The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1868-05-26
PUBLIC ACTS.
CONVENTION
FOR

| Tile Amezi0ration of the Postal Intercourse
| Jet1ceen the United States of america anal
the iSaciss Confederation.
The post department of the United States. by its
| special commissioner, John 4. Kasson Esq,
and the federal council of the Swiss Confeder-
alton, by DR.. Jacques Dubs, vice-president of
the federal council and chief of the federal post
department, have agreed upon the following
articles, subject to ratification by the respeco
| tive authorities of the two countries
ARTICLE /.
There shall be an exchange of correspondence
between the United States of America and the
Swiss Confederation by means of their respect
i've post departments, and this correspondence
shall embrace:
l. Letters, ordinary and registered
2 Newspapers, book-packets, prints Of all
drawings, photographs autographs and ali 9th,
or like productions of mechanical! process sheets
OF music, DC. and patterns samples of mer-
chandise including grains and seeds
Such correspondence may be cxchanged
whether originating in either of said countries
and destined for the other, or orginatin" in or
destined for foreign countries. to which these
may respectively serve as Intermediates
ARTICLE H.
The offices for exchange of mails shall bo on
the part of the United States, New-York.
On the part of TIE Swiss Confederation
(n.) Basic.
o. Geneva (when the Swiss Confederation
shall find it eXpedient.)
The two offices, by agreement, may at any time
establish additional Offices OF exchange
ARTICLE III
The principle is agreed, that each Office shall
make its OWE arrangements for the dpsDDtch of
It's mails to the other Office by regular lines of
communication, and shall at its own cost nav the
expense of such intermediate transportation It
Is also agreed that the cost of international ocean
and territorial transit OF the closed mails between
htA nf.nI ntrj,,-
betrayed by that one of the two departments
which shall have obtained from the intermr-
diaries the most favorable pecuniary terms for
such conveyance, and which shall effect such
transport in that case in both directions: and
any amount SO advanced by one fer account of
the othcr shall be promptly reimbursed.
ARTICLE ".
The standard weight for the single rate of in
ternationaI postage, and rule of progression
shall be:
1. For letters, fifteen grammes
2 For all other correspondence, mentioned in
the second paragraph of the first article that
which the despatching office shall adopt for the
mails which it dispatches to the other, adapted
to the convenience and habits of the inferior adj
mInistration. But each Office shall give notice
to the other of the standard weight it adopts,
and of any subsequent change thereof The rule
OF progression shall always be additional sin
gle rate Tor each additional standard weight, or
fraction there of.
The weight stated by the despatchng Office
shall always be excepted except in OF mani
lest mistake.
ARTICLE '.
The single rate of postage the direct cor
reSpondence exchanged between the two admin
iStITtions, subject TO the reserve mentioned in
Article VII, shall be us follows:
l. On letters from the United States - cents.
2 On letters from the Swiss Confederation, so
confines.
3. On all other correspondence mentioned in
the second paragraph of the first article, the rate
shall be, tor the mails espatchcd, that which the
despatching office shall adopt, adapted to the
convenience and habit of its interior aiminist;a-
tioE. But each otli,e shall give notice to tie
other Of the rate it adopts, and of any suisse
quent change thereof.
ARTICLE VI.
The prepayment of postage on ordinary letters
shall be OPTIONAL subject to the conditions in
Article VII mentioned, but on registered letters
and on all other correspondence mentiIned in
paragraph second of the first article, it shall be
obligatory.
ARTICLE VII.
If however, the postage of any correspondence
shall be PREF aid insufiiciently it shall ncvcrtie-
less be forwarded to its destination, charged with
the deficient postage adding full amounts, i'll
stead OF fractions. of cent or 5 ccntimcs
Upon the delivery of any unpaid or INSULT
GENTLY paid letter, or OF ally other insutficienly
paid correspondence, there shall be levied fine
in the United States not exceeding five cents,
and in Switzerland not exceeding 25 confines
This fine, and also the deficient postage onall
other corrcSpo dencc han letters, shall not en-
ter into accounts between the two Offices but
flee.
ARTICLE VIII
Registered correspondence shall, in addition
to the postage, be subject to Il registcr-fce not
exceeding ten cents in the United States and not
exceeding fifty centimes in Switzerland, and this
fee shall be always prepaid.
ARTICLE TX.
Any correspondence may be registered as well
international correspondence as that originating
in or destined for other countries to which these
termediares in either direction for the transmits
sion OF STeh registered articles Each depart,
ment shall notify the other of the countries to
winch 1t may thus serve rs intermediary.
ARTICLE X
Accounts between the two offices shall be reg
ulated Oh the following basis: From the total
amount of hostages and reg,ster-fees collected i
amount of prepaid postages and registcr-lees on
other correspondence which 1t dispatches, the
despatching officer shall deduct the amount re-
qurcd as the agreed rate for the cost OF lnterne-
date transit thereof between the two frontiers,
and the amount OF the two next sums shall be
divided between the offices in the proportion OF
three fifths $50 to the United States office and
two ffths e. - 10 the Swiss office.
ARTICLE XI.
The correspondence mentioned in the second
paragraph OF the first article shall be despatched
under regulations TO be established by the de-
sEatching office, but always including the 1ol-
lowing:
First No packet Shall contain anything which
shall be closed against inspection; nor any writ
ten communi, i ion whatever, except to state
to whom and from whom the packet is sent;
and the numbers and prices placed upon patterns
or samples of merchandise.
Secon. No packet may exceed two feet i'll
length, or foot in any other dimension, or
the equivalent in Swiss measurement
Third Neither office shall be bound to denver
any article the importation of which may be
prohibited by the laws or regulations OF the
country of destination.
Fourth. So long as any customs duty may be
chlrpPablc exchanged