Evening star., 1899-03-06
FOREIGN MAIL MATTER
Registered Letters Excluded From the In
demnity Provided.
The Postmaster General Not Authoriz-
ed TO Meet the obligations of the
Universal Postal Union.

The Postmaster General has construed
the regulations relating to lost registered
matter by amendme Mt so as to exclude for
eign registered matter lost in the United
States from the benefits of the indemnity
provided by the act of February %, 1897.
The Universal Postal Union convention
provides that each country Of the union
shall pay fixed indemnity IF fifty francs
(Sl0 for loss of registered matter occurring
in its postal administration
The United States has meyer adhered to
these provisions of the convention, as there
was no authority of law to meet the obliSa-
tions hereunder. Upon the passage of the
act of February q, 1897, the question arose
whether the Post Office Department, with
out further legisla ton, could adhere to
these provisions of the convention.
Mr.. Harrison j. Barrett, acting assistant
attorney general for the Post Office Depart
ment held that the Postmaster General did
not have sufficient authority under existing
law to meet the obligations necessary to
adhere to these provisions of the Conycn-
ton, as the act of February "a, 1897, re-
lated only to first-class matter, and the in
demnity was based upon the value of the
lost registered matter, while under the
Postal Union convention the INDEMNITY re-
lafes to all classes of registered matter,
and is fixed at fifty francs regardless Of the
value of the package, and that as mail
matter addressed to, and coming from. for
eign countries was treated in accordance
with the provisions of the Universal Postal
Union, and the United States had not
adopted the indemnity scheme in force in
the union, there was no liability for the
loss of such mail matter in the mails of thu
United States under the act of February "a
and the regulations of the Postmaster Gen.
eral.
The Attorney Generals View.
The question was referred to the Attor-
ney General, and he held that the act of
February % and the regulations adopted
hereunder rendered the Post Office De-
partment liable for foreign registered mat
ter lost in the United States, as well as
domestic mails. and that to the limited ex-
tent mentioned in the act, no further legis-
lation was necessary in order that the pro-
visions of the Universal Postal Union con-
vention may become operative
In view of the difficulty in meeting the
obligations growing out of the adherence
to these provisions of the Postal Union
convention and the apparent unfairness to
the citizens of the United States if this
government should undertake to assume
Habllity for foreign registered matter lost
in the United States, which would not be
reciprocated by other foreign countries
where the mail of our citizens was lost in
their administration, the matter was again
referred to the Attorney General with
the request that he advise whether the reg
uidtioilS could not be so amended as to
exclude foreign registered matter unless
there was authority to adopt the recpro-
cal indemnity provisions of the Universal
Postal Union convention, and meet the
ooligauons hereunder the difficulties in the
way of which ware pointed out
The Attorney General has rendered an
additional opinion, holding as was for
merly held by the acting assistant attor-
ney general for the Post Office Department
that there is not sufficient authority of
law for the Postmaster General to meet
the obligations of the Universal Postal
mon convention relating to indemnity of
lost registered matter in it's entirety. and
Ihat there is no provision in the convention
Tor partial acceptance of its terms. and
while h9 does not reverse his former opin-
Ion that the regulations as adopted relate
10 lost foreign registered matter. vet he
ADVISES that the Postmaster General NAV
amend the regulations as to exclude
from its benefits foreign registered mail
matter
me Postmaster General has therefore
amended the regulations as indicated in
order that no injustice may be done to
citizens of the United States until such
time as Congress may grant authority to
adhere to the provisions of the Universal
Postal Union convention, which provide a
reciprocal system of indemnity