatched from
the country or when delivered in the United Kingdom.
There shall be no accounts between the two offices for
the transmission of newspapers. Each office shall retain
the postage it shall have charged, according to the pre-
ceding stipulations.

" Art. 16. The rate of postage to be charged in the
United Kingdom upon newspapers to and from the
United States, passing in transit through the United
Kingdom, shall be one penny for each newspaper, ex-
cept where a lower rate is pro's ided by any treaty be-
tween the United Kingdom and a foreign country, and
the rate of postage to be charged in the United States on
newspapers to and from the United Kingdom, passing in
transit through the United States, shall be two cents for
each newspaper.
" Art. 17. Periodical works, not of daily publications,
posted in the United Kingdom or in the United States,
may he forwarded from one country to another, either
by British or by United States packets, by means of
the two offices, under the following conditions, viz.
let. There shall be no accounts between the two
offices for the transmission of such works; each office
shall retain the postage it shall have charged. 2d.
They must be sent in bands or covers, open
at the sides or end, so that they may be easily exa-
mined. 3d. They shall be in every respect subject
to the conditions prescribed by the laws and regulations
of both countries. The rates to be levied in Great
Britain, as well on the above-mentioned works addressed
to the United States, as well as on those from the United
States addressed to Great Britain, shall be as follows:-
Ist. For every work not exceeding two ounces in weight,
one penny. 2d. For every work above two ounces in
weight, and not exceeding three ounces, sixpence. 3d.
For every work above three ounces in weight, and not
exceeding four ounces, eightpence. 4th. And for every
ounce above four, up to sixteen ounces (the limits im-
posed on the transmission of such articles by the British
office), twopence additional; every fraction of an ounce
being reckoned a full ounce. The rates to be levied by
the Post-office of the United States on similar works,
addressed to or coming from the United States, shall
not exceed the rates charged in the United Kingdom.
" Art. 18. Printed pamphlets, not exceeding the
weight of eight ounces, posted in the United Kingdom,
ce• in the United States, may be forwarded from obi
cote try to the other, either by British or United States
packets, by means of the two offices, at the same rates
and under the same conditions as those fixed for periodi-
cal rks by Art. 17.
Art. 19. In consideration of two cents United States
currency not being precisely equivalent to one penny
sterling., the British Post-office shall account to the
Uni ed States post office at the rate of four hundred
and eighty- four cents to the pound sterling; and the
United States Post-office shall account to the British
Post-office at the rate of four hundred and eighty cents
to the pound sterling.
" Art. 20. In case of war between the two nations, the
mail packets of the two offices shall continue their navi-
gation without impediment or molestation, until six
weeks after a notification shall have been made on the
part of either of the two Governments, and delivered
to the other, that the service is to be discontinued, in
which case they shall be permitted to return freely, and
under especial protection, to their respective ports.
" Art. 21. The forms in which the accounts between
the respective post-offices, for the transmission and con-
veyance of letters, are to be made out, the time and mode
in which payment shall be made by either Pose offie to
the other, together with all other measures of detail e
shall
aris-
ing out of the stipulations of the present cenventron _ea
be settled between the British Post-cflice and the r
office of the United States, as soon as possible after the
exchange of the ratification of the presentac
D. it '-weed that tha cneaSkite,S detall "
present article, may be modified by the n_tvro Post-offices,
whenever, by mutual
consent,
those offices shall b o de-
cided that such modification would be beneficial to the
Post-office service of the two countries.i
" Art. 22. The present convention s conc uded for an
indefinite period.
It cannot beannthuelleedxprratton of II
by either of
the two Governments, except
after
year's notice given
to the other Government
..Art. Art. 23. The present convention shalelnbt.e ratified by
her Britannic Majesty, and by the President of the
United States, by and with the advice and consent of
the Senate thereof, and the ratification shall be ex-
changed at London within three months of the date
hereof t shall come into operation as soon
. the as possible
after exchange of the ratifications. In witness
whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the
same, and have affixed thereto the seals of their arms.
Done at London the 15th day of December, in the year
of our Lord 1848.
[L.S.]
[LS.]

"PALMERSTON,
" GEORGE 13ANCBOYT."

"Received 3dCJ°ankt.,IIIEB4S9P.ONNDo.EINOBC.E.
" American Legation, London, Dec. 15, 1846.
" llon. James Buchanan, Secretary of State.
" Sir,—l sent this day by the Europa, for ratification,
a Postal Convention between the United States and tho
United Kingdom, which has just been signed by myself,
and, in the absence of the Postmaster-General, by Lord
Palmerston alone.

" In negotiating this treaty, I have aimed at a jud
and fair reciprocity ; the reduction of the sea rates
—the abrogation of all discriminating charges what-
ever ; respect for the existing laws regulating inland
postage, and a due regard for facilitating the daily
course of manual business in the Post-offices of both
countries.
" This convention, in its progress, has encountered
much opposition in some quarters here. I trust it may
meet general approbation at home.
" The British Postmaster-General reluctantly con-
sented to accept the varying inland rates now levied by
•he laws of the United States within their territory,
and to concede the English rates fixed by law. no
principle was thus settled. Its application was difficult ;
for it gave, ,or example on 21 tier from Boston, and
,llvt rstly one tate. it sent directly from port to port ;
another rate it sent by New York to Liverpool, and still
another if sent by New York and Southampton. To
keep just accounts under so varying rates, would have
been difficult. I agreed, therefore, to make an aver-

age of the inland rates in each country (ex-
cepting always our mails for California, and
to our remote territories, by land or sea,
which are specially provided for in Article 12)
and to adept uniformly those average rates. In Eng-
land, the inland rate on a 1. tter, if paid in
advance,
is one penny ; if not paid in advance, as nioet foreignen
letters are not, it is twopence. Three-halfpence,
is a just and fair uniform British inland raote.ct:Fpor;
America, an inland letter, if received at a post
cents.ffi
delivery, and not for transmission, pay
If
transmitted it pays a varying rate softwfiove and ten
cents. The average, therefore, is five and two-thirds of
n neat—less than six cents. Our Postmaster-General,
moreover, as well as committees in both house o f Con-
gress, recommend a uniform rate, not exceeding
five
cents. That rate, therefore. was taken as the uniform
American inland rate. But I consented to this only on
condition that the sea-rate should be reduced. This was
agreed to ;so that now, by Articles 1,2, 3, there is one
utelferm rate of twenty-four cents on every letter of half
an ounce or less, from any part of the United States,
within our established post routes, whether from New
York or New Orleans, or the remotest village post-office
in the far west to any part of the United Kingdom.
This is a less rate than the present one between London
and Paris. It is what the British packet-rate alone for-
merly was. This treaty effects such a reduction in the
combined rates, that our American inland rate of five
cents each way is obtained out of the former British
packet-rate.
" After this important concession of a reduced sea
rate, which operates exclusively to our benefit, until we
get at least an equal number of mail packets with
England, I. did not think I should be justified in refusing
to take tb e Canada mails across our territory at the uni-
form inlrind rate established by Article 2.
"It seemed to be wise to treat our Canadian neighbours
liberally ; a special act of Congress on the subject of
mails in transit to Canada-favours such a policy. The
concession of sea rate of Bd. was coupled with my assent
,0 this fifth Article ; and, moreover, I believe, that Con-
gress, before this convention goes fully into operation,
will have reduced our own rates for our own letters to
Canada to five cents. Besides, the old agreement gave
to the English closed mails a special express conveyance;
there is now no stipulation for a special train, or for ex-
traordinary speed. It is all left to the Postmaster-Gene-
ral's discretion.
" I would have insisted in Article 6 for a correspond-
ing concession for closed mails through Canada at re-
duced rates. But Great Britain is on the point of con-
ferring the management of the Canadian Post office to
the Canadas, and the Canadas themselves are to reduce
their inland postage.
" Newspapers are, by Article 15, to cross the seas in
the mail packets of either country, without charge for
sea conveyance; only each country is to take on its own
account two cents, or one penny, on every newspaper
going out of it or coming into it. So for the transit,
each newspaper is to be charged two cents in America
and in Great Britain one penny, or in some cases less.
"In like manner by Articles 17 and 18 there is to be
no charge for sea conveyance of other periodicals and
pamphlets. Each party is to collect for itself suitable
inland rates. If more convenient, we may retain our
present rates and scale of increase for printed matter, or
adopt any other not higher on the average than the
rates in the articles. The rates and scale of increase
named in the treaty are those adopted by Great Britain
in all postal conventions. The rate for the first two
ounces is very moderate—the scale of increase is high.
I would have consented to adopt a lower one, but it was
alleged that in practice it would have crowded the mails
beyond measure with what, perhaps, more properly,
should go through the custom-houses of the two
countries.
" I offered to permit the printed circulars of merchants
and manufacturers to be sent at the same rate as other
printed matter. The British Post-office objected; hut
our American advertisements, if printed as ..xtra news•
papers, will pay only newspaper postage.
" Freedom of transit for letters and newspapers was of
the utmost importance. I held that we should have the
right to bring over transit letters in our own packets to a
British port, and deposit them, free of British charge, in
the British Post-office, there to be treated as letters ori-
ginating in England. The Post-office department in-
sisted OR charging three-halfpence besides. But the
Chancellor of the Exchequer viewed the matter pre-
cisely as I did; and we very easily came to an agreement
on the point, as expressed in article 12. By that article,
a letter sent through England pays in America twenty-
one cents in advance, instead of twenty-four. Of these
five cents. is the inland rate, America or British as it may
be. For that payment in advance, all of which goes into
our treasury, if the packet is ours, the letter is delivered
into the British Post-office to be sent at the rates paid
by the British themselves to any part of the world to
which the British postal system extends. And con-
versely. •
" A small difficulty did indeed arise, but as the Chan-
cellor and I had but one mind on what was right, we
easily surmounted it.
" By article 8 you will perceive that we have a right
to send letters and newspapers in the usual channels, or
in closed mails, through the United Kingdom, as well to
France as to other foreign countries. A difficulty oc-
curred in the settling of the rates to be paid for letters
to France, passing through England. By the 52d article
of the British and French postal convention (of which I
have sent home a copy), the French pay on letters to the
British Government one uniform rate of 40 pence per
ounce, British net weight, for transit through the United
Kingdom, and sea conveyance to and from countries be-
yond sea. There is one and the same rate for letters
whether from Brazil or Van Diemen's Land, from Bos-
ton or Calcutta. But by our present treaty with Eng-
land this rate becomes too high on letters between France
and the United States, passing through the United King-
dom. The Chancellor of the Exchequer is therefore
willing on his part to reduce the rates to be paid on such
letters, and apply the principle of the 12th article of this
treaty to France.
" For this the concurrence of France is necessary.
But of course France will not refuse to accept what
comes to her mainly as a simple reduction of her rate of
postage. At the same time, we ourselves have a motive
to introduce France into this part of the negotiation, for,
as far as Great Britain is concerned, she has a common
interest.with us. Further, we may have mail-steamers
to Havre, bringing letters for Great Britain, and these
must be provided for. It seems, therefore, that we have
nothing to lose by consenting to perfect this part of our
arrangement, by a tripartite arrangement between the
three countries.
"The question comes up as to how we shall be placed
in the interim. We can send letters under cover to Li-
verpool, to be there mailed and forwarded to France, at
a rate of only three halfpence the half-ounce, beyond
what would be payable if France were not excepted
from the 12th article. Letters so sent would in many
cases go at less cost than under the British treaty with
France. On a parcel of half an ounce the New York
rate would be five cents, or twopence-halfpenny, the sea
rate eightpence, the British inland rate one penny-half-
penny, to which fivepence must be added for transit
:from Liverpool to France; while by the English treaty
with France, a letter of a half-ounce, which equally
pays in New York five cents, or twopence halfpenny,
pays on delivery in France for sea conveyance and
transit the sum of twenty-five pence; so the, by the
one way, the cost of a letter of a half ounce from the
United States, through England to France, will be 17d.;
and on the other will be 221 d. Of course England has
as strong an interest as we to remove this inconvenient
inequality.
" Thus I think it no disadvantage to us to leave the
transit rate to France to be settled conjointly with
Fraeic.e; the Chancellor having most explicitly and re-
peatedly stated that his wish is to arrange with France
to charge on our letters in transit to France what a
Liverpool merchant pays on a letter to France originat-
ing in Liverpool, and conversely, without the further
exaction of the three halfpence British inland rate, as
established by art. 2 of this convention.
0, The preceding paragraphs of my dispatch relating
to the transit of our letters and newspapers through
the Uni:ed Kingdom, to and from France, have been
sent by me to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who
concurs in the exact accuracy of my statement.
.6 I hope for the approbation of the President on the
result of this very laborious negotiation, which could not
have been proceeded with but for the aid of Congress,
and even now would hardly have been terminated but
for the enlightened good will of the First Lord of the
Treasury, and the hearty co-operation of the Chancellor
of the Exchequer and Viscount Palmerston.--yours
" GEORGE BANCROFT."
sincerely, you have re-
served 46 13S —BY article ,4
for e
ounce in weight to employ the scale of progression in
„operation in its own territory. But, at the same time,
I cannot but recommend the adoption of the Engl. .11
scale of progression. It Would raise the rate on scarcely
one letter in a hundred, at the same time it would save
to the Post-office a great deal of labour on every letter
tae sm
transmitted. The success of the chew p
depends on simplifying the manual process and g
diminish-
ingp to
labour. Where the rates are high it is
-weigh each letter, and so to have a scale of pror grpession
by the half-ounce; where rates are uniform and low, the
scale of progression should be by the ounce, so that the
Post-office clerks may, without often using the scales,
at once decide what rate attaches to each letter. G. 13."