The telegraph manual: a complete history and description of the semaphoric, electric and magnetic telegraphs of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, ancient and modern.

ENGLISH INTERNATIONAL TARIFF. 795
six, &c., are to be counted in syllables, and to be charged at the rate of
seven syllables, per word; the overplus, if any, to be charged as one
word. but if written separately, as twenty four, thirty six, &c., they must
be charged as two words. This rule is also applicable to compound
numbers, as one eighth, three sixteenths, &c.
5. In secret (government cipher) dispatches, all the signs are counted
together, and the sum divided by five; the result shows the number of
words-the overplus to be charged as one word.
NOTE.-Secret or cipher dispatches can be sent by Governments only.
Words inserted in secret dispatches count as such.
The signs of interpunction in secret, as in other dispatches, are not
reckoned.
6. In all messages, the words comprised in the name and address of
the receiver, when they do not exceed five in number, can be sent free
of charge. Should the number of words in the receiver's name and
address exceed five, the extra words are to be counted and charged for.
The name and address (if any) of the sender are still to be counted
and charged for as at present.
When the answer to a message is prepaid, and such answer does not
exceed ten words (exclusive of the five words allowed for the name
and address of the receiver) such answer to be one half of the usual
rates only.
When a message is received from the Continent, bearing notice that
the sender has paid for a reply of ten or more words (exclusive of the
usual five free words in address to) a note to the following effect must be
inserted on the delivery form: " Answer of words prepaid by
sender-to be sent within five days." Should the sender of reply wish to
send more words than the number prepaid, he must pay as for a new
dispatch, and be informed that the deposit left by sender of original
message will be returned to him
7. Syllables, such as " Vana Van-der,7 " de," le" " 17, " s7 " St
and the like, which precede proper names or words, are counted as separate words.
8. The instructionsfor forwarding messages to places beyond the termini
of the telegraph lines, the instructions for "Repetition," "Answer paid
for," "Acknowledgment of receipt paid for," &c., are not charged.
9. Dispatches addressed to different stations, containing the same subject-matter, are counted as separate messages; but, in such cases, every
separate message is charged according to the aggregate number of words,
including address and name.
Dispatches addressed to more than one person in the same town, and
containing the same subject-matter, are counted as one message. All the
addresses are reckoned, and for every copy after the first, a charge of
eighteen pence is made.
10. Should the sender of a message wish to prove his identity to his
correspondent, he can do so by first proving it to the officials at the
original station, and by paying an additional sum of 60 cent. (Is.). The
words "Identity proved" are then to be inserted. and telegraphed
immediately after the address of the message.
11 Half the usual rate is charged for repeating messages for the senders at the time the messages are sent; but should they wish to
have them repeated afterward, the whole rate must be charged. At the
beginning of such dispatch, the words "'Repetition paid for" are to be
signaled without charge.