Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 16.djvu/999

 POSTAL CONVENTION WITH PRUSSIA. J uu 17 & Ana. 26, 1852. 965 across the Atlantic, and at the rate of seventeen and one half cents per ounce when conveyed by the United States packets across the Atlantic, in either direction; in addition to which, the United States Post-Otliee is to account to the British Post-Oiiice for the Belgian transit postage, at eight cents per ounce, on all letters sent in said closed mails from Prussia ; that is, whenever, in all the above cases, the British and Belgian convey- ances are used. Artricrn VII. The United States engage that, in the event of any _Futur¤ redwfuture reduction by the United States and Great Britain of the Atlantic t‘°" °f "° Pm"' sea postage, on closed mails, a corresponding reduction shall at the same age` time be made in their charge against the Prussian office on account of the Atlantic sea. conveyance of letters under this convention. ARTICLE VIII. The rates of postage, herein agreed on, being based Higher *‘?#l°S on the supposition that four letters to the ounce willbe about the average  i§;:smbh°h°d’ number, it is mutually stipulated and agreed, in order to compensate to i either party the loss which might be sustained in case the average should be less than four to the ounce, that higher rates of postages, sufficient to prevent loss to either party, shall be established by agreement between the Post Departments of the two countries, as soon as practicable after the accounts for a single year have been examined and settled, and thereupon such changes shall be made in the sixth article of this convention as shall be just and equitable. Am·1cLn IX. The closed mails will be made up at the office of New Closed mails- York or Boston, in the United States respectively, as the conveyance may be directed by the United States Post-Office from either of said ports, to Aix-la-Chapelle, (Aachen,) in Prussia, and at Aix·Ia-Chapelle (Aachen) to New York or Boston, according as the conveyance may be directed as aforesaid. Anriciu X. Every mail between said offices of exchange in the Letter bill. United States and in Prussia shall be accompanied by a. letter bill, specify- ing the amount due to each office on each class of correspondence according to the number of letters. The receiving exchange office shall return by next post to the mailing exchange office an acknowledgment of the Pm Pp_ M8_ receipt of said mail. Letter bills and acknowledgments shall be accord- 971. ’ ing to the forms annexed, marked A and B. Aaricnn XI. If there should be no letters or other correspondence _B!¤¤k letter to send at the usual period for making up said mails from either of the l?¥,f;r‘;l;j_;‘;‘;"· offices of exchange, a blank letter bill, showing that fact, shall neverthe- letters. less be sent to the corresponding office. ARTICLE XII. The letter bills and acknowledgments are to serve as Vouchersvouchers to the quarterly accounts, and if in checking thereon the amount of postage, there should be a difference between the mailing and receiving office, the amount on the verification side shall be received as the true amount, when checked by two officers. _ Anrxcms XIII. The accounts between the two departments shall be Accounts tobe closed at the expiration of each quarter of the calendar year, by quarterly °1°”d ‘1“““°*1-Y· statements and accounts prepared by the General Post-Otlice in Wash- POS 97% ington, according to forms annexed, marked C and D; and having been an Q pp' examined, compared, and settled by the General Post—OHiee m Berlin, the balance shall be paid without delay by that department which shall be found indebted to the other. If the balance is in favor of Prussia, Balsncesaiid it shall be paid over by the United States at Berlin; and if 'in favor of l‘°" "° l’° P‘“d· the United States, it shall be paid over by Prussia at Washington, or to the General Post-Office at London to the credit of the United States, as the Postmaster-General of the United States shall direct. Antrrcrn XIV. Dead letters shall be mutually returned after the ex- Deadlettm. piration of a proper period to effect their delivery, according to the regulations of each country, and for the same amount of postage,