Articles agreed upon between the Post Department of the United States of America represented by John A. Kasson, Esquire, Special Commissioner, and the Postal Administration of the Kingdom of Italy, represented by Cavaliere Avvocato George Battista Tantesio, Director, &c., &c., both invested with the necessary Powers for the Modification of the Convention executed between the two Countries under date of the eighth July, 1863, and as provided in the XXIVth Article of said Convention.

ARTICLE I. There shall be a regular exchange of correspondence, in Nov. 8, 1867. closed mails, between the post department of the United States of Amer- Correspondica and the postal administration of the kingdom of Italy, as well for cor- ence to be exrespondence originating in either of said countries and destined for the changed; other, as for that originating in or destined for foreign countries to which the United States and Italy may respectively serve as intermediaries. This correspondence shall embrace the following articles:

1. Letters, ordinary and registered.

2. Newspapers, prints of all kinds, books, maps, plans, engravings, drawings, photographs, lithographs, sheets of music printed or written, and patterns or samples of merchandise, including grains and seeds. ARTICLE II. The offices for the exchange of the mails shall be, on the part of the United States, New York.

On the part of Italy,

1. Susa-travelling office.

2. Camerlata-travelling office.

8. Arona-travelling office.

The two administrations may, by common accord, establish additional offices of exchange whenever it shall be found necessary; or suspend an existing office of exchange.

to embrace what.

Offices for exchange of mails.

Arrangements

ARTICLE III. Each administration shall make its own arrangements for the despatch of its mails to the other, and shall transport them at its for despatch of own expense to the frontier of the country of destination.

mails, &c.

Cost of trans

It is also agreed that the cost of the territorial and maritime transit of the mails despatched by one administration to the other shall be first de- portation. frayed by that one of the two administrations which shall have obtained from the intermediaries the most favorable pecuniary terms for such transit; and any amount so advanced by one for the other shall be promptly reimbursed.

ARTICLE IV. The standard weight for the single rate of postage and the rule of progression shall be:

For letters, fifteen grams.

For all other correspondence mentioned in the second paragraph of the first article, it shall be that which the despatching administration shall adopt for the mails which it despatches to the other, adapted to the convenience of its interior service.

Each administration, however, shall notify the other of the standard weight it shall adopt, and of any subsequent change thereof.

The rule of progression shall always be an additional single rate for

each additional standard weight or fraction thereof.

The weight stated by the decpatching office shall always be accepted, except in case of manifest mistake.

Weight for single rate of postage, &c.

ARTICLE V. The single rate of postage for the direct correspondence Rates of post is established as follows:

For letters from the United States, fifteen cents.

For letters from Italy, eighty centesimi.

For all other correspondence mentioned in the second paragraph of

age.

age.

Rates of post- the first article, it shall be that which the despatching administration shall adopt for the mails it despatches, adapted to its own convenience, but each administration shall inform the other of the rate it adopts, and of any change of it.

Prepayment

of postage.

Registered correspondence;

to be prepaid;

fee.

Basis for settlement of accounts.

Regulations

for despatch of correspondence.

Customs dues may be collected.

The postage upon any correspondence, however, may be, by common accord, modified whenever the sender shall avail himself of any route which requires a higher rate than that established by this article, and the envelope shall indicate the route preferred either in writing or by the amount of postage prepaid.

ARTICLE VI. The prepayment of postage on ordinary letters between the United States and Italy shall be optional.

The prepayment of postage on all other correspondence, including registered letters, shall be obligatory.

The correspondence of all kinds which shall not be prepaid shall be charged by the receiving administration with a fine not exceeding 5 cents in the United States, and not exceeding 30 centesimi in Italy.

The correspondenee of any kind, insufficiently prepaid, shall be despatched, but shall be charged by the receiving administration with the deficient postage, as well as the fine aforesaid.

Fractions of one cent in the United States and of 5 centesimi in Italy, shall be counted for the full amount.

ARTICLE VII. Any correspondence may be registered, as well that directly exchanged between the two countries, as that originating in either of them and destined to other foreign countries to which they may respectively serve as intermediaries for registered correspondence, and vice

versa.

The international correspondence registered must always be prepaid, both the postage and the register fee.

The fee shall be, not exceeding 10 cents in the United States, and 50 centesimi in Italy.

ARTICLE VIII. Accounts between the two administrations shall be regulated as follows:

From the total amount of the postage collected upon letters, added to the amount of register fees, and of prepaid postages upon other articles than letters as collected by each administration, it shall deduct the cost at the established rates of the intermediate transit of the mails it despatches to the other, and the balance shall be equally divided between the two administrations.

There shall be excluded from the account all fines upon unpaid or insufficiently paid correspondence, and the deficient postages upon articles mentioned in the second paragraph of article first, all of which shall be retained to the use of the administration which collects them.

ARTICLE IX. The correspondence mentioned in the second paragraph of article first shall be despatched in conformity with the interior system of the despatching administration, but always including the following rules:

(a.) The correspondence must be under bands, so that the contents can be readily examined.

(b.) There must be no written communication except the date, the name of the sender, the address, and the price, and manufacturers' marks upon samples of merchandise.

(c.) No pattern or packet may exceed sixty centimeters in length and thirty centimeters in any other dimension.

(d.) There shall be admitted no liquid nor other article which might injure the other correspondence, nor any article the importation of which may be prohibited by the laws or regulations of the country of destination. ARTICLE X. It is expressly agreed that all international correspondence exchanged shall be exempt in the country of destination from any charge whatever not expressly provided by this convention: Provided,

nevertheless, That any duty which may be due to the customs upon any article, under the laws of the country of destination, may be collected. ARTICLE XI. The two administrations shall establish by common accord, 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 foreign countries to which they may reciprocally serve as intermediaries. It is always understood, however, that such correspondence shall only be charged with the international postage established by this convention, augmented by the postage due to foreign countries, or for other exterior service.

Open mails.

Transit in

ARTICLE XII. The post departments of the United States and of Italy reciprocally engage to transport gratuitously across their respective ter- closed mails ritories all correspondence which shall be exchanged in closed mails with any countries to which they may respectively serve as intermediaries : Provided always, That such conveyance shall be effected by the ordinary means of mail conveyance in use; and that the countries taking the benefits of such gratuitous service shall reciprocally accord the like privilege of free transit across their respective territories.

For the transport of closed mails by either administration for the other by sea, the following rates are fixed to be charged and received by the administration rendering the service, viz.

(a) For transport across the waters of the Atlantic Ocean,, 8 cents per single letter rate; and 12 cents per kilogram net of other correspond

ence.

(b) For transport across the waters of the Pacific Ocean, 10 cents per single letter rate, and 20 cents per kilogram net of other correspondence. (c) For transport across the Mediterranean Sea, 50 centesimi per 30 grams of letters net, and 60 centesimi per kilogram net of other correspondence.

(d) For immediate territorial transport each administration shall charge and receive the amount which it shall have actually paid for the account of the other.

Rates.

ARTICLE XIII. The accounts between the two administrations shall Accounts to be stated quarterly, and transmitted and verified as speedily as practica- be stated quarterly. ble; and the debtor office shall pay the balance found due to the creditor office, either by 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.

Transfer of

ARTICLE XIV. When in any port of either country a closed mail is transferred from one vessel to another, without any expense to the office closed mails. of the country where the transport is made, such transfer shall not be subject to any postal charge by one office against the other. ARTICLE XV. Correspondence exclusively relating to the postal service shall be transmitted on both sides free of all charge.

ARTICLE XVI. Letters wrongly sent, or wrongly addressed, or not deliverable for whatever cause, and all registered correspondence not deliverable for any cause, shall be returned as promptly as practicable to the originating office, at its cost, if any cost is incurred. Any postages on returned correspondence which may have been charged against the returning office shall be discharged from the account.

All other correspondence which cannot be delivered shall remain at the disposition of the receiving administration.

Correspondence relating to postal service to be free.

Missent letters,

&c.

Postal money

ARTICLE XVII. Small sums of money may be mutually transmitted from one country to the other by means of postal money orders; and the orders. rates and conditions may be arranged by agreement between the two departments, so soon as such arrangement may be found convenient.

ARTICLE XVIII. The two administrations shall in concert establish detailed regulations for the execution of these articles; and both the

Regulations.

When conven

tion takes effect, and how may be terminated.

Convention

fied.

articles and the regulations may be modified from time to time by accord of the two administrations, as the exigencies of the service may require. ARTICLE XIX. This convention shall take effect on the first of April next, and shall continue in force until one year from the time when one of the contracting parties shall have given to the other notice of its desire to terminate it, unless sooner terminated or modified by mutual agree

ment.

ARTICLE XX. This convention shall be ratified on the part of the when to be rati- United States by the Postmaster-General, and on the part of Italy by the Director-General of Posts, and the ratifications exchanged as early as possible.

Approved by

In testimony whereof, the two commissioners have subscribed their names and affixed their seals thereto.

Done at Florence in duplicate original, this eighth day of November, A. D. eighteen hundred and sixty-seven.

[SEAL.]

[SEAL.]

JOHN A. KASSON,

Special Commissioner, &c., &c. GIO. BATTISTA TANTESIÓ, Commissioner of Posts.

Having examined and considered the foregoing articles of a postal conthe Postmaster- vention, for the modification of the convention executed between the General; United States of America and the kingdom of Italy under date of 8th July, 1863, which were agreed upon and signed in duplicate at Florence on the eighth day of November, one thousand eight hundred and sixtyseven, by the Hon. John A. Kasson, special commissioner, &c., on behalf of this department, and by Chevalier Advocate Giovanni Battista Tantesio, chief director of the Post-Office Department of the kingdom of Italy, on behalf of his department, the same are by me hereby ratified and approved, by and with the advice and consent of the President of the United States.

In witness whereof, I have caused the seal of the Post-Office Department to be hereto affixed, with my signature, the day and year first above written.

[SEAL.]

ALEXANDER W. RANDALL,

Postmaster-General United States.

WASHINGTON, November 30, 1867.

by the President of the

United States.

I hereby approve the aforegoing convention, and in testimony thereof I have caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

[SEAL.]

By the President:

ANDREW JOHNSON.

WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State.