BRITISH TREASURY WARRANT, for carrying into effect the Postage Arrangements with France. May 9, 1843.

WHEREAS by an Act, passed in the 3rd and 4th years of 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, by warrant under their hands, to alter and fix any of the rates of British or inland postage, payable by law on the transmission by the post of Foreign or colonial letters or newspapers, or 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 such altered rates, and make and establish any new or other rates in lieu thereof; and by warrant as aforesaid, to appoint at what time the rates that might be payable were to be paid; and it is provided that the power thereby given to alter and fix rates of postage should extend to any increase or remission of postage:

And whereas a Treaty hath been lately entered into between Her Majesty and the King of the French, for regulating by means of a new Convention, the communications by post between their respective dominions upon a more liberal and advantageous basist:

Now we, the undersigned, being 3 of the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, do, in exercise of the power or authority for such purpose vested in us by the said Act, and of all other powers and authorities enabling us in this behalf, direct that, in lieu of any rates of British postage, now payable by law on the letters hereinafter mentioned, there shall be paid the rates of postage following (that is to say):

We direct, that on every letter not exceeding an ounce in weight, transmitted by the post between any part of the United Kingdom and any part of France or Algeria (excepting letters sent direct, and not passing through England, between the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Sark, or Alderney, and France or Algeria), there shall be paid one uniform rate of British postage of 5 pence.

* See Vol. 5, Page 248.

† See Vol. 6, Page 349.

And that on every letter not exceeding an ounce in weight transmitted by the post between any part of France or Algeria, and any part of the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Sark or Alderney, direct, without passing through England, there shall be paid one uniform rate of British postage of 3 pence.

And we direct, that it shall be optional with the sender of any such letter as hereinbefore is mentioned, posted in the United Kingdom (including the Channel Islands), addressed to France or Algeria, to allow the whole of the postage thereof, British and Foreign, to be charged to the receiver of the letter in France or Algeria, or to prepay all such postage at the time of posting the letter; but such sender shall not have the option of paying the British postage thereof only, and leaving the Foreign postage to be paid in France or Algeria.

And we direct, that letters brought into the United Kingdom from France or Algeria by any ship or vessel, without having previously passed through any post office, shall be charged with the like rates of British postage as the same are now chargeable with under the said recited Act.

And we direct, that on every letter not exceeding an ounce in weight, conveyed by the post by way of France between any part of the United Kingdom and Turkey, the Levant, the Archipelago, Greece, or the Ionian Islands (passing through any Austrian post office), Austria, Venetian Lombardy, the States of Sardinia, Italy, the Two Sicilies, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland, Germany, or the Northern States of Europe (excepting letters sent direct, and not passing through England, between any of those countries and the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Sark, or Alderney), there shall be paid one uniform rate of British postage of 5 pence.

And that on every letter not exceeding an ounce in weight, conveyed by the post by way of France direct between any part of the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Sark, or Alderney, and any of the countries last aforesaid, direct, and without passing through England, there shall be paid one uniform rate of British postage of 3 pence.

And that on every letter not exceeding half an ounce in weight, conveyed by the post by way of France between any part of the United Kingdom and the East Indies (excepting

letters sent direct, without passing through England, between the East Indies and the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Sark, or Alderney), there shall be paid, in addition to the Red Sea or Persian Gulf packet rate payable under the said Act, and to any transit rate payable for the transmission of such letters through France, a rate of British postage of 5 pence.

And that on every letter not exceeding half an ounce in weight, conveyed by the post by way of France direct between any part of the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Sark or Alderney, and the East Indies, without passing through England, there shall be paid, in addition to the Red Sea or Persian Gulf packet rate, and to any transit rate payable for the transmission of such letters through France, a rate of British postage of 3 pence.

And we direct that the Postmaster-General may require both the British and Foreign postage, from time to time payable on the letters lastly herein before mentioned, to be paid on the same being put into the post office.

And we direct, that on every letter not exceeding half an ounce in weight, conveyed by the post by way of France and the Mediterranean between any part of the United Kingdom and any port or place in Syria or Egypt, Turkey, Greece, the Levant, the Archipelago, the Adriatic, the Black Sea, Italy, the Two Sicilies, Malta, the Ionian Islands, or any other port or place in the Mediterranean, when forwarded by the French Mediterranean packet-boats (excepting letters sent direct to or from the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Sark, or Alderney, without passing through England), there shall be paid a rate of British postage of 5 pence.

And that on every letter not exceeding half an ounce in weight, conveyed by the post by way of France and the Mediterranean direct, without passing through England, between any part of the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Sark, or Alderney, and any of the ports, countries, or places last aforesaid, when forwarded by the French Mediterranean packet-boats, there shall be paid a rate of British postage of 3 pence.

And that on every letter not exceeding half an ounce in weight, conveyed by the post by way of France between any part of the United Kingdom and the Island of Malta (excepting letters sent direct, without passing through England, between

the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Sark, or Alderney, and Matla, by way of France), when forwarded by British packet-boat via Marseilles, there shall be paid, in addition to any transit rate payable for the transmission of such letters though France, a rate of British postage of 10 pence.

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And that on every letter not exceeding weight, conveyed by the post by way of France direct between any part of the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Sark, or Alderney, and the Island of Malta, without passing through England, when forwarded by British packet-boat via Marseilles, there shall be paid, in addition to any transit rate payable for the transmission of such letters through France, a rate of British postage of 8 pence.

And we direct that it shall be optional with the senders of any such letters as are lastly herein before mentioned to prepay the postage thereof, as well British as Foreign, at the time of posting the same, or not, as they shall think fit.

And we further direct, that on every letter not exceeding an ounce in weight, conveyed by the post between any part of the United Kingdom and any port or place in Egypt or Syria, Turkey, Italy, Greece, the Levant, the Adriatic, the Archipelago, the Black Sea, or any port or place in the Mediterranean, situate to the eastward of Malta (letters sent direct and without passing through England, between the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Sark, or Alderney, and any such ports or places excepted), when forwarded by British packet-boat via Marseilles and the Mediterranean, there shall be paid, in addition to any transit rate payable for the transmission of such letters through France, a rate of British postage of 1 shilling and 3 pence.

And that on every letter not exceeding half an ounce in weight, conveyed by the post direct between any part of the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Sark, or Alderney, and any of the last-mentioned ports or places, without passing through England, when forwarded by British packet-boat vià Marseilles and the Mediterranean, there shall be paid, in addition to any transit rate payable for the transmission of such letters through France, a rate of British postage of 1 shilling and 1 penny.

And that on every letter not exceeding half an ounce in

weight, transmitted by packet-boat (without passing through France) between any port in the United Kingdom (including the Channel Islands) and any port in Turkey, Italy, Greece, Syria, or Egypt, or any port in the Adriatic, the Levant, the Archipelago, the Black Sea, or any port or place in the Mediterranean, situate to the eastward of Malta (Her Majesty's colonies and the East Indies excepted), there shall be paid a rate of British postage, at whatever place within the United Kingdom such letter shall be posted or delivered, of 1 shilling and 6 pence.

And we direct, that it shall be lawful for the PostmasterGeneral to require the whole British and Foreign postage, from time to time payable for the letters lastly herein before mentioned, to be paid by the sender on the tender or delivery of such letters to the post office.

And we further direct, that on every letter not exceeding half an ounce in weight (not being letters transmitted to or from the United Kingdom, or letters on which the rate of 10 pence hereinafter mentioned will be chargeable), conveyed by the post between the Island of Malta and any port or place situate in or upon the Mediterranean Sea, the Adriatic, the Archipelago, the Black Sea, or in Greece, Turkey, Syria, Egypt, Spain, Portugal, or Italy, or in France, in the Mediterranean, or any port upon the northern coast of Africa, there shall be paid one uniform rate of British postage of 5 pence.

And that on every letter not exceeding an ounce in weight (not being letters transmitted to or from the United Kingdom, or letters on which the rate of 10 pence hereinafter mentioned will be chargeable), conveyed by the post between any ports or places in Spain, Portugal, Italy, France (in the Mediterranean), Greece, Turkey, Syria, Egypt, the Black Sea, the Archipelago, the Adriatic, or the Mediterranean, or between one port or place in any such country or sea, and any other port or place in any other such country or sea, all being to the east, or all being to the west, of the Island of Malta, without passing through Malta, there shall be paid a rate of British postage of 5 pence.

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And that on every letter not exceeding weight, conveyed by the post between any of the last-mentioned