The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-07-06


CHAPTER 3.--Letter Bills, .4cknopledg
ments of Receipt, accounts, &c.
ART. is. Every mail passing between the respec-
tive offices of exchange in the United Kingdom and
the United States shall be accompanied by letter
BILL specifying the amount of postage due TO each
office on each class of correspondence The office
10 which the mail is addressed shall return by the
next post an acknowledgement of receipt to the
Office from which il was transmitted. The letter
bills and acknowledgements of receipt shall be made
according 10 the forms + and CD agreed upon and
annexed To the present articles.
ART. TO- If it shall happen at the usual period for
making up the mails that there should not be any
letter other correspondence, from either of the
Offices of exchange, blank letter bill SHALL never
theess, be forwarded 10 the corresponding office.
ART. IL. The letter bills and Acknowledgements
of receipt indicating the correct amount of postage
due TO each office, shall serve as vouchers to the
quarterly accounts. IT, in checking the mails trans
united TO the respective offices OF exchange, the
amount of postage OF any of the articles shall be
found TO differ from that entered the letter bill
by the despatching Office, such articles shall be
checked by two officers and the corrected amount,
which is entered by them on the veritication side OF
the letter bill, shall be accepted as the true amount
ART. Is. Accounts, showing the results OF the
mutual transmission of correspondence between the
United Kingdom and the United States, shall be
made out at the end of every quarter by the General
Post Office in London, and having been examined
compared, and settled by the General Post Office
delay by that office which shall be found indebted
the other. The quarterly accounts shall be made
out according to the forms (H and ID annexed to
the present articles.
CHAPTER. 4. - Dead, .MiSsent, and Re-
turned Letters.
ART. l9. Dead letters, newspapers, &C., which
cannot be delivered, from whatever cause, shall be
mutually returned after the expiration of every
month, otherwise the regulations of each
Office will admit. Such of those letters, &c, as
shall have been charged in the account shall be re-
turned for the same amount OF postage which was
originally charged by the sending office, and shall
be allowed in discharge of the account of the Office
TO which they were transmitted The forms X and
ID 10 be used in claiming the return of postage,
and to accompany such dead letters, newspapers,
&c, annexed TO the present articles
ART. 20. With respect TO dead letters, &C., which
may have been received in closed mails, or which
be produced by the Office which has to claim
the amount, they shall be admitted for the same
weight and amount OF postage which was originally
charged upon such dead letters &c, in the accounts
of the respective offices, declaration on lists
vouching for the amount of postage demanded,
signed by the inspector of the dead letter office, or
other officer duly authorized for that purpose.
ART. 81. Letters misdirected or missent or which
may require the prepayment of the postage, shall
be recprocally returned without delay through the
respective offices of exchange, and credit taken in
the letter bill for the amount Of postage originally
charged upon them. Redirected letters, or letters
addressed to persons who have changed their resi-
dences shall be mutually returned by the first post,
charged with the rates of postage which would have
been paid by the parties TO whom they are ad-
dressed.
ART. % Letters sent for the purpose of annoying
or injuring the parties to whom they addressed,
(the postage on which either Office may think pro-
per to return,) though they may have been
opened, to be included and admitted with the
dead letters.
ART. 49, Whereas by article Is of the convention
of December is, ls4S, it Is stipulated that letters
posted in the United States addressed TO the British
North American provinces, or vice versa, shall be
charged according to the rates of postage which
now, or which shall hereafter be, In operation
in the United States and in the British North Anne
rican Provinces for inland letters and whereas by
article Ia of the said convention, il is further stipu
lated that the rates of postage fixed by the proceed
ing article shall be combined into rate, of which
payment in advance shall be optional, both in the
United States and in the British North Ameri-
Provinces, and that ii shall not be permitted TO
pay less than the whole rate and as, owing TO the
various rates of postage now in operation in the
two countries, which are governed by the distance
that letters have TO be conveyed in EACH depending
upon the point of INSTRUMENTATION where the
correspondence passes from country 10 the other
il will not be possible To determine by previous
regulations the true combined rates 10 which letters
will be liable and as, therefore, il will not be prac
ticabe TO prescribe such forms and settle such de-
tails as viii carry the said articles into due effect,
il is agreed that further efforts for the adjustment of
such forms and details for carrying into operation
articles Is and Ia of the convention of December Is,
lS4s, shall be postponed until such alterations be
made in the rates of postage will allow of the
provisions of the said articles being eectually
ried out according to the true intent and meaning
| Of the same.
Arr. "a. The present articles, 80 far they
already in force, shall come into operation on
the first day of July next.
Done in duplicate, in the city of Washington, the
fourteenth day Of May, one thousand eight hundred
| and fOrty-nine
s. X. HOBBIE.
H. BOURNE