July 6.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 2147

6. A letter containing any such documents as aforesaid addressed to the United
   Kingdom, or to any country via the United Kingdom, and bearing on the outside a
   declaration of the value of the contents must be insured.

7. An insured letter must be fully addressed in ink. A letter addressed to initials
   or in pencil shall not be accepted.

8. A receipt on the usual registered-letter receipt form must always be obtained
   by the sender, and on payment of a fee of 2½d. he shall be furnished with an advice
   of delivery obtained in the manner provided.

9. All the seals on an insured letter must be of the same kind of wax, and must
   bear distinct impressions of the same private device. Coins must not be used for
   sealing ; and the device must not consist merely of straight, crossed, or curved lines
   which could readily be imitated.

10. If a letter tendered for insurance does not, in the opinion of the officer of the
    post-office to whom it is tendered, comply with the foregoing conditions as to packing
    and sealing, he shall refuse to insure it. The onus of properly enclosing, packing,
    and sealing any postal packet lies upon the sender; and, notwithstanding the fact
    that it has been insured, no liability shall be assumed by the Postmaster-General for
    loss in respect of that packet if such loss is due to failure on the part of the sender to
    comply with any of the conditions aforesaid.

11. The amount for which an article is insured must be written by the sender both
    in words and in figures at the top of the address side of the cover, thus: "Insured for
    fifteen pounds (£15)." No alteration or erasure of the inscription shall be allowed. If
    a mistake is made, the entry must be completely obliterated and an entirely new one
    made by the sender.

12. A letter cannot be insured for more than its actual value. A letter of which
    the contents have no saleable value may, however, be insured for a nominal sum in order
    to obtain the safeguards of the insurance system ; the fee payable in such a case
    shall be the minimum one of 4d. for inland letters, 6d. for those addressed to the
    United Kingdom, and 8d. for those addressed to other countries via the United
    Kingdom. Insurance in excess of the value of the contents shall bar the payment of
    compensation in respect of any insured letter.

13. The fees payable for insurance, including registration, shall be as follows :—

14. As few stamps as possible shall be used to prepay the postage and insurance
    fee. The stamps must not be folded over the edge of the cover, and when more stamps
    than one are used they must be affixed with spaces between them.

15. Insured letters shall be redirected to any place within New Zealand on the
    same conditions as registered letters. They shall also be redirected to any of the
    countries for which insured letters are accepted, but a fresh insurance fee becomes
    payable for such transmission. If the fee is not prepaid, it shall be collected from the
    addressee on delivery.

16. Compensation for the loss in the post of an insured letter or its contents shall
    not exceed the amount of the actual loss or damage, and shall not be paid for a letter
    containing any prohibited article, or for any letter which has been delivered without
    external trace of injury, and has been accepted without remark; or when loss arises
    from tempest, shipwreck, earthquake, war, or other cause beyond control. No claim
    for compensation shall be admitted if made more than a year after the packet in respect
    of which the claim is preferred was posted.

17. In case of a claim respecting the loss or damage of an insured letter contain-
    ing bank-notes, bonds, coupons, securities, or other similar documents, particulars
    sufficient for the identification of those documents must be furnished.

18. Inland letters containing coin may also be insured, but in such case the coin
    shall be packed so that it cannot move about. The compensation, however, for the loss
    of coin shall in no case exceed £5.

19. No legal liability to give compensation in respect of any letter for which an
    insurance fee has been paid shall attach to the Postmaster-General, either personally
    or in his official capacity. The final decision upon all questions of compensation shall
    rest with the Postmaster-General or the Minister discharging the office of the Post-
    master-General of the country in which the loss has taken place, or shall be referred
    to the postal authorities of such country.

20. Any insurance effected contrary to the foregoing regulations shall be invalid.

J. F. ANDREWS,
Clerk of the Executive Council.