Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 16.djvu/1015

 CONVENTION WITH THE NORTH GERMAN UNION. Ocr. 21, 1867. 981 tion of which may be prohibited by the laws or regulations of the country. Despatch of of destination. ¤¤¤·i1¤· p Fourth. So long as any customsduty may be chargeable on any articles exchanged in the mails, such duty maybe 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. ARTICLE IX. Any correspondence may be registered, as well in- Registorodcor. 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. Aartcrn X. Registered correspondence shall, in addition to the post- 30**56 8M age, be subject to a registration fee, not exceeding ten cents in the United Xl6g15mm0n f°°’ States, and not exceeding two silber groschen in the North German Union, and this fee shall be always prepaid. A1zr1cLs_XI. Accounts between the two offices shall be regulated Basis for seton the following basis: From the total amount of postages and register Qjlfgjgi °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. _ Anricrn XII. The two post departments shall establish by agreement, open main. and in conformity with the arrangements in force at the time, the conditions upon which the two offices may respectively exchange in open mails the correspondence originating in or destined to other foreign 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 tix 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 oiilce. Amston: XIII. Each onice grants to the other the privilege of transit Transit 9i of the closed mails exchanged, in either direction, between the latter and fgjzizfglger any country to which the other may serve as intermediary, by its usual country. 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. Artrrcrs XIV. The postal accounts between the two offices shall be Postal acstated quarterly, and transmitted and verided as speedily as practicable ; f)‘;‘;';;jg§"h8‘;g_*° and the balance found due shall be paid to the creditor office, either by See pos£,p. 985. 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. ARTICLE XV. When in any port of either country a closed mail is Transfer of transferred from one vessel to another without any expense to the office Qafgugglzusg of the country where the transfer is made, such transfer shall not be sub- P ject to any postal charge by one office against the other.