The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-12-06

}yinu N the United Kingdom from the United States
either by British United States packets and to be for
arded through United Kingdom to colonies pos
sessions OF the United Kingdom OF the United States or
TO foreign countriesand oesdsha be the same as
the which is which hereafter be TAKEN oy
the British post Office upon letters TO or from such coon"
or possessions or foreign countries respectively when
posted the port of arrival delivered at the port OF De
Parure Of the packets conveying a ahs mans
By this article similar privilege is secured to Great
Britain in respect letters and from the United King
dom 10 be forwarded through the United States But let
tiers and newspapers passing through the United Kingdom
oto and France expressly excepted from the sup
ulaons of said article The two contracting parties how
eyer agreed invite France to enter into
with them without loss ofme in order effect such arrange
for the oters and and closed
mails through the territories Of the United Kingdom OF the
United States and Of France respectively may be most
conducive the interests Of the three countries The clause
above referred excluding the correspondence between
the United States and France from the advantages or the
convention strongly objected by Mr. Bancroft who
negotiated the treaty part and ne was induced
finally to consent to it only on being assured py the
that e treaty stipulatons between England
and France rendered its insertion necessary as without
the latter power would have just cause OF complaint
against the former This representation, however APP
TO have been incorrect Mr. Lawrence the successor
OF Mr. Bancroft subsequently assured that France
was then ready negotiate at once, waving the PRIV
eoes of the convention which England set in her be-
balfp This government deemng the treaty unequal In
its bearing upon the interests of the two countries ar
uary Of the exceptional clause referred TO- ana
being DESTROYS concentrating without ioss OF tune the
tribe contemplated by the l2th article COM
nenced negotiations that purpose Immediately after
the treaty executed which negotiations nave Deen
Continued IN the present tme-neariy six yearswithout
any beneficial result The British government has steadily
declined to unite in eecng such arrangements as would
he most conducive the interests OF the three entries
which might have rendered the treaty more
equal in its operations and the original terms OF the con-
vention still remain unchanged The more imPor'anl
Of the correspondence which has passed between the
two governments this subject is contained in Executive
No. 49, published by order of the Senate at the
session OF the 32d Congress On the part OF this
10 that the British transit charge
for the United States and French correspondence II
sent In closed mails through the United Kingdom shall
not exceed twelve and a half cents an ounce tnat
being the price paid by Great Britain for the
transit of British closed mails through the United
States to and from the British North Amerlcan prov.
that contained in Lord Pamerstons note OF the 9h May
1881 in reply to Mr. Lawrences communication OF ioth
October preceding, of one shilling ceh nn
United States for similar service Under parta
ent concluded between Great Britain and France IN May
1851 the mails from France for the United States have
been forwarded through England closed mails France
agreeing to pay Great Britain the price demandedvH
transit postage Of one shilling cents and ior
cents an ounce Prior TO that date the British once was
charging and receiving the postage on all correspond
ence between the United States and France via England
conveyed across the Atlantic by United States steamers
the same as when conveyed by their packets the
suit Of which was that double sea postage having to be
paid on all correspondence forwarded by United States
packets the great bulk of the United States and French
mails via England, sent by the Cunard line. Since
the partial arrangement above referred 10 Went nto
ration no charge been made by Great Britain for the
sea postage of conveyed by American packets yet
under its operation the single rate of postage between
the United States and France by United States pack
cts is six cents higher on each letter of the weight Of
quarter and under than by British packets and
consequently much the larger part Of the
still diverted to the British lines For instance taking
the weight the French mails received at New York by
the Cunard packets be the with that received by
these packets at Boston, and reckoning four letters 70 he
ounce number Of French letters brought by the Gu
nard line during year 2a7576 while the number
received by the Collins steamers performing just half as
many trips was only ,609--less than one-ifth The
treaty respects gives undue advantage
Great Britain and operates to the serious injury OF the
United States Under its provisions will be by
statement in Appendix A. of at least $4,000
British hostages has during the last year. been collected
by the United States for the British office and above
the whole of United States hostages collected by
Great Britain This large balance of British hostages has
been collected at actual expense of about in the
shape of commissions to and this depart
suffers also the additional loss by exchange, &C.
necessary place the money in possession of the British
Office in London of less than $780, When it is
sered that all this outlay is made part without
receiving any equivalent in return, of the most srk
ing inequalities OF the existing arrangement is pointedy
exhibited ,E
port toward eectng postal convention with France
has the contemplated arrangement with Belgium been yet
consummated.
Some steps have been taken with reference to postal
convention with Mexico. mutual exchange of dead let
has already been agreed upon and carried into effect
and await project which Mexico is to propose, for
perfect arrangement by which is expected the
of postage between the two countries will be mater
ally reduced
Under our postal convention with Great Britain the
Philadelphia post Office with the concurrence of that gov
ernment has been constituted office of exchange for
United States and British mails The articles of agree
this subject hereto annexed regret to state
that proposition for the reduction of pamphlet and
magazine postage between the two countries to cent
either side has been positively declined by the
British Post Department The combined rate is at present
altogether two high being eight cents ounce for all
works OF this kind above the weight of two ounces.
In the month of March last arrangement made
with the proprietors of the Australia Pioneer Line of
monthly packets to convey mails regularly between New
York and Port Philip Australia, at two cents letter,
half per newspaper and onequarter cent for
pamphlets and magazines and, with the view of aording
to citizens the cheapest practicable means OF commune
cation with that country have fixed the all
going matter by that line at five cents letter. cents
each for newspapers, and fraction of
for pamphlets and magazines, prepa yment
qured These embrace both the United States inland
and postage AS the United States postage be
prepaid incoming letters by this line they treated
ordinary ship letters Similar arrangements have been
made during the year with the popretors OF the steamers
Black Warrior and Cahawba convey mails sem-month
ly between New York and Havana and New Orleans and
Havana cents letter. and also with the proprietor
of the steamship Jewess convey mails in every TWEEN
ty days between New York and Nassau New Providence
returning by way of Havana at the rate of compen
saton.
By these agreements important point has been gained
in sustaining the department in the efforts which should be
made in oil future arrangements to keep the cost Of the
ocean service, if possible, within its receipts
To the appendix (marked AZ / invite your particular
attention and that of Congress.
II exhibits full statistical information the subject of