the reign of Her present Majesty; intituled "An Act for the regulation of the duties of Postage," power is given to the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, from time to time, by Warrant under their hands, to alter and fix any of the rates of British postage, payable by law, on the 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 whereas further powers are given to the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, by another Act of Parliament passed in the 11th year of the reign of Her present Majesty, intituled "An Act for giving further facilities for the transmission of letters by post, and for the regulating the duties of postage thereon, and for other purposes relating to the Post Office."†

And whereas certain powers are also given to the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury by another Act of Parliament, passed in the 18th year of the reign of Her present Majesty, intituled "An Act to amend the laws relating to the stamp duties on newspapers, and to provide for the transmission by post of printed periodical publications."‡

And whereas it is expedient that regulations should be made for the transmission by the post of the letters, newspapers, and packets hereinafter mentioned.

Now we, the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, in exercise of the powers reserved to us, in and by the said hereinbefore recited Acts, and every 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 Commissiouers, by the authority of the statute in that case made and provided, order, direct, and declare, as

follows:

1. On every letter not exceeding an ounce in weight, posted in the United Kingdom, addressed to the Argentine Confederation, or posted in the Argentine Confederation addressed to the United Kingdom, and transmitted by the post between any part of the United Kingdom and any place in the Argentine Confederation, (the conveyance between the United Kingdom and the Argentine Confederation being by British packet-boat) there shall be charged and taken an uniform rate of postage of 6 pence.

2. On every letter not exceeding an ounce in weight, transmitted by post between the Argentine Confederation and any of Her Majesty's Colonies, or any Foreign Country through the United Kingdom (the conveyance between the Argentine Confederation and the United Kingdom being by British packet-boat) there shall be charged and taken a British rate of postage of 6 pence for the conveyance of every such letter between the Argentine Confederation and any part of the United Kingdom; and for the conveyance of every such letter between the port in the United Kingdom of the departure or arrival of the packet or ship conveying the same, and the Colony or Foreign Country to or from which the same shall be forwarded, such a further or additional rate of postage as shall, from time to time, be charged and payable for British postage on letters not exceeding an ounce in weight, posted or delivered at the port in the United Kingdom of the departure or arrival of the packet or ship conveying the same, and transmitted direct between such port and any such Colony or Foreign Country; provided that, in all cases where such additional rate includes both inland and sea services, there shall be deducted from the said rate of 6 pence the sum of 1 penny, in respect of the inland conveyance under this clause, of every such letter sent through the United Kingdom.

3. On every letter not exceeding an ounce in weight, transmitted by British packet-boat from any port, by the Argentine Confederation to any other Foreign port without passing through the United Kingdom, there shall be charged and taken a British rate of postage of 4 pence.

4. All such respective letters so transmitted as hereinbefore, in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd clauses of this Warrant mentioned, if exceeding an ounce in weight, shall be subject to the several further and additional and progressive rates of postage hereinafter mentioned, that is to say:

On every such letter, if exceeding an ounce in weight, and not exceeding 1 ounce in weight, there shall be charged, taken, and paid, 2 rates of postage.

And on every such letter, if exceeding 1 ounce, and not exceeding 2 ounces in weight, 4 rates of postage.

And on every such letter, if exceeding 2 ounces, and not exceeding 3 ounces in weight, 6 rates of postage.

And for every additional ounce in weight of any such letter, above the weight of 3 ounces, there shall be charged, taken, and paid, 2 additional rates of postage; and every fractional part of such additional ounce shall be charged as an additional ounce in weight; and each progressive and additional rate chargeable under this clause shall be estimated and charged at the sum which any such letter would be charged with under this Warrant, if not exceeding an ounce in weight.

5. Nothing herein contained shall he construed in any wise to annul, prejudice, or affect any of the exemptions and privileges granted by the said recited Act, passed in the 4th year of the reign of Her present Majesty, or to annul, prejudice, or affect any of the privileges which seamen and soldiers employed in Her Majesty's service, and seamen and soldiers employed in the service of the East India Company, are now by law entitled to, of sending and receiving by the post, letters not exceeding an ounce in weight, subject to the regulations and restrictions in respect of the same.

6. On every printed British newspaper posted in the United Kingdom, addressed to the Argentine Confederation, and on every printed newspaper posted in the Argentine Confederation addressed to the United Kingdom, transmitted by the post between the United Kingdom and the Argentine Confederation, direct by packet-boat, there shall be charged, taken, and paid, in the United Kingdom, the rate of British postage hereinafter mentioned; that is to say: if not exceeding the weight of 4 ounces, a rate of 1 penny; and if exceeding that weight, but not exceeding the weight of 8 ounces, a rate of 2 pence; and for every additional 4 ounces in weight of any such newspaper, above the weight of 8 ounces, an additional rate of 1 penny shall be charged; and any fractional part of such additional 4 ounces shall be charged as an additional 4 ounces in weight.

7. 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 posted in the United Kingdom addressed to the Argentine Confederation, or posted in the Argentine Confederation addressed to the United Kingdom, may be transmitted by the post between the United Kingdom and the Argentine Confederation (the sea conveyance being by British packet-boat); and all such respective packets shall be transmitted in conformity with, and under, and subject to, the several regulations, orders, directions, and conditions hereinafter mentioned and contained relating thereto; and the single rate of postage for the transmission of such packets shall be the sum of 3 pence; and all such respective packets so transmitted and chargeable with postage under this clause, 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 of 3 pence.

And of 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 11⁄2 pound in weight, 6 rates of postage.

And for every additional of a pound in weight of any such packet above the weight of 11⁄2 pound 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.

8. Every packet which shall be transmitted by the post under the 6th and 7th clauses of this Warrant shall be so transmitted in conformity with, and under, and subject to, the several regulations, orders, directions, and conditions hereinafter contained, (that is to say):

Every British newspaper which shall be posted in the United Kingdom under the provisions of this Warrant shall be printed and published at intervals not exceeding 31 days between any 2 consecutive numbers or parts of such publication, and the same shall be registered by the proprietor or printer thereof at the General Post Office in London, and shall be posted within 15 days from the date of its publication, and the title and date of the newspaper shall be printed at the top of every page thereof.

There shall be no word or communication printed on any newspaper transmitted by the post under the provisions of this Warrant after the publication thereof, or upon any cover thereof, nor any writing or marks upon any such newspaper, or upon any cover thereof, other than and except the name and address of the person to whom the same is sent, but the name or title of such newspaper, and the name and address of the publisher, newsvendor, or agent by whom the same is sent may be printed on the cover thereof.

There shall be no paper or thing enclosed in or with any such newspaper.

No packet, which is in length, or breadth, or width, shall exceed the dimensions of 2 feet, shall be forwarded by the post, under the 6th and 7th clauses 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 4), 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: provided, nevertheless, that nothing herein contained shall extend to authorize the sending by the post, under the 7th clause of this Warrant, of any patterns, or books of patterns, or papers of patterns, of any article or thing whatsoever, unless such patterns consist merely of paper.

Every packet transmitted by the post, under the 6th and 7th clauses 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 7th clause 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 enclosure not authorized by this Warrant, sent in or with any such packet, nor shall there be any written letter or any 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 6th and 7th clauses 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 6th and 7th clauses of this Warrant, which shall be posted in the United Kingdom, the postage thereof shall be paid at the time of the same being posted.

9. 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, shall and may be transmitted by the post, under and subject to the several regulations, orders, directions, conditions, and rates respectively in the 7th and 8th clauses of this Warrant mentioned and contained.

10. 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 or by virtue of the 7th and 8th clauses of this Warrant, or the regulations, orders, direcțions, conditions, and rates therein respectively con