j\— 8.

[Teanslation.] Befebring to your letter of the 9th April last, I have the honour to inform you that I am only able to confirm the information conveyed to you on the 23rd January last, intimating the impossibility of delivering without surcharge to addressees in Tunis letters originating in New Zealand which are prepaid at the rate of Id. per half-ounce. I regret being unable to accept your proposition.

No. 141. The Under-Secketaey of State for Posts and Telegraphs, Paris, to the Hon. the Postmastee-Geneeal, Wellington. Monsieue,— Paris, le 25 Mai, 1901. Vous avez bien voulu, par votre lettre dv 9 Avril dernier, me prier d'examiner de nouveau s'il ne serait pas possible a mon office de faire distribuer sans taxe, les lettres originaires de la Nouvelle-Zelande, affranchies a raison de 1 penny par 15 grammes ou fraction de 15 grammes. Un nouvel examen de cette question n'a fait que confirmer la maniere de voir exposee dans ma lettre dv 15 Janvier dernier. II m'est, en effet, impossible par suite dcs dispositions reglementaires de mon administration, d'accepter, quant a present, vos propositions et je vous en exprime tous mes regrets. Veuillez agreer, &c, Pour le Sous-Secretaire d'Etat dcs Postes et dcs Telegraphes : Le Directeur de l'Exploitation Postale, Jacobey. Monsieur le Maitre-G&ie'ral dcs Postes de la Nouvelle-Zelande, a Wellington.

[Teanslation.] You were good enough in your letter of the 9th April last to request me to again examine whether it would not be possible for my office to undertake delivery without surcharge of letters originating in New Zealand prepaid at Id. per 15 grammes or fraction thereof. A further examination of the question has only caused the confirmation of the view previously expressed in the letter of the 15th January last. In fact, it is quite impossible, in consequence of the regulations of my Administration, to accept for the present your propositions, and I beg to express my regret therefor.

No. 142. The Dibector-General of Posts, Rio de Janeiro, to the Hon. the Postmastee-Geneeal, Wellington. Directoria Geral dos Correios, Rio de Janeiro, 30 de Maio, de 1901. Se. Dieectoe-Geeal, — Em resposta ao vosso officio, de 9 de Abril ultimo, no qual propondes a. esta Directoria que seja feita a entrega das cartas-penny, procedentes da Nova-Zelandia, sem sobre taxa, tenho a honra de vos declarar que o caso c igual ao que ja for respondido em meu officio No. 6, de 12 de Janeiro do corrente anno, por isso que, nao podendo o Correio Brazileiro acquiescer a reciprocidade da reduccao de taxa proposta, nao pode outrosim dispensar a cobranca da insufficiencia, que the pertence, ex-vi do No. 3 do Art. 5 da Conven9ao principal de Washington c que constitue uma parte de suo renda, conforme o Art. 34, do Eegulamento postal do meu paiz. Altm disso, c minha opiniao que a taxa postal internacional nao pode ser modificada a arbitrio desta Directoria, porquanto c ella firrna da por urn acto do Congresso Postal, a que todos os paizes adherentes tern de obedecer. Reitero-vos, &c, O Director-Geral, Sr. Director-Geral dos Correios da Nova-Zelandia em Wellington.

[Teanslation.] In reply to your letter of the 9th April last, in which you proposed to this Direction that letters originating in New Zealand should be delivered without surcharge, I beg to inform you that the case remains the same as when dealt with in my reply of the 12th January of the current year, in which the Brazilian office stated that it could not acquiesce in any mutual reduction of charges, nor could it dispense with the surcharge in case postage were not at rates given at paragraph 3 of Article 5 of the principal Convention of Washington, which forms part of the Post Office Regulations of this country (Article 34). I should, moreover, remark that, in my opinion, the international postal charges cannot be modified arbitrarily by this direction, because they are fixed by an Act of a Post Office Congress which all adhering countries are obliged to obey.

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