, 1868-12-18
sEvalIa avalla gtatesman.
FRIDAY EVENING, December ls, Ises.
OFFICIAL.


THE SWISS CONFEDERATION.
The post department of the United States 6y It's
special commissioner John A. kasson, ESQ.,
and the federal council of the Swiss Oonfede,
ration, by Dr. Jaques Dubs, vice-presldent OF
the federal council and chief Of the federai
post department, have agreed upon the loi-
lowing articles, subject to ratification by the
respective authorities of the two countries
ARTICLE 1.
There shall be an exchange of correspondence
between the United States of America aEd tne
Swiss Confederation by means of their respective
departments, and this correspondence shall
embrace
l. Letters, ordinary and registered.
.. Newspapers, book. packets, prints of all
kinds comprising maps, plans, engravings,,
drawings, photographs, Autographs, and all
other like productions of mechanical processes,
sheets of music, &c. and patterns or samples
of merchandise, including grains and seeds
Such correspondence may be exchanged,
whether originating in either of said countries
and destined for the other, or originating in or
destined for foreign countries, 10 which these
may respectively serve as intermediates.
ARTICLE II.
The Offices for exchange of mails shall be, on
the part of the United States, New York.
On the part of the Swiss Confederation
(a.) Basle.
(B( Geneva (when the Swiss Confederation
shall find it expedent.)
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 own arrangements for the despatch Of
its mails to the other Office by regular lines Of
communication, and shall at its own cost pay the
expense of such intermediate transportation. 1t
is also agreed that the cost of international ocean
and territorial transit of the closed mails between
the frontiers of the two countries shall be first
betrayed by that one of the two departments
which shall have obtained from the iutermedia>
ries the most favorable pecuniary terms for such
conveyance, and which shall effect such trans
port in that case in both directions and any
amount so advanced by one for account of the
other shall be promptly reimbursed.
ARTIoR ".
The standard weight for the single rate of in>
ternational postage, aud rule of progression
shall be:
l. For letters, fifteen grammes.
2 For all other correspondence, mentioned in
the second paragraph of the first article, that
which the desDatching Office shall adopt for
the mails which it dispatches to the other,
adapted to the convenience and habits of the
interior administration. But each office shall
it adopts, and of any subsequent change thereof
The rule of progression shall always be an ad-
ditonal single rate for each additional standard
weight, or fraction thereof
The weight stated by the despatching Office
shall always be accepted except in case of mani
fest mistake.
ARTICLE V.
The single rate of postage on the direct cor,
respondence exchanged between the two admin
istratons, subject to the reserve mentioned in
Article VII, shall be as follows
l. On letters from the United States, 10 cents.
2. On letters from the Swiss Confederation,
80 centimes.
8. On all other correspondence mentioned in
'the second paragraph Of the first article, the
rate shall be, for the mails despatched that
which the despatching Office shall adopt, adap-
ted to the convenience and habits of its interior
administration. But each office shall give notice
to the other of the rate it adopts, and of any
subsequent change thereof.
ARTICLE VI.
The prepayment of postage on ordinary let.
ters shall be optional, subject to the conditions
in Article VII mentioned, but on registered let
ters and on all other correspondence mentioned
in paragraph second of the FIRST article, il shat
be obligatory.
ARTICLE VII.
If, however, the postage of any correspondence
shall be prepaid insufhciently, it shall neverthe
less be forwarded to its destination, charged
with the deficient postage, adding full amounts
instead of fractions, of cent or centimes.
Upon the delivery Of any unpaid, or insult
ciently paid letter, or of any other insuficiently
paid correspondence, there shall be levied a fin,
in the United States not exceeding FIVE cents
aud in Switzerland not exceeding 25 centimes
This fine, and also the deficient postage on al
other correspondence than letters, shall not en-
ter into accounts between the two Offices, bu
shall be retained to the use of the collecting Office
ARTICLE VIII.
Registered correspondence shall, in addition t.
the postage, be subject TO register-fee not ex
ceeding ten cents in the United States and no
exceeding fifty centimes ir Switzerland, aud thi
fee shall be always prepaid.
Article TX.
Any correspondence may be registered, as vel
international correspondence as that originating
in or destined for other countries TO which thest
two administrations may respectively serve Al
intermediates ia either direction for the trans
mission of,such registered articles. Each de-
partment shall notify the other of the countries
to which it may thus serve as Intermediary.
Article Y.
Accounts between the two offices shall bt
regulated on the following basis; From the
toiaI amount OF postages aud register-fees col
leeted by each Office on letters, added to the to.
tai amount Of prepaid postages and register. fees
on other correspondence which it dispatches, the
despatehing officer shall deduct the amount re-
quired as the agreed rate for the cost of interme.
diate transit thereof between the two frontiers.
and the amount Of the two net sums shall be
divided between the two offices in the proportion
OF three-hhhs (3.5) to the United States Office
and tWo-hfths (2-5) to the Swiss office.
Article XI.
The eortesPondeuee mentioned in the second
paragraph OF the first article shall be despatched
under regulations to be established by the des,
patching office, but always including the fol,
lowing
FIRST No packet shall contain nythug which
snail be closed against inspection nor anv
written communication whatever, except to state
10 whom aud from whom the packet is sent and
the numbers and prices placed upon patterns Or
samples OF merchandise
CONCLUDED OK THIRD PAeE.1