Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 16.djvu/934

900 POSTAL CONVENTION WITH BELGIUM. DECEMBER 21, 1859. tion of August 14-28th, 1857, concluded between the Post Offices of Belgium and of Great Britain. _ EXERMS, how The Post Office of Belgium shall pay the expenses resulting from the ¤>l¤¤ ¤'¤°· transportation in transit of the said closed mails over the British territory, and across the British channel. The United States Post Oiiiee, on its side, shall pay the expenses resulting from the transportation of the said mails across the Atlantic ocean by the United States packets or by those of Great Britain. The Belgian Post Office engages itself; nevertheless, notwithstanding this last clause, and until a. contrary decision is taken by common agreement between that office and that of the United States, to pay the expenses resulting from the transportation across the Atlantic ocean of articles of printed matter, other than newspaper and periodical works, for such of said articles of printed matter as shall be contained in the mails transported by the British packets. Exchange of Anrxcnn III. The exchange of mails despatched from the United wilt States lor Belgium, and, rice versa, by way of England, shall take place through the following post offices, to wit: Through what 1. On the part of the United States through the post offices of New mud h°w York and Boston. ` 2. On the part of Belgium through the local office Ostend, travelling oflice Ostend, and Antwerp. The exchange offices above designated shall reciprocally make a despatch at least once a week, in coincidence as far as possible with the regular sailing of the Anglo-American steamers, until arrangements shall be made to establish a more frequent communication, or a direct communication, between Belgium and the United States, in conformity with the provisions of Articles XXIII., XXIV., XXV., and XXVI. of this convention. Correspondence sent from one of the two countries to the other via P 8, 918. England shall be directed conformably to the table, letter G, attached to ° ’ p' the present articles. (mm- gxchgugg ARTICLE IV. Independently of the exchange offices mentioned in the ¤¢H¤¤¤- preceding article, others may, by mutual agreement, be established upon other points of the coasts of the two countries for which direct communication may hereafter be deemed necessary. Postage may ARTICLE V. Persons who may be desirous of sending ordinary letb¤ P¤'°P¤i•l °*¤°*· ters, either from Belgium to the United States, or from the United States to Belgium, shall have the option of leaving the entire postage to be paid by the person to whom they are addressed, or of prepaying the same to their destination. But no account shall be taken of any sum less than the whole combined rate, nor of any fractions of the whole rate. Rate of18m,., Axvriomr. VI. Each letter or packet weighing not over litteen grammes, and packets. or half an ounce, shall be considered single. If above fifteen, and not over thirty grammes, (one half ounce to one ounce,) it shall pay double the charge of a single letter. If above thirty and not over sixty grammes, (one to two ounces,) it shall pay quadruple the charge on a single letter ; and so on, adding two rates for every thirty grammes, or one ounce, or fraction of an ounce. 15,;,8,, ARTICLE VII. Letters prepaid, or not prepaid, originating in Bel gium, and addressed to the United States, and reciprocally, letters prepaid, or not prepaid, originating in the United States, and destined for Belgium, shall be stamped in both countries with the uniform charge of one franc forty centimes, or twenty-seven cents, per single letter. This How divided. charge shall be divided in the following manner: United States postage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 cents. Sea postage . . . 15 “ British transit postage .. . . . . . . . . 4 “ Belgian postage . . .8 “ 27 cents.