ACCESSION of the South African Republic to the Convention, signed at Genera, August 22, 1864,* for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in Armies in the FieldSeptember 30, 1896. No. 1.-Count de Salis to the Marquess of Salisbury.-(Received October 10.) Légation de Suisse, Londres, le 9 Octobre, 1896. M. LE MINISTRE, Je suis chargé par mon Gouvernement, et j'ai l'honneur de porter cette adhésion à la connaissance de votre Seigneurie, et je saisis, &c., Le Marquis de Salisbury. F. DE SALIS. SIR, No. 2.-The Marquess of Salisbury to M. Bourcart. Foreign Office, January 5, 1897. HER Majesty's Government have not failed to consider the announcement in Couat de Salis' note of the 9th October last of the accession of the South African Republic to the Geneva Red Cross Convention. Under the terms of Article IV of the London Convention of 1884+ such an engagement on the part of the South African Republic requires Her Majesty's approval; and I have the honour to inform you that the Queen's assent to the accession in question will bo communicated to the Government of that Republic. I have, &c., M. Bourcart. SALISBURY. Vol. LV, page 43. + Vol. LXXV, page 5. CONVENTION concerning the Exchange of Parcels by Parcel Post concluded between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Kingdom of Italy.-Signed at Rome, July 11, 1896.* THE Governments of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Italy, wishing to facilitate commercial relations between the two countries, and between Italy and the Island of Malta, by means of the exchange of parcels through the post: The Undersigned, duly authorized for that purpose, have agreed upon the following provisions, which are based upon the International Parcel Post Convention signed at Vienna on the 4th July, 1891:t ART. I.-1. Parcels may be forwarded by parcel post from the United Kingdom and Malta to Italy up to the weight of 11 lb. English, and from Italy to the United Kingdom and Malta up to the weight of 5 kilog. 2. The parcels thus exchanged may be insured for any sum not exceeding 40%., or 1,000 lire. 3. As regards the service between the United Kingdom and Italy, the provisions of this Convention apply to parcels exchanged between the two countries in closed mails, the transmission of parcels à découvert through other countries being a matter for arrangement with the Post Offices of those countries. 4. The detailed Regulations‡ agreed upon by the Post Offices of the contracting countries define the other conditions on which the parcels are admitted to the service. II. Each of the Contracting Parties guarantees the right of transit of parcels over its territory to or from any country with which such Contracting Party has parcel post arrangements, and the Post Offices which take part in the conveyance are held responsible within the limits determined by Article XI below. III. The prepayment of the postage on parcels is compulsory, except in the case of redirected parcels. IV. The sums to be prepaid on parcels originating in the United Kingdom and Malta addressed, to Italy, and vice versa, are as follows: 1. On parcels from the United Kingdom for Italy : Signed also in the Italian language. + Vol. LXXXIII, page 976. See page 48. The British Post Office is also entitled to collect and retain a registration fee not exceeding 25 centimes on each insured parcel from the United Kingdom for Italy. 2. On parcels from Italy for the United Kingdom : : 3. On parcels exchanged between Italy and Malta: V.-1. The Post Office of the country of origin pays to the Post Office of the country of destination the territorial rate of the latter, and also the sea rate, if the latter Office provides for the sea service. 2. The Post Office of the country of origin is also accountable for the French transit rate in the case of parcels exchanged between the United Kingdom and Italy viâ France. 3. On parcels sent from Italy to the United Kingdom the Italian Post Office pays to the British Post Office, in addition to the territorial rate of the latter, a fee of 25 centimes per parcel for delivery and the fulfilment of Customs formalities. VI.-1. On parcels sent from Italy in transit through the United Kingdom the British Post Office is entitled to receive a territorial postage of 1 fr. per parcel. 2. On parcels sent from the United Kingdom or Malta in transit through Italy the Italian Post Office is entitled to receive a territorial postage of 50 centimes per parcel. 3. The Post Office of the country of origin has also to defray all charges for the onward land and sea transit of the parcels. 4. The insurance fees to be credited by one of the two Offices to the other on transit parcels shall be those fixed by the foregoing Article IV, and also the land and sea insurance fees due to any other Administration concerned in the subsequent transit and the delivery. VII.-1. In Italy there may be levied from the addressee, for the delivery of the parcels, and for the fulfilment of Customs formalities, a fee not exceeding 25 centimes for each parcel. 2. Should the Post Office of Italy at any time so desire, the Post Offices of Great Britain and Malta will collect this fee from the senders of parcels addressed to Italy, and will credit it to the Italian Post Office, the total postage, as fixed by the foregoing Article IV, being in that case increased by the amount of the fee. VIII. The parcels to which the present Convention applies cannot be subjected to any postal charge other than those contemplated by the foregoing Articles IV, V, and VII, and by Article IX below. IX. For the redirection of parcels from one country to the other, as well as for the return of undelivered parcels, a supplementary charge, on the basis of the rates fixed by Article IV, shall be collected from the addressees or the senders, as the case may be. X.-1. It is forbidden to send by post parcels containing letters, or communications of the nature of a letter, or articles the adınission of which is not authorized by the Customs or other laws or regulations of either country. A parcel may, however, contain an open invoice in its simplest form. 2. It is equally forbidden to send from one country to the other in uninsured parcels coin, anything made of gold or silver, or any other precious articles. 3. If a parcel contravening any of these prohibitions is handed over by one Administration to the other, the latter proceeds in the manner, and with the formalities prescribed by its law or inland regulations. XI.-1. Except in cases beyond control, when a parcel has been lost or damaged, the sender, or, in default, or at the request of the sender, the addressee is entitled to an indemnity corresponding with the actual amount of the loss or damage: provided always that this indemnity may not exceed, in the case of an uninsured parcel, 25 fr. or 15 fr., according as the weight of the parcel exceeds or does not exceed 3 kilog., and, in the case of an insured parcel, the sum for which it has been insured. The sender of a lost parcel is also entitled to have the postage refunded. 2. The obligation of paying the indemnity rests with the Administration to which the dispatching office is subordinate. To that Administration is reserved a remedy against the Administration responsible, that is to say, against the Administration on the territory or in the service of which the loss or the damage took place. 3. Until the contrary be shown, the responsibility rests with the Administration which, having received the parcel without making any observation, cannot prove its delivery to the addressee, or, in the case of a transit parcel, its regular transfer to the following Administration. 4. The payment of the indemnity to the sender or addressee ought to take place as soon as possible, and at the latest within a year of the date of the application. The Administration responsible is bound to make good, without delay, the amount of the indemnity paid. 5. It is understood that no application for an indemnity is entertained unless made within a year of the posting of the parcel. After this term the applicant has no right to any indemnity. 6. If the loss or the damage occurred in course of conveyance between the exchanging offices of the two countries, and it is not possible to ascertain on the territory or in the service of which the loss or damage took place, each Administration pays half of the indemnity. 7. The Administrations cease to be responsible for parcels of which the owners have accepted delivery. XII.-1. No parcel may be insured for an amount above the real value of its contents. 2. In case the sender of an insured parcel, with intent to defraud, declares the contents to be above their real value, he loses all claim |