Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 15.djvu/611

 CONVENTION WITH THE NORTH GERMAN UNION. Ocr. 21, 1867. 579 tion of which may be prohibited by the laws or regulations of the country Despatch of of destination. ¤¤¤il¤· Fourth. So long as any customs duty may be chargeable on any articles exchanged in the mails, such duty may be levied for the use of the customs.. It is further agreed, that except a small local carrier’s charge, (so long as it shall exist in the rural districts of North Germany,) no charge whatever, otherwise than is herein expressly provided, shall be levied or collected on the letters and other correspondence exchanged. Aarrcns IX. Any correspondence may be registered, as well in- Registercdcon ternational correspondence as that originating in or destined for other *`°*P°¤d°¤°°· countries to which these two administrations may respectively serve as intermediaries for the transmission of such registered articles. Each department shall notify the other of the countries to which it may thus serve as intermediary. Each department shall use its best exertions for the safe delivery, or, when miscarried, for the recovery of any registered correspondence, but is not responsible pecuniarily for the loss of any such correspondence. Artirrcmc X. Registered correspondence shall, in addition to the post- @$*536 M0 age, be subject to a registration fee, not exceeding ten cents in the United r°g`smm°n f°°’ States, and not exceeding two silber groschen in the North German Union, and this fee shall be always prepaid. Aarrcna XI. Accounts between the two offices shall be regulated Basis torsey on the following basis: From the total amount of postages and register gl;;':]? °f “°’ fees collected by each office on letters, added to the total amount of pre- ` paid postages and register fees on other correspondence which it despatches, the despatching office shall deduct the amount required, at the agreed rate, for the cost of the intermediate transit thereof between the two frontiers, and the amount of the two net sums shall be equally divided between the two offices. ARTICLE XII. The two post departments shall establish by agreement, open mails, and in conformity with the arrangements in force at the time, the con~ ditioris upon which the two offices may respectively exchange in open mails the correspondence originating in or destined to other fbreign countries to which they may reciprocally serve as intermediaries. It is always understood, however, that such correspondence shall only be charged with the rate applicable to direct international correspondence, augmented by the postage due to foreign countries, and by any other tax for exterior service. But the North German office reserves the right to fix a time, if necessary, when this rule shall only apply to correspondence despatched from the United States for such other countries, unless the latter shall have accepted the same rule in behalf of the correspondence despatched through them by the North German office. Antrrcns XIII. Each office grants to the other the privilege of transit Tr¤¤¤i¤pf of the closed mails exchanged, in either direction, between thelatter and any country to which the other may serve as intermediary, by its usual countiiy. means of mail transportation, whether on sea or land, and the terms of transit shall be agreed upon when the exercise of the privilege is required. ARTICLE XIV. The postal accounts between the two offices shall be Postal acstated quarterly, and transmitted and verified as speedily as practicable ; f,‘;“s'l$g;,”l?,‘(_°° and the balance found due shall be paidrto the creditor office, either by ` exchange on London or at the debtor office, as the creditor office may desire. The rate for the conversion of the money of the two countries shall be fixed by common agreement between the two offices. Artricrn XV. When in any port of either country a closed mail is Transfer of transferretl from one vessel to another without any expense to the office Qafjumgézllsa of the country where the transfer is made, such transfer shall not be subject to any postal charge by one office against the other.