Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 15.djvu/598

 566 POSTAL CONVENTION WITH BELGIUM. AUGUST 21, 1867. mw! °*` P°$*·· 1. On pre-paid letters from the United States, 15 cents. .s°' 2. On pre-paid letters from Belgium, S0 centimes. 3. On all other correspondence mentioned in the second paragraph of the iirst article, the rate shall be, for the mails sent, that which the despatching office shall adopt in conformity with 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 _R¤¤¤¤Wh<·>¤ Anricmc VI. Whenever there shall be established a direct line of g:;§:;;;°:;'nb_ steam communication between the ports of the United States and of lished. Belgium, adapted to the regular transportation of the mails between the two countries and acceptable to the two Departments, it is agreed that the international single letter rate applicable to this route shnll be reduced to 10 cents in the United States and 50 centimes in Belgium, of which six cents (30 centimes) shall represent the maritime rate; and for the other correspondence mentioned in the second paragraph of the iirst article the maritime rate in such case shall be 10 cents, (50 centimes) per kilogramme. But this article shall not be carried into effect until a time upon which the two Post Departments shall hereafter agree. Prepayment ARTICLE VII. The prepayment of postage on ordinary letters shall °P"l°“’·l· be optional, subject to the condition in article VIII. mentioned, but on registered letters, and on all other correspondence mentioned in the second paragraph of the first article it shall be compulsory. Proceedings Atrrrctn VIII. If; however, the postage on any article shall be pre- ,,0, ,,,,,*:,,,;,;,,,1), charged with the deficient postage. Upon the delivery of any unpaid or paid. insufficiently paid letter, or of any other insufficiently paid correspondence, there shall be levied a. fine in the United States of five cents, in Belgium of 30 centimes. This fine, as well as the deficient postage on other articles than letters, shall not enter into the accounts between the two officos, but shall be retained to the use of the office collecting the same. Roggsgoroq M. .AR.TlCLE IX. Registered articles shall, in addition to the postage, ¢i¢l¤¤· be subject to a register fee of ten cents in the United States, and of 50 centirnes in Belgium, and this fee shall always be prepaid. Each office is at liberty to reduce this fee for the mails it despatches. Whatcorre- Arvrxctn X. Any correspondence may be registered, not only for %¥;°;‘0‘;;‘fe‘:_;':,‘“Y international correspondence but also for correspondence originating in ' or destined for other countries to which these two administrations may respectively serve as intermediaries for the transmission of such reg istered articles. Each Department shall notify the other of the countries to which it may thus serve as intermediary. Basis for mt- ARTICLE XI. Accounts between the two offices shall be fixed on the
 * l;°Snl’253*ét$: paid insufficiently, it shall nevertheless be forwarded to its destination
 * l:::;** °l` ¤°· following basis: from the total amount of international postages and

' register tees, collected in each country on letters, added to the total amount of prepaid postages and register fees on other articles sent, the despatching otiiee shall deduct the amount required at the agreed rate, for the intermediate transit thereof between the two frontiers, and the atfpiount of the two net sums shall be equally divided between the two o ces. nsguiuuons Arvrictm XII. The correspondence mentioned in the second para- Ezirigslzntgh gg graph of the first article shall be despatched under regulations to be P “ °”pstablishcd by the despatching office; but these shall embrace the folowing: 1. No packet shall contain anything which shall be closed against inspection ; nor any written communication whatever. except to state from whom or to whom the packet is sent, and the ttuznhuts placed upon the patterns or samples of merchandise.