all other documents relative to the postal service, are exempt from all transit charges, whether territorial or maritime.
Article 5
1.—The rates of postage for the conveyance of postal articles throughout the entire extent of the Union, including their delivery at the residence of the addressees in the countries of the Union where a delivery service is or shall be organized, are fixed as follows:
- 1st. For letters, 25 centimes in case of prepayment, and double that amount in the contrary case, for each letter and for every weight of 15 grams or fraction of 15 grams;
- 2nd. For post-cards, 10 centimes for a single card, or for each of the two halves of apost-card with paid reply.
Post-cards not prepaid are subject to the rate of postage for letters not prepaid. - 3d. For printed matter of every kind, commercial papers, and samples of merchandise, 5 centimes for each article or packet bearing a particular address, and for every weight of 50 grams or fraction of 50 grams, provided that such article or packet does not contain any letter or manuscript note having the character of actual and personal correspondence, and that it be made up in such a manner as to admit of its being easily examined.
The charge on commercial papers cannot be less than 25 centimes per packet, and the charge on samples cannot be less than 10 centimes per packet.
2.—In addition to the rates fixed by the preceding paragraph, there may be levied:
- 1st. For every article subjected to maritime-transit charges of 15 francs per kilogram of letters or post-cards and 1 franc per kilogram of other articles, and in all the relations to which these transit charges are applicable, a uniform surtax which may not exceed 25 centimes per single rate for letters, 5 centimes per post-card, and 5 centimes per 50 grams or fraction of 50 grams for other articles.
- 2d. For every article conveyed by services depending on Administrations foreign to the Union, or by extraordinary services in the Union giving rise to special expenses, a surtax in proportion to these expenses.
3.—In case of insufficient prepayment, articles of correspondence of every kind are liable to a charge equal to double the amount of the deficiency, to be paid by the addressees, which charge however may not exceed that which is levied in the country of destination on correspondence not prepaid, of the same nature, weight and origin.
4.—Articles other than letters and post-cards must be prepaid at least in part.
