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F.—l

UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION. [Translation from the French.] Oniveesal Postal Convention concluded between Germany and the German Protectorates, United States of America, Argentine Republic, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chili, Republic of Columbia, Congo Free State, Republic of Costa Rica, Denmark and Danish Colonies, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Ecuador, Spain and Spanish Colonies, France and French Colonies, Great Britain and various British Colonies, British Colonies of Australasia, Canada, British India, Greece, Guatemala, Republic of Hayti, Kingdom of Hawaii, Republic of Honduras, Italy, Japan, Republic of Liberia, Luxemburg, Mexico, Montenegro, Nicaragua, Norway, Paraguay, Netherlands and Dutch Colonies, Peru, Persia, Portugal and Portuguese Colonies, Roumania, Russia, Salvador, Servia, Kingdom of Siam, South 'African Republic, Sweden, Switzerland, Regency of Tunis, Turkey, Uruguay, and United States of Venezuela. The undersigned, plenipotentiaries of the Governments of the above-named countries, being assembled in Congress at Vienna, by virtue of Article XIX. of the Universal Postal Convention concluded at Paris on the Ist June, 1878, have by common consent, and subject to ratification, revised the said Convention, as well as the additional Act relative thereto concluded at Lisbon on the 21st March, 1885, in conformity with the following stipulations : — Article I. The countries between which the present Convention is concluded, as well as those which may adhere to it hereafter, form, under the title of " Universal Postal Union," a single postal territory for the reciprocal exchange of correspondence between their post-offices. Article 11. The stipulations of this Convention extend to letters, post-cards, both single and with reply paid, printed papers of every kind, commercial papers and samples of merchandise, originating in one of the countries of the Union and intended for another of those countries. They also apply to the exchange by post. of the articles above mentioned between the countries of the Union and countries foreign to the Union, whenever the services of two of the contracting parties at least are used for that exchange. Article 111. 1. The postal administrations of neighbouring countries, or countries able to correspond directly with each other without availing of the services of a third administration, determine, by common consent, the conditions of the conveyance of the mails which they exchange, across the frontier, or from one frontier to the other. 2. In the absence of any contrary arrangement, the direct sea conveyance between two •countries by means of packets or vessels depending upon one of them shall be considered as a third service; and this conveyance, as well as any performed between two offices of the same country, by the medium of sea or territorial services maintained by another country, is regulated by the stipulations of the following article. Article IV. 1. The right of transit is guaranteed throughout the entire territory of the Union. 2. Consequently, the several postal administrations of the Union may send reciprocally through the medium of one or of several of them either closed mails or correspondence a decouvert, according to the needs of the traffic and the requirements of the postal service. 3. Correspondence exchanged, whether a dScouvert or in closed mails, between two administrations of the Union, by means of the services of one or of several other administrations of the Union, is subject to the following transit charges, to be paid to each of the countries traversed, or whose services participate in the conveyance, viz.,— (1.) For territorial transits, 2 francs per kilogramme of letters or post-cards, and 25 centimes per kilogramme of other articles ; (2.) For sea transits, 15 francs per kilogramme of letters or post-cards, and 1 franc per kilogramme of other articles. 4. It is, however, understood— (1.) That in all cases where the transit is already gratuitous at present, or subject to more advantageous conditions, such state of things is maintained, except in the case provided for in paragraph 3 following ; (2.) That in all cases where the sea-transit charges are fixed at present at 5 francs per kilogramme of letters or post-cards, and at 50 centimes per kilogramme of other articles, those rates are maintained ; (3.) That every sea transit not exceeding 300 nautical miles is gratutitous if "%he administration concerned is already entitled, on account of mails or correspondence benefiting by this transit, to the remuneration applicable to territorial transit; in the contrary case, payment is made at the rate of 2 francs per kilogramme of letters, and 25 centimes per kilogramme of other articles ; 5—F. 1.