transmission by the post of Foreign or Colonial letters or newspapers, or of any other printed papers, and to subject the same to rates of postage according to the weight thereof, and a scale of weight to be contained in such Warrant, and from time to time, by Warrant as aforesaid, to alter or repeal any of such altered rates, and make and establish any new or other rates in lieu thereof, and from time to time, by Warrant as aforesaid, to appoint at what time the rates which might be payable were to be paid.

And whereas the provision fixing the maximum weight of letters to be sent by the post in the said before-recited Act was repealed, and further powers were given to the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury in that behalf by another Act of Parliament passed in the 11th year of the reign of Her Majesty, for giving further facilities for the transmission of letters by post, and for the regulating the duties of postage thereof, and for other purposes relating to the Post Office.

And whereas it is expedient that regulations should be made for the transmission by the post of packets consisting of books, publications, or works of literature and art, and other printed papers between the United Kingdom and Bremen in the manner hereinafter mentioned and contained.

Now we, the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, in exercise of the powers vested in us in and by the said 2 beforerecited Acts of Parliament, or either of them, and of all other powers enabling us in this behalf, do by this Warrant, under the hands of 2 of us the said Commissioners (by the authority of the statute in that case made and provided) order, direct, and declare, as follows:

1. All packets consisting of books, publications, or works of literature or art, whether British, Colonial, or Foreign, and all packets consisting of printed votes and proceedings of the Imperial Parliament respectively posted in the United Kingdom addressed to Bremen or posted at Bremen, addressed to the United Kingdom, may be transmitted by the post between the United Kingdom and Bremen (the sea conveyance being by private ship); and all such respective packets shall be so transmitted in conformity with and under and subject to the several regulations, orders, directions, and conditions hereinafter mentioned and contained; and the single rate of postage (British and Foreign) for the transmission of such packets shall be the sum of 3 pence. And all such respective packets, so transmitted and chargeable with postage as aforesaid, shall be subject to the several progressive and additional rates of postage hereinafter mentioned that is to say:

On every such packet, if not exceeding 4 ounces in weight, there shall be charged, taken, and paid, for the transmission thereof respectively as aforesaid, the uniform single rate of postage (British and Foreign) of 3 pence.

* See Vol. 8, Page 247.

And on every such packet exceeding 4 ounces in weight, there shall be charged, taken, and paid, progressive and additional rates of postage, as follows-that is to say:

On every such packet, if exceeding 4 ounces in weight, and not exceeding 8 ounces in weight, 2 rates of postage.

And on every such packet, if exceeding 8 ounces, and not exceeding 1 pound in weight, 4 rates of postage.

And on every such packet, if exceeding 1 pound, and not exceeding 1 pound and of another pound in weight, 6 rates of postage.

And for every additional of a pound in weight, of any such packet above the weight of 1 pound and of another pound in weight, there shall be charged, taken, and paid, 2 additional rates of postage; and every fractional part of such additional of a pound in weight, shall be charged as an additional of a pound in weight. And each progressive and additional rate, chargeable under this clause, shall be estimated and charged at the sum which any such packet would be charged with under this Warrant, if not exceeding 4 ounces in weight.

142

No such packet, which in length or breadth, or width, shall exceed the dimensions of 2 feet, shall be forwarded by the post, under the provisions of this Warrant.

The terms "books, publications, or works of literature or art," in this Warrant used, shall, for the purposes of this Warrant, mean and comprise all such articles, as in their general character, are either literary, or consist of printed, written, engraved, or lithographed matter (although not strictly literary), including books (whether printed, written, or plain), publications or compilations (whether in print or in manuscript), almanacks, printed or lithographed letters, and such artistic productions as prints, maps (whether on paper or canvas, or cloth, and whether printed or written), and photographs, when not on glass, or in frames containing glass, and any description of paper, parchment, or vellum (whether printed, lithographed, written upon, or plain, or any mixture of the four), together with any binding, mounting, or covering, of, or upon, or belonging to any such article or production or any portion thereof, or of, or belonging to, any paper, parchment, or vellum, and including also any cases or rollers of prints or maps, book-markers (whether of paper or otherwise), pencils, pens, or other things usually appertaining to any such article or production, paper, parchment, or vellum, or necessary for its safe transmission, which shall be sent in the same packet with any such article or production, to which they or it shall belong. And all letters, notices, and other communications, whether upon paper, parchment, or vellum, partly printed or partly lithographed, and partly written, which, if wholly written, would not be considered letters, or communications in the nature of letters, may be transmitted by the post, under the provisions of this Warrant; but any

letter, notice, or other communication (whether upon paper, parchment, or vellum), partly printed or partly lithographed, and partly written, which, if wholly written, would be considered a letter, or a communication in the nature of a letter, shall not be entitled to the privilege of being transmitted by the post, under the provisions of this Warrant; provided that nothing herein contained shall extend to authorize the sending by the post, under the provisions of this Warrant, of any patterns, or books of patterns, or papers of patterns, of any article or thing whatsoever, unless such patterns shall consist merely of paper.

Every packet transmitted by the post, under the authority of this Warrant, shall be sent open at the ends or sides, and either without a cover or in a cover, or envelope open at the ends or sides.

No packet transmitted by the post, under the authority of this Warrant, shall contain any written letter, either closed or open, nor any written communication in the nature of a letter, either closed or open (whether such letter or communication be addressed to, or intended for, the person to whom the packet shall be directed, or any other person), nor any enclosure, sealed or otherwise closed against inspection, nor any other inclosure not authorized by this Warrant, sent in or with any such packet, nor shall there be any written letter, or written communication in the nature of a letter, in or upon any such packet, or on the cover or envelope thereof.

Every packet transmitted by the post, under the authority of this Warrant, and posted in the United Kingdom, shall be put into the Post-office, at such hours in the day, and under all such regulations, as the Postmaster-General may appoint.

Upon every packet transmitted by the post, under the authority of this Warrant, which shall be posted, in the United Kingdom, the postage thereof shall be paid at the time of posting the same.

2. Every letter, notice, or other communication (whether upon paper, parchment, or vellum), partly printed or partly lithographed, and partly written, which if wholly written, would be considered a letter, or a communication in the nature of a letter, sent by the post, shall be deemed and considered to be a letter, and shall be chargeable with postage as a letter.

3. If any question shall arise, whether any such letter, notice, or other communication, as last hereinbefore mentioned, is entitled to the privilege of a printed paper, so far as respects the transmission thereof, by the post, or of being sent by the post, under the authority of this Warrant, the same shall be referred to the determination of the Postmaster-General, whose decision thereupon shall be final.

4. If any packet sent, or tendered, or delivered, in order to be sent by the post under the authority of this Warrant, shall in

length, or breadth, or width, exceed the dimensions of 2 feet, or if any such packet, or the cover or envelope thereof, shall not be open at the ends or sides; or if any such packet shall be sent otherwise than in conformity with the terms, conditions, and regulations hereinbefore contained, every such packet shall and may be detained and opened and returned or given up to the sender thereof, and every such packet, on being so returned or given up, shall, at the option of the Postmaster-General, be either returned or given up free of postage, or shall be charged with any rate of postage the Postmaster-General may think fit, not exceeding the postage to which it would have been liable as a letter.

5. If any packet sent, or tendered, or delivered, in order to be sent by the post under the authority of this Warrant from the United Kingdom to Bremen (any such packet posted in London and sent from any department or office in, or connected with, the public service of Her Majesty, which shall keep a postage account with the General Post-office in London, and the postage thereof being charged in such account only excepted) shall be posted in the United Kingdom without any postage being paid thereon, or with a postage paid thereon less in amount than the rate of postage to which such packet shall be liable, under and by virtue of the regulations herein before contained, every such packet shall be detained and opened, and shall be dealt with and chargeable at the option of the Postmaster-General in like manner as is hereinbefore directed with respect to any packet sent or tendered or delivered in order to be sent by the post, which shall, in length, or breadth, or width, exceed the dimensions of 2 feet, or which shall not be open at the ends or sides.

6. All packets transmitted by the post under the provisions of this Warrant, shall be subject to the several orders, directions, regulations, and rates of postage, respectively contained in a certain Warrant of the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, under the hands of 2 of the said Commissioners, bearing date the 19th day of February, 1855,* relating to redirected rates of postage upon packets which shall be redirected and again forwarded by the post.

7. The rates of postage chargeable on packets transmitted by the post, under the authority of this Warrant, shall be in lieu of any rates of postage now chargeable by law thereon.

8. The term "weight" used in this Warrant shall mean British weight, and the several other terms and expressions used in this Warrant shall be construed to have the like meaning in all respects as they would have had if inserted in the said Act passed in the 4th year of the reign of Her Majesty.

9. The Commissioners for the time being of Her Majesty's Treasury may, by Warrant under their hands, duly made, at any time hereafter alter, repeal, or revoke, any of the rates of postage

* See Vol. 10, Page 289.

hereby fixed or altered, or any of the orders, directions, regulations or conditions hereby made, and may make and establish any new, or other rates, orders, directions, regulations, or conditions, in lieu thereof, and from time to time may appoint at what time the rates which may be payable are to be paid.

10. This Warrant shall come into operation on the 1st day of May, 1860.

Whitehall, Treasury Chambers, the 16th day of April, 1860. E. H. KNATCHBULL-HUGESSEN. JOHN BAGWELL.

CHINA.

TREATY of Peace, Friendship, and Commerce between Great Britain and China. Signed in the English and Chinese languages, at Tien-tsin, June 26, 1858.*

HER Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and His Majesty the Emperor of China, being desirous to put an end to the existing misunderstanding between the 2 countries, and to place their relations on a more satisfactory footing in future, have resolved to proceed to a revision and improvement of the Treaties existing between them; and, for that purpose, have named as their Plenipotentiaries, that is to say:

Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, the Right Honourable the Earl of Elgin and Kincardine, a Peer of the United Kingdom, and Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle;

And His Majesty the Emperor of China, the High Commissioners Kweiliang, a Senior Chief Secretary of State, styled of the East Cabinet, Captain-General of the Plain White Banner of the Manchu Banner Force, Superintendent-General of the administration of Criminal Law; and Hwashana, one of His Imperial Majesty's Expositors of the Classics, Manchu President of the Office for the regulation of the Civil Establishment, CaptainGeneral of the Bordered Blue Banner of the Chinese Banner Force, and Visitor of the Office of Interpretation.

Who, after having communicated to each other their respective full powers, and found them to be in good and due form, have agreed upon and concluded the following Articles :

ART. I. The Treaty of Peace and Amity between the 2 nations signed at Nanking on the 29th day of August, in the year 1842,† is hereby renewed and confirmed.

* Ratifications exchanged at Peking, October 24, 1860.

See Vol. 6, Page 221.