Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-09-09
IOFFICIAL.I
Postal Convention between the Culted
States of America and the Republic
OF France.
APRIL %. 1874.

CONCLUDED APRIL %, 1874.
The undersigned, John A. j.. Creswell, Post
master General OF the United States of Ameri-
ca, in virtue of the powers vested in him by law,
and nj. Amedee BaTthOldi, officer OF the nation.
al order OF the Legion OF Honor, envoy extraOr-
binary and minister pleuipotentiary from
France at Washington, &c, in the name of his
government and by virtue of the Do wer. which
be has formally presented TO this effect, have
sgreed upon the following ARTICLES, viz:
Article l.
There shall be between the postal administra-
ton of France and the postal administration of
letters, samples of merchandise, photographs,
aud printed matter of all kinds, by the follow
irg u, ans OF Communication AID tIansp0rtI-
ton, VIZ:
LET. By the French mail-psckets
2d. BY the packets OF the Hamburg line.
Cd. BY the way OF England and tue packets
employed in transporting the mails between
Great Britain ana the United States.
The expenses arising from the transportation
Of tie mails 10y any one OF the above mentioned
routes shall be betrayed by the dispatching Of
tce; but it is understood that these expenses
shall be betrayed in both directions by that OF
the two administrations which is able to secure
the transportation upon the most favorable
terms, the other administration 10 reimburse to
it its share of the said expenses.
The United States postal administration,
however, shall pay to the postal administration
of France, for the conveyance OF mails sent
from the United States to france by means of
the French packets, the same sea-rates as those
winch tne shid l nite0 states postal Hi5tr2-
ton would pay, according to American legisla-
ton, for the maritime conveyance OF the same
mails by steamers of commerce. 1t is also I'M
derstoOd that these rates are not to be lower
than those which the postal administration of
France shall have to pay for the conveyance by
the Hamburg packets of the m ais which it shall
send by these packets to the United States.
ARTICLE H.
Persons who desire to send ordinary, that is
to say not registered, letters, either from France
and Algeria, for the United States aud its ter
fNaIN ka4Na
tories for France ard Algeria, may, st their OPP
tiOn, leave the postage on said letters to be paid
by the addresses, or they can repay said post
ARTICLE III.
The charge to be levied in France upon let
tiers originating in or addressed to the United
States shall be 80 confines per 10 grsmmes or
fraction of 10 grsmmes, under the reservation
for The French government of the power OF
hereafter applying the progression of 10
grammes. The charge to he levied in the Uni
ted States upon letters originating in or adj
dressed to France shall be cents per Is
grammes or fraction OF Is grammes. Indepen
Gently of the charges mentioned above, fixed
fee of % eentimes, or cents, as the case may
be, shall be levied upon the unpaid letters.
In regard to the letters insuihciently paid by
means OF postage STAMPS, they shall be treated
as unpaid letters, saving deduction of the
amount OF the pOstage-stamps; but when the
charge resulting from this deduction shall give
fraction Of half decline French, or of cent
American, an entire half decline or cent, as the
case may be, shall be levied for the fraction.
ARTICLE ".
The public Of the two countries may send
letters, registered, from one country TO the
other.
The postage on such registered letters must
always be prepaid TO destination.
Every registered letter sent from France and
Algeria to the United Statee and its territories
shall bear, on departure, in addition TO the post
age applicable to an ordinary paid letter of the
reciprcca1iy, every registered letter sent from
the United States and its territories to France
and Algeria shall bear, on departure, in addi-
ton to the postage applicable TO a paid letter of
the same weight, q fixed fee OF 10 cents.
ARTICLE V.
Samples of merchandise or OF grains, photo
graphs, engraVings, and Autographs, newspa-
pers, periodicals, sewed or bound books, PAM
phlets, sheets of music, catalogues, prospec-
fuses, announcements, and various circulars,
ed, which shall be sent either from France and
Algeria to the United States and its territories
or from the United States and its territories TO
France and Algeria, must be prepaid, on both
sides, TO destination.
The rates of prepayment shall be fixed by the
government OF the country oforigin.
Each administr alton shall retain the whole
amount of the sums which it shall have COL
lected by authority of Articles LII, ~, aud V
preceding.
1t is formally agreed, between the two con-
tracing parties, that such objects as are desg-
mated in the said article, which shall have been
prepaid to destination, cannot, under any pre-
text or title whatever, be subjected, in the
country of destination, to any postage or fee to
the charge Of the addresses.
ARTICLE VII.
The two administrations may rsciprocally
deliver in open mails ordinary letters and
printed matter Of all kinds coming from or ad-
dressed to the countries to which thew serve re-
speetively as Intermediates; and also regis
tered letters coming from or addressed TO such
of those countries to which the payment OF or
binary letters can be effected to Destination.
This delivery shall take place according 10
the following arrangements
The correspondence exchanged between
France or Algeria and the countries to which