The New York herald., 1874-10-30
INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE.
The General Treaty Concluded by
the European Congress.
UNIF oRMITY OF. RATES.
The Mail Tax in Each Country
Fixed for Three Years.
A Single Postal Territory =
Constituted.

"a 0AAASAO - OoCSpA AOA1AVOAIy
Constituted.
The following ts the text OF the treaty In revarion
90 the creation OF general postal nnion sigt od nc
Berne on the 9th or 0ctober:--
The undersigned plenl potentlaries OF the fsoyern
ments Of the countries represented at Etfe Con-
gress have with common accord, aud re- serving
only me rafincaiion, agreed to the following con-
ARTICLE 1.-The countries between W hch the
present. treaty mas been concluded snail iorm. nn.
Dnion" one single postal territory Tor uae recipro
M "a interchange OF correspondence between their
ART. 2.-fhe stipulatons OF this tire Aty will ex.
tend TO letters, postal cards. ewsp Apers, hooks
Ano other printed matter, samples o. merchandise
ctnded IN this union ana destined r0r another oi
these countries. They VIII apply equally to the
postal exchange OF the above artio between the
countries included In the union a. al countries not
connected with IT as long as this excnange affects
sas territory OF 1t least two OF the contracting
ART. a-The general tax OF tb e, Union Is fixed At
1I S1n,mes . Senss ior st SIN e prepaid letter
served to each State, IN ors err to Suit tts own
M,Ghne!sry ,lhsr or other conyen ence, to levy tax
t1at II does not exceed 32 ,intimes nor 90 below
Every letter shall be CO, lsidered q simple one
the tax on letters exceedI ng that weight Will be
a. sn extra postage or every Is gramuaes or . frac-
The postage on anpaia letters Will be double the
Ax levied ~ tue county they are destined 20 On
The prepay OF postal cards is obligatory.
with the privilege or ounding or the fractions.
FOR each maritime transportation or over 800
geo9rapnical miles AZ additional tax can be added
% the ordinary post age, bnt not to exceed haif
tne general tax uI.ed by the union for prepaid
Art. 4-Tne gsiieral tax of The Union on bust.
ness papers. saI1 lies n merchandise newspapers.
DOCKS lwnetner sfitched or bouno), pampniets,
spectuses adv srtlsemenls oi direrent kinds
pi lnied, engrs wed, autographed or auIographed),
rs well as ghs tographs, Is fixed at centimes for
But as q 4easnre OF transition the right is re.
moneIary Or other convenience, to levy a ss sax
either either nlggAr or lower than this sagure on con-
altion thaftit does not exceed II centimes nor 60
Each Arcel that does not exceed SO grammes IN
melunn n nar, a be considered simple one: the tax
postag elor every 30 grammes or traction OF 80
For each maritime transportation Of over 800
geoy iaphical miles an additional tax can be levied
En :h Is not TO exceed half The general tax 1xed
ny tile Union on articles OF this category.
Ihe maximum weight OF the above mentioned
VTEcles Is fixed at $50 grammeS lOr samples, and
~ 1000 grammes for all the ouhers.
The right is reserved TO each government In the
union not TO efiect the transport and distribution
sf a such oI the articles desgnated IN the present
nances and DEGREES which govern the conditions
OF their publication and circulation have not been
ART. 6.-The articles designated In article can
he forwarded under registration.
All registered articles should be prepaid.
the postage on registered articles shall be the
same as on articles which. are not registered.
advices q receipt ssoaia not sxeeea that Whc
prevails In the internal service OF the country
In case OF the loss Of registered parcel, saving
u cases OF superior force. an indemnify Of dity
% 20 paa - 70 me sendel y ga or on as de
lhe .adminstrationi In whose territory or maritime
service the loss mas taken place; that Is to say IN
the place where the trace OF The article has dBap-
peared, unless, according to the legislation OF the
country, the administration is not responsible Tor
sne loss OF the article registered to Its interior.
The payment OF this indemnity shall take place
with the least possible delay, and at the latest,
when 1t has been made within one year nom the
date OF remtting the registered article to the post
AIT e.--The prepayment of any parcel can. only
be made by means OF postage stamps or stamped
envelopes In use IN the country from which they
Newspapers or other printed articles not pre-
paid viii not be circulated. other parcels not
prepaid shall be based as letters which are not
prepaid. saving deductions, II any are necessary,
TO the value OF the postage stamps applied
ART. Two supplementary postage shall be
laved for The resendlng postal parcels In the In.
Z But In the case where the article sent from the
internal service OF one country Of the Union VIII
internal service oi another territory OF the Union
the administration OF the latter country will add
ART -s.--The official correspondence relative to
the postal service is exempt from change, with
this exception, that neither immunity nor abate-
MenL OI postage Is admitted.
Each administration shall retain in iull the
amount levied by virtue OF articles 8. A. s, 6and7
above: In consequence there WITH be no occasion
tOr q discount on This head between the different
ADMINISTRATIONS Of the union.
Letters and other postal parcels shall not either
In the country In which they originate or In that
Or their destination. be charged at the expense Of
the senders receivers with any tax whatever
mentioned.
ART. lo-Liberty Of transit is guaranteed In the
entire territory OF the unlOu.
In consequence there shall be full and entire
liberty Of exchange, the different postal adminis-
rations OF the union being allowed to send TO one
another rec,procally by transit through the inter-
mediate country. closed mails and open CORE
spondence, according to the requirements OF trade
and the convenience OF the postal service.
Closed mails aud open correspondence should
always be directed by tne fastest routes at the dts
posal OF the postal administrations.
When several routes orfer the same conditions
CI rapldity the administraton sending them has
1t is obligatory to forward closed matls every
time that the number OF letters and Other postal
parcels Is OF nature to clog the operations OF the
administration III terested.
The sending ONCE shall pay TO the admlnistra-
nn OF the territory OF transit an augmentation OF
two francs per kllogramme for letters and twenty
0ve centimes per kiiogramme Tor the parcels
speclned In article 4, net weight, whether the
transit taxes place In closed mails or open.
Tor letters and nfty centimes for parceis specied
IN articles4 In case OF transit or moro than 750
kilometres on the territory of one single adminis
!tration.
tits understood, however, that whenever the
transit Is already graruitous or subject to lower
.saxatton these conditions will be maintained.
In cases where the transit Will take place by
yea, by 2 voyage OF more than three hundred
geographical miles, the administration by whose
care this maritime sexv vice ts organized shall have
the right to the payment OF the expenses OF this
transportation.
The members OF the union engage to reduce
'sheir rates as soon as possible. The augmentation
which the Office which supplies the maritime
transport can clanm under this head fr0m the
sending office should not exceed SIX francs fifty
centimes per kitogrAmme lor letters and nifty
esntimes per kilogramme Tor the article specified
In article 4 met weighp.
In no case can these charges exceed those now
agreed on. In consequence. no auRmen tatiOn
Inall be paid on the maritime postal routes where
none is paid at present