April 15.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 477

though it be sealed, although if they do so they must
again tie up the packet.
(3.) A book packet may contain any number of separate
books or other publications (including printed or litho-
graphed letters intended for transmission in identical
terms to several persons), photographs (when not on
glass or in cases containing glass or such-like sub-
stance), drawings, engravings, prints, or maps, and
any quantity of paper, parchment, or vellum; and
the books or other publications, prints, maps, &c.,
may be either printed, written, engraved, lithographed,
or plain, or any mixture of these. Further, all legiti-
mate binding, mounting, or covering of a book, &c.,
or of a portion thereof, is allowed, whether such
binding, &c., be loose or attached; as also rollers in
the case of prints or maps; markers (whether of
paper or otherwise) in the case of books; pens or
pencils in the case of pocket-books, &c. ; and, in
short, whatever is necessary for the safe transmission
of such articles, or usually appertains thereto.
(4.) A book packet may also comprise bills of lading,
printed catalogues, manuscript of books or pamphlets
(if plainly superscribed as such, together with the
name of the sender), music (written or printed, and,
in the case of proof-sheets, manuscript corrections),
paintings, packets containing defaced postage-stamps,
wedding-cake if packed in a cardboard box, pass-
books, printed placards, printers' proofs (marked as
such on the covers), scrip, deeds, policies of assurance,
insurance policies, filled-in forms of insurance and
assurance proposals (and other printed documents
connected therewith), plans, powers of attorney,
specifications, prospectuses, returns (if filled in in
accordance with the printed headings, and without
note or any comment whatever), invoices, legal docu-
ments, recognizances, drafts, trade circulars, prices
current, valentines, Christmas, New Year's, birthday,
or any festival cards, without writing, and, in fact,
any written or printed matter not of the character of
an actual and personal correspondence.
(5.) Press manuscript intended for publication is not re-
garded as actual and personal correspondence, pro-
vided the packet bears the words " Press Manuscript,"
and is addressed to the office of any newspaper pub-
lished within the colony. If posted in accordance
with the foregoing directions, press manuscript will be
permitted to pass at book-packet rates of postage.
(6.) No book packet may contain anything which is sealed
or otherwise closed against inspection; nor must there
be any letter, nor any communication of the nature
of a letter, whether separate or otherwise, unless the
whole of such letter or communication be printed.
Entries, however, merely stating who sends the book,
&c., or to whom it is given, are not regarded as a
letter. Indeed, as respects the name and address of
the sender, not only is the writing permitted, but it is
even recommended; so that if the cover come off, or
for any other reason the packet cannot be forwarded,
it may be returned. A book may also contain a manu-
script dedication, or a complimentary inscription from
the author, or the name of the sender may be written.
Passages in the text to which it is desired to call
attention may be marked with a simple stroke.
(7.) No book packet must exceed two feet in length, or one
foot in width or depth, nor must it exceed five pounds
in weight; and if any such packet be presented at a
Post Office it will not be received without the special
permission of the Secretary.
(8.) If a packet be posted not open at the ends or sides, or
contains any letter or any communication of the
nature of a letter written in it, or upon its cover,
whether closed or open, or any enclosure sealed or
otherwise closed against inspection, or any other
unauthorized enclosure, the packet will be charged
double letter postage less postage affixed, and for-
warded to its address.

Foreign.

(1.) The postage to the Australian Colonies, India, the
United Kingdom, Canada and other British-American
places, the United States of America, and for all other
foreign places, is given in the Table of Rates of Post-
age published in the Postal and Telegraph Guide
No. 50, of 1st April, 1886.
(2.) The conditions under which foreign book packets may
be sent through the post, and the articles which shall
and shall not be accepted, are in the main the same
as given in sections (2), (3), (4), (6), and (7) of the Inland
Book Post Regulations, except that the extreme limit
of weight of a packet for countries in the Postal
Union (not including the United Kingdom and India)
is four pounds; and for New South Wales, Queens-
land, and Fiji the maximum weight is three pounds.

There are other limitations which will be found in the
table of rates.
(3.) If a packet be posted not open at the ends or sides, or
contain any letter, or any communication of the
nature of a letter written in it, or upon its cover,
whether closed or open, or any enclosure sealed or
otherwise closed against inspection, or any other
unauthorized enclosure, the packet will be dealt with
as directed in the following section.
(4.) If a book packet for the countries and colonies named
in section (1) be not sufficiently prepaid with stamps,
but nevertheless bear stamps of the value of one rate,
it is forwarded charged with the deficient postage,
together with a fine of an additional rate of fourpence
in all cases. Books and parcels for France are dealt
with as stated in the foot-note after the Rates of Post-
age. Books for all other countries and places named
in the table of rates of postage, to which prepayment
is compulsory and which are irregularly posted or not
fully prepaid, are detained, and the addresses adver-
tised for one month on a list outside the Post Office,
and if not released they are then sent to the Dead
Letter Office for disposal.
All bonâ fide printed or lithographed matter enclosed in
envelopes entirely open at one end or side, or having the fly
turned inside instead of gummed over in the usual manner,
so that the contents may be examined without cutting or
tearing the envelope, is permitted to pass through the post
at book-post rates.
Trade and professional accounts passing between creditor
and debtor cannot pass at book rates of postage, but must
be prepaid as letters.
Legal documents include acts or deeds of all kinds drawn
up by public functionaries, copies or extracts of deeds under
private seal, and in general all manuscript, legal papers, and
documents which have not the character of an actual and
personal correspondence.
It is the duty of Postmasters, whenever they have ground
for suspecting an infringement of any of the above con-
ditions, and occasionally even where there is no ground for
suspicion, to open and examine book packets posted at or
passing through their offices.
To prevent obstacles to the regular transmission of letters,
a Postmaster may, when necessary, delay forwarding any
book packet until the following despatch.
The main business of the Post Office being the transmis-
sion of letters, the forwarding of book packets and news-
papers (which no one is compelled to send through the Post
Office), though an important, is only a secondary object, for
which no arrangement can be made which would interfere
with the quick and regular conveyance and delivery of
letters. Books and packets, therefore, which would be
injured by being thrust into a bag and hurriedly pressed
down like a bundle of letters, should not be sent through
the post.

MAGAZINE POST.

Magazines and other similar publications are received and
forwarded through the post, for delivery within the colony,
at the reduced rate of postage hereinafter mentioned, and
subject to the following conditions :—
(1.) Every such serial must be first approved by the Post-
master-General for despatch as a magazine.
(2.) Every magazine must be sent in a cover entirely open
at the ends, with the words "Magazine Post" printed
or written on the address side of the cover. In addi-
tion to the address, the name of the sender may also
appear on the cover.
(3.) No magazine can exceed sixteen ounces in weight.
(4.) Only one publication, and of that a single copy, can
be enclosed in a cover.
The rate of postage is one halfpenny for every two ounces
or fraction of two ounces.
Insufficiently prepaid magazines are surcharged double
the deficiency; and wholly unpaid and irregularly posted
magazines must be treated in the same manner as detained
book packets.

NEWSPAPERS.

1. All newspapers published in the colony, whether for
   sale or for gratuitous distribution, and registered at the
   General Post Office for transmission by post, may either be
   forwarded like other printed matter under the regulations of
   the book post, or may be transmitted within the colony on
   payment of a postage rate of one halfpenny each in postage
   stamps, and to places beyond the colony at the rates set forth
   in the Postal Guide.
   Registration for inland circulation includes registration
   for transmission abroad. The conditions of registration are
   as follow, viz. :—
   (1.) The publication shall consist wholly or in great part
   of political or other news, or of articles relating
   thereto or to other current topics, with or without
   advertisements.