Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 62 Part 3.djvu/764

 INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS OTHER THAN TREATIES [62 STAT. 3. When an office receives letter bills or special lists which are not intended for it, it sends those documents to the office of destination, or, if its domestic regulations so prescribe, certified copies thereof. touletin of verifica- 4. The facts established are reported by means of a bulletin of verification to the office of origin of the dispatch, and, in case of actual shortage, to the last intermediate office, by the first mail available after complete verification of the dispatch. The indications of the bulletin shall specify as exactly as possible what sack, packet or article is involved. tinoerficate onbulle- 5. A duplicate of the bulletin of verification is sent, under the same conditions as the original, to the Administration to which the office of origin of the dispatch belongs, when that Administration so demands. When it is a question of important irregularities giving rise to the presumption of loss or rifling, the envelope or sack as well as the string and the wax or lead seal which fastens the packet or sack of registered articles are, except in case of proven impossibility, attached to the bulletin of verification addressed to the office of origin. The same applies to the outer envelope or sack, with its string, label and wax or lead seal. In the exchange with Administrations which require the sending of a duplicate, the exhibits mentioned above are attached to the duplicate. Telegraphic notices. 6. In the cases contemplated by Sections 1 to 3, the office of origin, and the last intermediate exchange office, if any, may also be advised by telegram at the expense of the Administration sending the telegram. Telegraphic notice shall be given whenever the dispatch shows evi- Tracesofrifing, etc. dent traces of rifling, in order that the dispatching or intermediate office may proceed without any delay to investigate the matter, and, if need be, recommend to the preceding Administration, likewise by telegram, that the investigation be continued. When bulletin is n- 7. When the absence of a dispatch is the result of a failure of mails necemsary. to connect, or when it is duly explained on the waybill, the prepara- tion of a bulletin of verification is not necessary, unless the dispatch does not reach the office of destination by the next mail. 8. The sending of the duplicate provided for by Section 5 may be postponed if it is presumed that the shortage of the dispatch is due to delay or misdirection. 9. Upon receipt of a dispatch, the absence of which had been reported to the office of origin, and to the last intermediate exchange office, if any, it is necessary to send a second bulletin of verification to the said offices announcing the receipt of that mail. Retun of blletin. 10. The offices to which the bulletins of verification are addressed return them as promptly as possible after having examined them, and after having entered thereon their observations, if any. If the bulletins are not returned to the Administration of origin within the period of two months, counting from the date of their issue, they are considered, until the contrary is proved, as duly accepted by the offices to which they were addressed. The period is extended to four months in relations with distant countries. 3378

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