VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.

For particulars respecting the general provisions of the postal convention with Victoria, see above under Queensland. San Francisco is the exchange office on the side of the United States.

OTHER FOREIGN COUNTRIES.

Under a provision of the Paris Convention, the transmission is secured, in the open mails of countries of the Postal Union, of correspondence addressed to certain countries and places not embraced in the Union. The Table of Foreign Postage hereto appended includes all the countries and places rendered accessible under arrangements thus far made.

Correspondence from the United States for foreign countries and places other than those named above, or with which no postal treaties or other postal arrangements have been made by the United States, if forwarded in direct mail by vessels regularly employed in carrying the mails, and not through the intermediary of a country having postal relations with the United States by treaty or other arrangement, is subject to the rates of postage given in the Table opposite "Aspinwall, Direct Mail."

Ordinary letters, newspapers, pamphlets, periodicals, books, and other printed matter may be sent in these cases, under the regulations and conditions applicable to the same correspondence in the domestic mails.

Prepayment of postage is compulsory for all correspondence, and the prescribed rates are collectible upon delivery of matter received.

CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA.

Under an arrangement with the British Post Office, mail communication is maintained with Central America and the west coast of South America, by means of British mail packets.

The correspondence transmissible is indicated by the Table.

Prepayment is compulsory on all correspondence sent to the countries above referred to which are not embraced in the Postal Union, and the U. S. postage, together with the British packet charge, if unpaid, is collectible upon delivery of matter received in the United States.

Mails are dispatched from New York and San Francisco.

EXCHANGE OFFICES FOR FOREIGN MAILS.

New York is an office of exchange for all mails for Europe. Also for Canadian, Mexican, Newfoundland, Central and South American, Brazilian, Argentine Republic, Bermuda, and West Indian mails.

Boston is an office of exchange for British, French, German, and Belgian mails. Also for Canadian and Newfoundland mails and for mails to St. Pierre and Miquelon. Philadelphia is an office of exchange for British, Belgian (direct), and German mails. Detroit is an office of exchange for British and Canadian mails.

San Francisco is an office of exchange for British, Japan, Hong Kong, Straits Settlements, other East Indian, and Hawaiian mails. Also for Central American, Mexican, Australian, and Canadian mails, and for mails to Fiji Islands, New Caledonia, Tahiti, Marquesas Islands, and other French Possessions in Eastern Oceanica.

Chicago is an office of exchange for British, German, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, and Canadian mails.

Baltimore is an office of exchange for German mails.

New Orleans is an office of exchange for West Indian, British and Spanish Honduras, and Mexican mails.

Key West is an office of exchange for mails for Cuba and Porto Rico.

The exchange of mails with Mexico takes place between the following exchange post offices:

1. Between New York and Vera Cruz (by sea).

2. Between New Orleans and Tampico and Vera Cruz (by sea).

3. Between San Francisco and Mazatlan, San Blas, Manzanilla, Acapulco (by sea).

4. Between Brownsville, Tex., and Matamoras.

5. Between Eagle Pass, Tex., and Piedras Negras.

6. Between El Paso, Tex., and Paso del Norte.

7. Between Tucson, Ariz., and Magdalena.

Correspondence for Yucatan, Campeachy, Tobasco, Vera Cruz, Puebla, and the entire eastern and central sections of Mexico is expeditiously forwarded via New York or via New Orleans.

Correspondence for the State of Tamaulipas and northeastern section of Mexico is expeditiously forwarded via Brownsville, Tex., or via New Orleans.

Correspondence for the States of Nueva Leon and Coahuila, up to San Luis Potosi, is expeditiously forwarded via Eagle Pass, Tex.

Correspondence for the State of Chihuahua and central and northwestern sections of Mexico is expeditiously forwarded via El Paso.

Correspondence for the States of Sonora, Sinaloa, Jalisco, and Durango and the Territory of Lower California is expeditiously forwarded via Tucson, Ariz.

Correspondence for ports and places on the Pacific coast and western and southern sections of Mexico is expeditiously forwarded via San Francisco.

In accordance with an order of the Postmaster General, dated June 6, 1879, all registered correspondence addressed to foreign countries must be sent, on and after July 1, 1879, under the system of domestic registration to the United States exchange post office at the port of embarkation, or place of egress from the United States of the mail wherein such correspondence is to be dispatched to its destination.

Where mails for the same countries are made up at more than one United States exchange post office, ordinary (unregistered) correspondence addressed abroad should be forwarded to that one of the exchange offices from which it will have the earliest dispatch.

CUSTOMS DUTIES.

According to the provisions of section 17 of the Act of March 3, 1879, making appropriations for the service of the Post Office Department for the year ending June 30, 1880, printed matter, other than books, received in the mails from foreign countries under the provisions of postal treaties or conventions, are free of customs duty, and books which are admitted to the International mails exchanged under the provisions of the Universal Postal Union Convention, may, when subject to customs duty, be delivered to addressees in the United States under such regulations, for the collection of duties, as may be agreed upon by the Secretary of the Treasury and the Postmaster General.

From information received by the Postmaster General from the Secretary of the Treasury, it appears that no books are absolutely exempt from customs duties, except those printed and manufactured more than twenty years; but collectors of customs may, in their discretion, remit duties on importations of single copies of books, of less dutiable value than one dollar, when such books are intended for the personal use of the addressees.

In pursuance of the Act of March 3, 1879, referred to above, the following regulation has been agreed upon by the Secretary of the Treasury and the Postmaster General:

REGULATION

GOVERNING THE TREATMENT OF DUTIABLE ARTICLES RECEIVED IN THE MAILS FROM

FOREIGN COUNTRIES.

POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT,

WASHINGTON, D. C., May 16, 1879.

When letters, sealed packages, or packages the wrappers of which cannot be removed without destroying them, are received in the United States from a foreign country, and the postmaster of the exchange office at which they are received has reason to believe they contain articles liable to customs duties, he shall immediately notify the customs officer of the district in which his office is located, or the customs officer designated by the Secretary of the Treasury for the purpose of examining the mails arriving from foreign countries, of the receipt of such letters or packages, and their several addresses; and if any letter or package of this character be addressed to a person residing within the delivery of his office, the postmaster shall also, at the time of its arrival, notify the addressee or addressees thereof that such letter or package has been received and is believed to contain articles liable to customs duties, and that he or they must appear at the post office at a time in said notice to be designated, not exceeding twenty days from the date of said notice, and receive and open said letter or package in the presence of an officer of the customs.

Letters and sealed packages, or packages the wrappers of which cannot be removed without destroying them, which are supposed to contain articles liable to customs duties, and which are addressed to persons residing outside of the delivery of the United States exchange office where they were first received from abroad, shall be forwarded, without longer detention than twenty-four hours, to their respective destinations, marked "supposed liable to customs duties," and upon their receipt at the offices of destination the postmasters thereof shall notify the nearest customs officer and the parties addressed, in the manner and to the same effect as hereinbefore provided in the case of similar letters or packages addressed for delivery at the United States exchange office where they were first received.

Provided, however, that nothing herein above contained shall authorize or allow customs officers to seize or take possession of any letter or sealed package while the same is in the custody of a postmaster, nor until after its delivery to the addressee: and provided further, that no letter or sealed package shall be detained at the office of delivery a longer period than may be necessary for the appearance of a customs officer and the addressee, in pursuance of the notices hereinbefore provided to be given.

Unsealed packages received in the mails from foreign countries, which are found on

examination by customs officers to contain articles liable to customs duties, shall be delivered by the postmaster at the exchange office of receipt to the proper officer of the customs for the collection of the duties chargeable thereon, with notice of such delivery to the person addressed.

Unsealed packages of samples of merchandise, including grains and seeds, in excess of eight ounces in weight, forwarded to the United States in the mails from Canada, contrary to the provisions of the postal arrangement between the two countries, which are declared by customs officers to be dutiable, shall be immediately returned from the United States exchange offices of receipt to the Canadian exchange offices from which they were dispatched.

Postmasters are expected to extend to customs officers, specially designated for that duty by the Secretary of the Treasury, such facilities as may be necessary to enable them to examine mail-matter arriving in the mails from foreign countries, in order to protect the customs revenue. D. M. KEY, Postmaster General.

MISCELLANEOUS REGULATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS.

1. All inquiries relative to foreign mails and mail steamship service between the United States and foreign countries should be addressed to " Superintendent Foreign Mails, Post Office Department, Washington, D. C."

2. The Post Office Department is the proper medium for official communication with foreign postal officials respecting postal matters, and United States postmasters should refer all subjects requiring official correspondence with foreign postal administrations or officials to the Superintendent of Foreign Mails at Washington, D. C., through whose office such correspondence is conducted.

3. All articles of correspondence addressed to foreign countries must bear a legible impression of the stamp of the mailing-office, or inscription in ink, showing the place of mailing and date of dispatch therefrom.

4. In order to avoid the delay consequent upon the return through the Dead Letter Office of short-paid letters, addressed to countries to which prepayment of postage is compulsory, care should be exercised in the weighing and stamping of such letters. In case of doubt it is safer to prepay at the higher rate. Delay may also be avoided by writing the name and address of the sender on the covers.

5. Make the address legible and complete, giving the name of the country as well as the name of the post office or town. Letters addressed merely to " London," without adding "England," may be sent to London, Canada, and vice versa, thereby causing delay, and often serious loss. Wherever practicable the name of the street and number of the house should also be given on letters addressed to cities. While the letter may eventually reach its destination without a number, the omission is often a cause of hesitation and delay.

6. See that every letter, newspaper, or other packet sent by mail is securely folded and fastened. In affixing the postage stamps to the covers of printed matter, see that they do not overlap the covers and adhere in part to the contents, thus, in effect, closing the packet against inspection. Avoid using cheap envelopes, made of thin paper, especially where more than one sheet of paper or any other article than paper is inclosed. Being often handled, and subject to pressure in the mail-bags, such envelopes not unfrequently split open, often giving cause of complaint against officials who are entirely innocent in the matter.

7. It is recommended that some other material than wax be used for closing letters or packets addressed to places in warm climates.

8. Many of the suggestions relative to domestic correspondence apply with equal force to correspondence addressed to foreign countries.

9. Letters for countries to which payment of postage is compulsory, when unpaid-or insufficiently prepaid, are sent to the Dead Letter Office, to be opened and returned to the writers.

10. Undelivered correspondence of foreign origin is returned to the senders in pursuance of the stipulations of postal treaties or conventions in force with foreign countries, or in accordance with special arrangements made with reference thereto.

11. Newspapers and periodicals sent in the mails to foreign countries should be wrapped singly, except those sent by publishers to regular subscribers in Canada and the Hawaiian Kingdom.

12. To avoid possible errors, the route by which the correspondence is desired to be forwarded should be plainly marked on the face of the correspondence, near the address. 13. In the absence of special instruction to the contrary, where correspondence is marked for transmission by a route requiring prepayment, and the amount prepaid is insufficient for that route, it will be sent by some other route by which prepayment of postage is optional; but if there is no such route, and no means of obtaining full prepayment by notice to the sender, the correspondence will be sent to the Dead Letter Office.

14. Directions given by senders on correspondence for foreign countries respecting routes of transmission desired will be observed whenever practicable.

15. Prepayment of postage on correspondence sent from the United States to foreign countries must be made in United States postage stamps. On correspondence from foreign countries to the United States prepayment must be made in postage stamps of the country of mailing.

16. The amount of postage due on unpaid or insufficiently paid correspondence received from foreign countries is plainly marked on the cover by the United States exchange office through which the correspondence passes, and only the amount so marked as due should be collected. But in the case of mail-matter other than letters, which is discovered at the office of destination to contain a letter or other communication in writing, the postmaster at such office should levy postage thereon at letter rates for collection on delivery.

17. Senders have no legal claim upon the Post Office Department for the value of postage stamps uselessly employed upon mail-matter; but in cases where excessive postage has been paid upon correspondence addressed to foreign countries upon erroneous information given to the sender at mailing post offices in the United States by postal officials, at the time of mailing, the Department will require the overpaid sums to be reimbursed by the postmaster of the mailing office.

18. The exchange of postal cards is limited to the Universal Postal Union, including Canada. They can only be sent to, or received from, other countries and places at letter rates of postage.

19. Liquids, poisons, explosive and inflammable articles, fatty substances, live or dead animals, reptiles, fruits or vegetable matter liable to decomposition, confectionery, pastes or confections, and substances exhaling a bad odor, excluded from transmission in domestic mails as being in themselves either from their form or nature liable to destroy, deface,