tains thereto; but no patterns, or books of patterns, (unless these consist merely of paper,) shall be allowed." 2 Postal convention between Great Britain and Spain, May 21, 1858, Art. XI., Accounts & Papers, 1858, LX., (28.) By the postal convention between Great Britain and XIV., { Accounts and Papers, 1856, LXI.; (24,) 6 De Clercq, 586. Accounts & Papers, 1857, XVIII., (11,) 7 De Clercq, 152. Accounts & Papers, 1859, XXXII., (18,) Portugal, Apr. 6, 1859. " printed papers must not contain any writing, figure, or manual mark whatsoever, or they will be treated as letters, and charged accordingly. By the postal convention between Great Britain and Belgium, Oct. 19, 1844, Art. XXI., Accounts and Papers, 1845, LII., courses of exchange, prices current, and such other printed papers as are allowed, in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, to pass by post at a reduced rate," "must not contain any writing, figures, or manual mark whatsoever." By the postal convention between Great Britain and France, July 2, 1861, Arts. I., II., Accounts and Papers, 1861, vol. LXV., (32,) “ patterns of no intrinsic value, photographs, commercial and legal documents, printed, engraved or lithographed works, bearing either corrections or manual notes, and all other papers in manuscript," shall enjoy the privileges of printed papers bearing no manual mark, provided that the postage thereon is prepaid to destination, that they may be easily examined; and that they contain no letter, or note of the nature of a letter, or which could serve as such; otherwise, they will be treated as letters, and charged accordingly. The postal convention between the United States and Prussia, July 11, and Aug. 26, 1852, Art. V., (16 U. S. Stat. at L., (Tr.,) 184,) provides that newspapers are to be subject to the laws and regulations of each country, respectively, in regard to their liability to be rated with letter postage when containing written matter, or for any other cause specified in said laws and regulatlons. 3 The postal convention between Great Britain and Belgium, Oct. 19, 1844, Art. XXXI., above, provides that courses of exchange and prices current shall merely give the name and prices of goods, without any mention of the name and residence of the vendors. 4 Postal convention between Great Britain and France, 1845, Art. I.; France, 1856, Art. XVIII.; Spain, 1858, Art. XV.; and Sardinia, 1857, Art. XVIII., above. 5 It is expressly agreed by the postal conventions between Great Britain and France, 1855 and 1856, above, that printed papers which each of the two offices shall deliver to the other as paid to destination, shall not, on any pretext, be charged with any rate or duty whatever to be paid by the receivers. And by the convention between Great Britain and Spain, 1858, above, books, prints, drawings, maps and music sent separately, are to remain subject to the regulations and duties of the customs. 6 Postal convention between the United States and Venezuela, July, 1865, June, 1866, Art. V., 16 U. S. Stat. at L., (Tr.,) 312. Postal convention between Great Britain and Spain, 1858, Art. XV.; Sardinia, 1857, Art. XVIII.; Portugal, 1859, Art. XI., above, excepting the case of insufficiently paid correspondence. Transit of closed mails through each nation. 461. The post department of each nation shall grant to the post department of every other nation the transit through its territory,' and conveyance by its usual means of mail transportation, whether by land or sea, and at the usual cost of transportation, of the closed mails exchanged in either direction between the latter and any country to which the former may serve as intermediary. Postal convention between the United Great Britain, Belgium, States and X., 16 U. S. Stat. at L. (Tr.,) 77. XIV., 16 Id., (Tr.,) 147. XX., 16 Id., (Tr.,) 225. XIII., 16 Id., (Tr..) 201. July } Oct. Nov. } Oct. 8,1867, 11, 1867, XII., 16 Id., (Tr.,) 229. XIII., 16 Id., (Tr.,) 247. Sept. 26, 1867, 11, 1861, VII., 16 Id., (Tr.,) 312. Postal convention between Great Britain France, Sept. 24, 1856, Art. XXVII., XXV., Accounts and Papers, 1857, vol. XVIII., (11,)7 De Clercq, 152. Accounts and Papers, 1845, vol. LII. 1 By the convention between the United States and the Swiss Confederation, Netherlands, and Venezuela, above, such territorial transit shall be reciprocally free of charge. By the convention between the United States and Mexico, above, territorial transit in closed mails shall be reciprocally free from any postage duties, imposts, detention or examination whatever. By the convention between the United States and Italy, 1863, above; Mexico, Dec. 11, 1861, Art. VII., (16 U. S. Stat. at L., (Tr.,) 307;) Venezuela, July, 1865, June, 1866, Art. VII., (16 Id., (Tr.,) 317;) and the convention between Great Britain and France, Sept. 24, 1856, Art. XXIX., Accounts and Papers, 1857, vol. XVIII., (11,) the privilege is also accorded to each administration, of sending an agent, at its own expense, in charge of the mails in transit. Transfer of closed mails without charge. 462. The transfer of a closed mail from one ship to another, without expense to the post department of the place, is not to be deemed a territorial transit, nor subject to postal charges by such department. Postal convention between the United States and Official correspondence free. 463. Correspondence between a government and its public ministers, and their official families abroad, and between the post departments of different nations, is free. Postal convention between the United States and Venezuela, July, 1865, June, 1866, Art. IX., 16 U. S. Stat. at L., (Tr.,) 312. Postal convention between Great Britain and Portugal, April 6, 1859, Art. XXIII., Accounts and Papers, 1859, vol. XXXII., (18.) And these further provide that such correspondence shall be conveyed with all the precautions which each government may find necessary for its inviolability and security. Postal convention between the United States and Great Britain, Nov. 7, 24, 1868, Art. XVIII., 16 U. S. Stat. at L.,(Tr.,)78. Belgium, Aug. 21, 1867, XVII., 16 Id., (Tr...) 147. 464. Letters, and all registered correspondence, misdirected or missent, or not delivered for any cause, shall be returned to the dispatching post department, at its expense, unopened and without delay. Correspondence addressed to persons who have changed their address, shall be forwarded or returned, charged with the rate that would have been paid by the receivers.' All other correspondence shall be at the disposal of the receiving department. Postal convention between the United States and See, also, convention with Spain, May 21, 1858, Art. XIX., Id., 1858, vol. LX., (28.) Provision for the return of dead letters only is to be found in the postal convention between the United States and France, March 2, 1857, Art. XV., 16 U. S. Stat. at L., (Tr.,) 96, Guatemala, Je. 4, Jy. 16, 1862, Canada, Aug. 25, 28, 1856, V., 16 Id., (Tr.,) 310. X., 16 Id., (Tr.,) 303. For the return of dead "letters and other communications in manuscript," in the convention between the United States and Venezuela, July, 1865, June, 1866, Art. VI., 16 U. S. Stat. at L., (Tr.,)312. For the return of "letters, newspapers, and other printed papers," in the postal convention between Great Britain and Spain, May 21, 1858, Arts. XIX., XX., Accounts and Papers, 1858, vol. LX., (28.) For the return of "letters, book-packets, and patterns of merchandise misdirected or missent," and "dead letters, newspapers, &c." in the regulations attached to the convention between the United States and Great Britain, Nov. 7, 24, 1868, Art. XIII., XV., (16 U. S. Stat. at L., (Tr.,) 83. But it is expressly stated that " newspapers are not to be returned, in the convention between the United States and Prussia, July 17, Aug. 26, 1852, Art. XIV., 16 Id., (Tr.,) 186; and Venezuela, above; and this exception, extended to "samples of merchandise, prints of all kinds, &c.," is found in the postal convention between the United States and Italy, July 8, 1863, Art. XVIII., 16 Id., (Tr.,) 225. By the regulations attached to the postal convention between the United States and Great Britain, Nov. 7, 24, 1868, Art. XIV., (16 U. S. Stat. at L., (Tr.,) 83,) "letters forwarded for the purpose of annoying or injuring the parties to whom they are addressed, [the postage of which both offices are authorized to return to the public even after they have been opened,] may be included and admitted with the dead letters mutually returned." Mail matter not to be detained. 465. Subject to the next article, all correspondence posted in one country for another, or received in one country from another, is free from all detention or inspection, and shall be forwarded by the most speedy means to its destination, or promptly delivered to its address, as the case may be; being subject, in its transmission, to the laws and regulations of each country, respectively. Postal convention between the United States and Mexico, Dec. 11, 1861, Art. V., 16 U. S. Stat. at L., (Tr.,) 306. Venezuela, July, 1865, June, 1866, V., 16 Id., (Tr.,) 312. Letters with contraband goods. 466. Any correspondence suspected to contain contraband goods, may be opened and examined in presence of the party to whom it is addressed; and if, on such examination, contraband goods are discovered, the letter and its contents may be detained. 3 & 4 Vict., ch. 96, § LXV. Violations of the mails. 467. The unlawful hindrance of the international postal service, or interference with or appropriation of any correspondence entrusted thereto, or violation of the secrecy of such correspondence, is a public offense. Suggested by Act of Congress of the United States, 1864, ch. 197, § 12, 13 U. S. Stat. at L., 337; and Acts of Parliament, 7 Will. IV.; 1 Vict., ch. 36, §§ XXV., &c. Matters of detail. 468. The designation of offices through which ex |