Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-10-27
OFFICIAL.


The post department OF the United States, by
tts special commissIoner, John A. Kasson.
esq, and the federal council OF the S. wiss Oon, ,
federatio1, by DIR. Jaques Dubs, vice-president
oihe Iederal council and chief OF the reder al
post department, have agreed upou the follow.
Ing articles, SUBJECT 70 ratification by the re-.
spectiVe authorities Of the two countries
ARTICLE L. There shall be an exchange OF
correspondence between the United States of
America and the Swiss Confederation by mean 5
OF tneir respective post de partments, and this
coIIespond.nce shall embrace IL. Letters,
ordinary and registered. ?. Newspapers, book
packets, prints of all kinds Comprising maps
plans, engravlngs, drawings, photographs.
Autographs, and all other ike productions OF
mechanical processes), sheets OF music, &c.,
and patterns or samples Of merchandise, IN
cludng 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, to 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 Iork. On the part OF the Swiss Confei-
GRAFTON :-td-) Basic. o. Geneva when the
Swiss Conisderatl on snail lind it expedlenlJ.
i ne Two of1css, by agreement, may at any
time establish additional offices OF exchange
article Ill. The principle is agreed, that
each Office shall make its own arran yements
Tor the despatch OF its mails TO the other office
by regular lines of Communication. and snail
al Its own cost pay the expense of such inter-
neoiate transportation. 1t - also agreed tnat
Transit of the closed mails betw zen the frontiers
OF the two countries shall be Lrst defrayed by
mat one OF the two departments winch snail
nave ootalned from the lEterme6iarles the most
favoraoly pecuniary terms for such convey
ance. and which shall effect suC IA trausport m
that case in both directions; and any am junt SO
ee'anceu % oy one Ior account OF the other snail
be promptly reimbursed.
ARTICLE " The standard weigh, for the
single rate OF International postage, al rule of
progression, snail bel. For letters, fifteen
= Fhar
mentioned In the second paragraph OF thu first
aruce, that which the des pa C hing offica shall
adopt for the mails which IL despatc hes to tns
otner, adapted TO the convenIence and habits of
tne interior administration. But each office
shall give notice TO the other of the Standard
weight 1t adopts, and OF any subseq uenr change
,nefeoi. Inc rule OF progression shall ALWAYS
De an additional single rate for each additional
standard weight, or fraction thereof Tha
weight stated BY the despatching Office shall
always Be accepted except In case OF manifest
AK1ICLB V. The single rate Of postage ON
the direct correspondence exchanged between
lne Two administrations. subject TO the reserve
mentioned In Article VII. shall be as follows:
1. On letters from the United States, Is cents.
:. On letters from the Swiss Confederation 81
centimes. 3. On all other correspondence
mentioned in the second paragraph OF the first
article, the rate shall be, for tne mails d..
spatehed, that which the despatch,ng Off ce
snail adopt, adapted to the convenience and
habits OF ils interior administration. But each
office shall give notice TO the other of the raie
II adopts, and Of any subsequent change there
-ARrrc1r VI. The prepavmen. of nos,,s.
on ordinary letters shall be optional subIsct 10
the conditions In Article VII. mentioned, but
on registered letters, ana on all other CORES.
pondence mentioned in parapraph second of
the first article. IL shall be Obligatory,
ARTICLE vi. If, however, the postage of
any correspondent ce shall be prepaid ms uffi ci.
eniiy, IT shall nevertheless be forwarded TO its
destlnanon, charged with the deficient postage
adding full amounts. instead OF fractions OF /
cent or centimes. Upon the delivery OF any
unpaid, or .nsnfncten,iy paid letter, or OF any
other insuffclently palo CORES pond. nee, there
shall be levied fne in the United States not
exceeding fve cents, and in Switzerland not
exceediEg 70 centImes. The fine, and also tn.
deficient postage on all other correspondence,
than letters, shall not enter into accounts be
tween the two Offices, but shall be retained to
the use of the collecting Office
ARTICLE VIII. Registered correspondence ce
shall, in addition to the postage, De subject 70 a
register-fee not exceeding ten cents in the
United States, and not exceeding fifty centimes
in Switzerland, and this fee shall always be
prepaid.
ARTICLE TX. Any correspondence may be
registered, as we'll International correspon-
other countries to which these two administra-
tions may respectfully serve as Intermediates
IN either direction Tor the transmission Of such
registered articles. Each department shall
notify the other Of the countries to which il
may thus serve as intermediary
ARTICLE Y. Accounts between the two OFF,
ces shall be regulated on the following basis
From the total amount Of postages and register
fees collected by each Office on letters, added to
the total amount of prepaid postages and reg
ister-tees on other correspondence which it
dispatches, the despatching ofiice shall deduct
the amount required as the agreed rate for the
cost of intermediate 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.dfths g 81 to the
United States office and two-fifLhs (2.5) TO the
Swiss Office.
ARTICLE xI The correspondence men.
Gle shall be dispatched under regulations to
be established by the despatching Office, but
always inclndins the Following !: First. No
packet shall contain anything which shall be
closed against inspection, nor any written COM
mnnication whatever, except TO state TO whom
and from whom The pac ketis sent; and the mum.
bers and prices placed upon patterns or samples
of merchandise. Second. n packet may ex-
eeed two feet in length, or one foot in any
other dimensions, or the equivalent in Swiss
measurement Third. Neither Office shall be
bound 10 deliver any article the Importation o.
VII Ich may be prohibited by the laws or resu-
laiIons of the country of -stinatIon. Fourth.
So long as any customs dnty may be charge
able any article exchanged in the mails,
such duty may be eyied fOr the use o: the Gus
tome. Fifth. Except as above. GO charge
whatever, other wise than As herain expressly
provided, shall be LEVIED and collected on the
cores pCndence exchanged.
ARTICLE MI. The two posi- departments
shall establish, by agreement, ana IN con-
time, the conditions upon which the two
Offices may respectively exchange, In open
mails, the correspondence originating in. or
destined TO, the other foreign countries 10
which they may recIprocally serve as inter-
mediaries. 1t is always understood, however,
that such correspondence shall only be
charged with the rate applicable 10 direct
International correspondence, augmented by
the postage que TO foreign countries, and by
any other tax for exterior service.
AKT1cL1 XIII. Zach office accords TO the
other the privilege of transit of closed mails
exchanged, in either direction, between the
latter and any country 70 which the other may
serve rs an intermediary, by Its usual means OF
mail transportation. whether ON sea or land
Such transit across Its own territory shall be
ciprocally free of expense. For such trars sit by
sea the United States ofH &c shall receive fol-
lows:-l. For transit across the waters of the
Atlantic Ocean: a. For le1ers, cents per
single letter rate. b. For other correspondence,
IL cents per kilogramme, net. ,. For transit;
across the waters OF the Pacific ocean: n. For
letters, 10 cents per single letter rate. b. For
other correspondence 20 cents per kilogramme
net. For such transit by sea the Swiss ONCE
shall receive a. follows: For transit scross the
waters Of the Atlantic Ocean. a. FOf letters, .
cants per single letter rate. b. For other cor
r.spondence, ~ cents Per kilogramme, net.
For Intermediate territorial transit each office
| shall receive the amount 1t actually disburses
| for such transit.
AnTIcL1 XIV. The possal accounts bstWesn
/ the two ofices shall be stated quarterly, and
/ transmitted and verified as speedily ~ practi.
/ cable, and the balance found due shall Be paid
\ TO the creditor once either by exchange on
London " Paris or At the debtor ONCE. as the
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