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Enclosure 1 in No. 3. Postal Union Convention of Rome.—Instructions for British Offices of Exchange making up Mails for Places in the Postal Union or receiving Mails from such Places. The Postal Union Convention concluded at Rome in May, 1906, will come into operation on the 1st October next, and will supersede the Convention signed at Washington in 1897. * * * * # * * # * Convention. — Article 5. On and after the 1st October next the postage to be prepaid on letters from the United Kingdom for all foreign countries (except Egypt) will be fyd. for the first ounce, and \\d. for each add.itional ounce. At the same time one ounce will be adopted as the unit of weight for letters sent under the Imperial penny-postage scheme to British colonies and jjossesstons generally and to Egypt, making the scale of postage Id. per ounce. Although under the new Postal Union Convention the unit of weight for letters is raised from 15 to 20 grammes (1 oz. for countries not using the decimal metric system), and the rate of postage is to be 25 centimes for the first unit and 15 centimes for every successive unit or fraction thereof, it is not obligatory for all countries to adopt the new unit and the rate of postage for letters posted in their services. A certain number of countries will retain the old rate of 25 centimes for every 15 grammes Foreign countries which will retain rates of letter-postage differing from the new Union rate referredUo above are as follow : —

The undermentioned British colonies maintain rates of postage differing from the Union standard on letters addressed to foreign countries : —

The undermentioned British colonies still retain the rate of Id. or 2d. per \ oz. as the rate for letters posted in their services and addressed to the United Kingdom, Egypt, or British colonies :— Colony. RateCape Colony . „ ... ... ... ••• •■■ Id. per | ounce. Orange River Colony Transvaal Australia j 2d. per \ ounce. Rhodesia I *********

Country, &c. First Rate. Subsequent Rates. Brazil Sea surtax Congo Free State Sea surtax Costa Rica ... Ecuador Sea surtax France French agencies in China French agencies in Morocco 200 reis for 15 grammes 100 reis per 25 centimes for 15 grammes ... 25 centimes p< 10 centimos for 15 grammes ... 5 centavos for 15 grammes ... 5 centavos pei 25 centimes for 15 grammes ... 10 cents for 15 grammes 25 centimos for 15grammes ... 25 lepta for 15 grammes 5 centavos for 15 grammes ... 25 paras for 15 grammes 10 centavos for 15 grammes ... 2 centavos pei 200 reis per 15 grammes. 15 grammes. 25 centimes per 15 grammes, ir 15 grammes. 10 centimos per 15 grammes. 5 centavos per 15 grammes. 1 15 grammes. 15 centimes per 15 grammes. 6 cents per 15 grammes. 15 centimos per 15 grammes. 25 lepta per 15 grammes. 5 centavos per 15 grammes. 25 paras per 15 grammes. 10 centavos per 15 grammes. ■ 15 grammes. 13 chahis per 15 grammes. 10 kopeks per 15 grammes. 10 cents per 15 grammes. 9 atts per 15 grammes. Greece Hayti Montenegro ... Peru Surtax by Panama route Persia Russia Russian agencies in China Siam 13 chahis for 15 grammes 10 kopeks for 15 grammes ... 10 cents for 15 grammes 9 atts for 15 grammes

Colony. First Rate. Subsequent Rates. Australia Bechuanaland Protectorate Cape Colony Natal Orange River Colony Rhodesia (Southern) Transvaal Cyprus ... 2£d. per £ ounce. for £d. ounce ... per J ounce. 2|d. for 1 ounce ... ljd. per 1 ounce. 80 paras for \ ounce ... 80 paras per \ ounce.