Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1849-07-06
TREATY..
POSTAL CONVENTION WITH GREAT
BRITAIN,
CONCLUDED DECEMBER Is, l848.
By the President cfthe United States Of America
A PROCLAMATION.

u :
"A PROCLAMATION.
Whereas a convention between the United
States of America and her Majesty the Queen
of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland was concluded and signed at London,
on the fifteenth day of December, in the year
of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and
forty eight, which convention is, word for
word, as follows:
The United States of America and her Ma
iesty, the Queen of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland. being desirous to
promote the friendly relations existing be-
tween their respective citizens and subjects.
by placing the communications by post be.
tween the territories of the United States and
those of her Britannia Majesty upon more
liberal and advantageous footing, have resol-
we'd TO conclude convention for this purpose,
and have named as their plenipotentiaries that
is 10 say: - .-.-
The President OF the United States, by and
with the advice and consent of the Senate
thereof, George Bancroft, citizen of the Uni
ted States. their envoy extraordinary and min
lister plenipotentiary TO her Britannia Ma
jesty: t-
And her Majesty the Queen of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
right honorable Henry John Viscount Palmer
ston, Baron Temple, a Peer of Ireland, mem.
Der of her Britannia MajestY's most honorable
Privy Council, a member of Parliament
Knight Grand Cross of the most honorable
Order of the Bath, and her Britannia Males-
tvs principal Secretary of Slate for Foreign
Affairs:
Who, after having communicated 10 each
other their respective full powers, found in
good and due form, have agreed upon and
concluded the following articles:
Article /. There shall be charged upon
all letters not exceeding half an ounce in
weight, conveyed either by United States or BY
British packets, between a port in the United
States and port in the United Kingdom, an
uniform sea rate of eight pence, or sixteen
cents; and such postage shall belong to the
country by which the packet conveying the
letters is furnished
article 2. There shall be charged by the
Post Office OF the United Kingdom, upon all
letters not exceeding half an ounce in weight
posted in the United Kingdom, and forwarded
TO the United States, or brought from the Uni
ted States, and delivered in the United King
dom, whether such letters shall be conveyed
by British or by United States packets, an in
land postage rate of one penny half penny.
There shall be charged by the Post Office o.
the United States, upon all letters not exceed
ing half an ounce in weight, posted in the Uni
ted States and forwarded to the United King
dom, or brought from the United Kingdom
| and delivered in the United States, whethe
such letters shall be conveyed by United State:
or by British packets, an inland postage rate
of five cents.
Artscls 3. Upon all letters posted in on,
country and delivered in the other, these rates
of postage, both sea and inland, shall be com
bined into one rate, of which payment in ad
vance shall be optional in either country.
shall, however, not be permitted to pay les!
than the whole combined rate.
| article f. With respect 10 letters above thu
weight of half an ounce, each country shall
be at liberty 10 employ, as regards the collec
ton of the whole combined rate, the scale O
progression in operation in its own territor,
for charging inland rates of postage.
article 5. The United States engage to gran
TO the United Kingdom the transit in close
mails, through the territory of the Unite
States, of the correspondence and newspaper
from the United Kingdom 10 the British Nortl
American provinces, and from those province
to the United Kingdom, at the rate of inlant
! postage TO be charged under this convention
for letters and newspapers between the Unite
Kingdom and the United States
A British officer shall be permitted to &C
company the closed mails during their transit
Article 6. On the other hand, Her Britanni
Majesty engages 10 grant to the United State
the transit in closed mails, through the Brit
lsh North American provinces, of the cores
pondence and newspapers from one part o
the territory of the United States to any othe
part of the territory of the United States, a
rates not exceeding the rates of inland postag
now charged, or to be hereafter charged, il
| the North American provinces, according Il
the distance such closed mails may be con
veyed within the North American provinces
An officer of the United States shall be per
mltted 10 accompany the closed mails durin;
their transit
Article 7. The United States further engag
to grant to the United Kingdom the transit il
closed mails, through the United States, Q
through any country where the post commu
nlcation may be under the control or manage
ment OF the United States, of letters and news
papers forwarded from the United Kingdom
ITS colonies, or possessions, 10 any other Brit
lsh colony or possession, or 10 any foreigI
country and from any foreign country or Bri
fish colony or possession, to the United King
dom, lis colonies or possessions.
article s. Her Briianic Majesty engages
on her part, to grant to the United States tn
transit in closed mails, through the Unite
Kingdom, or through any country where tn
/ post communication may be under the contro
or management of the United Kingdom, of let
tiers and newspapers forwarded from the Uni
ted States, their colonies. or possessions, Il
any other colony or possession of the Unite
: States, or TO any foreign country, and from
any foreign country. or from any colony O
possession of the United States, to the Unite
States, their colonies or possessions.
article 9. When letters shall be forwarde
in closed mails under the stipulations of arti
cles V, VI, VII, or VIII of the present conyes
ton, the payment TO be made to the Post Oh
; flee of the United Kingdom or of the Unite
States, as the case may be, shall be made b,
the ounce. according to the net weight of III
letters, al two rates to the ounce, with the ad
dltian of twenty-five per cent. on the amour
OF postage, TO compensate the loss that woul
otherwise be sustained by this mode of com
E putation
article 10. The country which sends or re
ceives closed mails through the other, is t
render an account of the letters and newspa
pers sent or received in such closed mails, an
to account to such country for the postag
due thereon.
article IL. Letters posted in the Unite
States, addressed to foreign countries, and in