The Sun.
London, England, 1867-09-21 00:00:00

POSTAL LVSTRUCTIONS.

Post-office Department, Washington, Aug. 20, 1867.
Whereas Article 5 of the new Postal Convention, con-
cluded between the United States of America and the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, on the Bth
day of July, A.D. 1867 provides, that " international news-
papers, book packets (including printed papers of all kinds,
maps, plans, prints, engravin gs,drawings, photographs,li tho-
graphs, sheets of music, &c.), and patterns and samples of
merchandise (including seeds and grain), shall be transmis-
sible by either office at such charges (not less than threepence
in the United Kingdom, or six cents in the United States
per four ounces on book packets and patterns or samples
of merchandise), and under such regulations as the de-
spatching office may from time to time lay down ;" and
whereas the provisions of the said Article are to be carried
into effect in each country on the Ist of October, A.D.
1867 :

It is hereby ordered that the rates of postage to be levied
and collected in the United States on and after the Ist of
October, 1867, upon the international newspapers, printed
matter, and other postal packets enumerated in the said
Article, posted in the United States and addressed to the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, shall be as
follows, viz.:—

Newspapers and unsealed circulars, two cents each.
Pamphlets and periodicals, when not exceeding two
ounces in weight, two cents each.
Pamphlets and periodicals over two ounces in weight,
and other printed matter, except books, including printed
papers of all kinds, maps, plans, prints, engravings, draw-
ings, photographs, lithographs, sheets of music, and so
forth, four cents per four ounces or a fraction of four
ounces.

Books, six cents per four ounces or a fraction of four
ounces.

Patterns and samples of merchandise, ei ht cents per
four ounces or a fraction of four ounces.

And it is further ordered that the regulations to be ob-
served and enforced in the United States, with respect to
the printed papers of all kinds and other postal packets
enumerated in the said Article, shall be the following, viz. :
1. The postage charges herein established must in all
cases be fully prepaid at the office of mailing in the United
States, by means of United States postage stamps affixed
outside the packet or its cover. if not so prepaid the
packet cannot be forwarded.

2. Newspapers, circulars, pamphlets, periodicals, books,
or other printed papers, including maps, plans, prints, en-
gravings, drawings, photographs, lithographs, sheets of
music, &c., must be wrapped or enveloped in covers open
at the sides or ends, so as to admit of the enclosures being
removed for examination.

3. No newspaper, pamphlet, periodical, or article of
printed matter (other than book packets) may contain any
word or communication, whether by writing, printing,
mark or signs upon the cover or wrapper thereof, except
the name and address of the person to whom it is sent, the
printed title of the publication, the printed name of the
publisher or vendor who sends it; or, in case of news-
papers or other regular publications, when sent to sub-
scribers direct from the office of publication, the printed
date when subscription expires. It must not contain a
letter or any communication in writing, or other en-
closuro.

4. No book packet may contain anything that is sealed
or otherwise closed against inspection, nor must there be
any letter, nor any communication of the nature of a
letter, whether separate or otherwise, unless the whole of
such letter or communication be printed. But entries,
merely stating from whom or to whom the packet is sent,
shall not be regarded as a letter.
5. No book packet must exceed two feet in length or one
foot in width or depth. . _ _

6. Any book packet which is not open at the sides or
ends, or has any letter or communication in the nature of
a letter written in it, or upon its cover, cannot be received
or forwarded in the mail ; and it is the duty of postmasters,
whenever they have ground for suspecting au infringe-
ment of any of the above conditions, to open and examine
book packets, patterns, samples, or other postal packets
posted at or passing through their offices.
7. Patterns or samples of merchandise must not be of
intrinsic Yalue which rule =ludo from the limas all

articles of a saleable nature, or whatever may have a mar-
ket value of its own apart from its mere use as a pattern or
sample, or where the quantity of any material sent osten-
sibly as a pattern or sample is so great that it could fairly
be considered as having on this ground an intrinsic value.
8. No packet of patterns or samples must exceed 24
inches in length, or 12 inches in breadth and depth, or 24
ounces in weight.

9. Patterns or samples must not bear any writing other
than the address of the persons fur wbom they are intended,
except the address of the sender, a trade mark and num-
bers, and the prices of the articles.

10. There must be no enclosures other than the patterns
or samples themselves. The particulars which are allowed
to be furnished under the preceding regulation must in all
cases be given, not on loose pieces of paper, but on small
labels attached to the patterns, or samples, or the bags con-
taining them.

11. Patterns or samples must be sent in covers open at
the ends, so as to be of easy examination. Samples, how-
ever, of seeds, &c., which cannot be sent in open covers,
may be enclosed in bags of ;inen or other material fastened
in such a manner that they may be readily opened for
examination.

12. Patterns, samples, or other packets containing
liquids, poisons, explosive chemicals, or other articles
likely to injure the contents of the mail bags, or the
person of any officer of the post-office, are positively ex-
cluded from the mails.

13. The law and regulation of this department which
excludes obscene books, pamphlets, pictures, prints, or
other publications of a vulgar and indecent character, from
the mails of the United States, are also to be enforced with
-respect to books, pamphlets, pictures, prints, or other pub-
lications of like character addressed to the United King-
dom or other foreign country.
14. Letters, newspapers, pamphlets, periodicals, or books
posted in the United States, and addressed to the United
Kingdom, may be registered at the office of mailing upon
payment of a registration fee of eight cents in addition to
the ordinary postage charges, both of which must bo pre-
paid. But the reduced registration foe of eight cents on
letters will not take place until the Ist of January, 1868.
15. Newspapers or other kinds of printed matter, book
packets, patterns, and samples of merchandise originating
in the United Kingdom and addressed to the United States
will be received in the United States fully prepaid, and
must be delivered free of charge to the party addressed at
the office of destination in the United States.

Article 5 of the aforesaid convention also prescribes the
following specific regulations to be observed and enforced
in each country, viz.:—

" Neither office shall bo bound to deliver printed papers,
the importation of which may be prohibited by the laws
or regulations of the country to which they aro trans-
mitted.

"So long as any customs duty is chargeable in the
United States on the importation from the United Kingdom
of any of the articles enumerated above, such customs
duty shall be leviable in the United States, and the pro-
coeds shall accrue to the United States Treasury.
"Except as above, no charges whatever shall be levied
in the country in which international newspapers, book
packets, and patterns, or samples of merchandise are de-
livered."

Postmasters are instructed to levy and collect in ad-
vance, on and after the first of October, 1867, the rates of
postage as fixed by this order on the different kinds of
printed matter and other postal packets herein enumerated,
observing strictly the regulations herein established with
respect to each classification of the same.
So much of the new convention as relates to inter-
national letters exchanged with the United Kingdom will
not take effect until the Ist of January, 1868 ; and in the
meantime the postage charge on letters will continuo, as
at present, at 21 cents for a single rate of half an ounce or
under. But on and after the Ist of January, 1868, the
single rate of postage on international letters will he re-
duced to 12 cents. The offices of exchange on the side of
the United States aro New York, Bobton, Philadelphia,
Baltimore, Portland, Detroit, Chicago, and San Francisco.
ALEX. W. RANDALL, Postmaster-General.