which has occurred in carrying them out to the absence of regular and frequent communications between Mozambique and Beira; but notwithstanding this I will press for a repetition of the orders, adding thereto the communication made to me by your Excellency in the name of the British Government, that the owners of the vessels are willing, in the event of the detention being due to the non-payment of the duty, to enter into an engagement beforehand as to effecting the payment in question, subject, however, to the judgment to be given by the proper Courts. Sir G. Petre. I avail, &c., J. V. BARBOZA DU BOCAGE. No. 215.-Sir G. Petre to the Marquess of Salisbury.—(Received MY LORD, May 28.) Lisbon, May 25, 1891. IN my despatch of the 21st instant I had the honour to transmit to your Lordship copies of two notes which I had addressed to the Portuguese Minister for Foreign Affairs on the subject of the continued detention of the British steam-ship the Countess of Carnarvon by the Portuguese authorities at Lourenço Marques, and the decision of the Judge at that port to the effect that, failing the payment of the fine and duty imposed upon the vessel, she should be sold in ten days. I have now the honour to inclose a translation of a note which I have received from Senhor du Bocage in reply to the above-mentioned notes, stating that, in order to provide for all eventualities, orders have been sent to suspend the auction of the vessel until further orders. His Excellency adds that the Portuguese authorities have been called upon to report as to the delivery to a Portuguese official of a bond for 2,000l. on the occasion of the landing of the arms conveyed up the Limpopo by the Countess of Carnarvon. The Marquess of Salisbury. I have, &c., GEORGE G. PETRE. (Inclosure.)-Senhor du Bocage to Sir G. Petre. (Translation.) Foreign Department, Lisbon, In reply to the notes which your Excellency addressed to me on the 19th and 20th instant, with reference to the detention at Lourenço Marques of the English steamer Countess of Carnarvon, I lose no time in stating to your Excellency that I acquainted the Minister of Marine and of the Colonies with this matter, and that orders have been sent in the sense desired by the British Government. The first of the two notes above mentioned had reference to the offers made by the British Vice-Consul, and as those offers could not but be in the sense of guaranteeing the payment of the fine in order to obtain the release of the vessel, for this reason the Governor of the district was authorized to cause the vessel to be released in case the British Vice-Consul should guarantee the payment of the fine. By this means the wishes expressed by your Excellency would be satisfied. As it is possible, however, that such might not have been the offer made by the Vice-Consul, and referred to in your Excellency's note of the 19th instant, and in order to provide for all eventualities, orders were sent that, in any case, the vessel should not be put up to auction until further orders; moreover, a detailed report has been asked for with respect to the delivery, to a Portuguese authority, of a bond for 2,000l. on the occasion of the landing of the arms conveyed by the Countess of Carnarvon. Sir G. Petre. I avail, &c., J. V. BARBOZA DU BOCAGE . No. 221. Sir G. Petre to the Marquess of Salisbury.-(Received June 6.) MY LORD, Lisbon, June 3, 1891. YESTERDAY the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Count Valbom, presented to the Chamber of Deputies the bases of the proposed Convention initialled by your Lordship and M. de Soveral on the 28th ultimo, together with a Bill authorizing the Government to sign and ratify a Treaty between Portugal and Great Britain in conformity with those bases. His Excellency at the same time laid a White Book, one copy of which I forward to your Lordship to-day by post, containing the correspondence and documents having reference to the negotiations which have taken place since the month of October last for a fresh Treaty, and also the modus vivendi, and to the various incidents and conflicts which have occurred in the interval in the Province of Mozambique. The presentation of these documents was accompanied by a Ministerial Report, of which I have the honour to inclose a translation. The reading of the bases of the Treaty was listened to in silence, and gave rise to no observations or demonstration of any kind. They were referred to the Committees of Colonial, Foreign Affairs, and Finance, which are to meet to-day for the purpose of considering them and reporting to the Chamber. It is stated that Major Carlos du Bocage, who is a Deputy, has been chosen as Reporter. That the Committees will act promptly and will recommend the ratification of the bases is a foregone conclusion, and a similar communication will then be made by the Ministry to the House of Peers. The same unanimity of feeling in regard to the expediency of signing as quickly as possible a Convention with Great Britain in the terms agreed upon in London, which is reported by Mr. Crawfurd in his despatch to me of the 2nd instant as prevalent in the north, exists here to the full extent. To any one who was a witness, as I was, of the popular excitement and indignation to which the Treaty of the 20th August gave rise in the month of September last, the change that has come over public opinion in regard to the settlement of the differences with England is very striking and remarkable. The fact is, the bitter experiences of the last eight months, and the present deplorable financial and industrial condition of the country, have opened the eyes of all classes to the fact that Portugal committed an enormous error in rejecting the Treaty of the 20th August, and that an error of that nature cannot be repeated with impunity. I may describe the present state of feeling generally in regard to the, arrangement with England as one of relief and satisfaction. The Marquess of Salisbury. I have, &c., GEORGE G. PETRE. No. 229.-Sir G. Petre to the Marquess of Salisbury.-(Received (Extract.) June 16.) Lisbon, June 11, 1891. I HAVE the honour to inclose the Anglo-Portuguese Treaty which was signed this day at the Foreign Ministry by Count Valbom, the Portuguese Minister for Foreign Affairs, and myself, after collation with the bases initialled in London on the 28th ultimo by your Lordship and M. de Soveral. These bases having been approved, as I have already had the honour of informing you, by the Chamber of Deputies on the 8th instant, were also approved by the House of Peers yesterday evening by a very large majority. The Law authorizing the signature and ratification of the Treaty was sanctioned by the Council of State, and signed by the King this morning. I inclose copies also of the notes exchanged between Count Valbom and myself after we had signed the Treaty. The Marquess of Salisbury. GEORGE G. PETRE. (Inclosure 1.)—Treaty between Great Britain and Portugal, signed at Lisbon, June 11, 1891. [See page 27.] (Inclosure 2.)-Count de Valbom to Sir G. Petre. (Translation.) Lisbon, June 11, 1891. THE Undersigned, His Most Faithful Majesty's Minister for Foreign Affairs, formally declares, with reference to the wish expressed by Her Britannic Majesty's Government, that he will lease for the term of ninety-nine years, to persons named by the British Government, land at the Chinde mouth of the Zambezi, to be used under special regulations, for the landing, storage, and transhipment of goods. Sites, price, and regulations will be arranged by three Commissioners, to be named one by each of the two Governments. and the third by a neutral Power to be selected by them. In case of difference of opinion among the Commissioners, the decision of the majority to be final. The Portuguese Government trust that the British Government will have no hesitation in granting, whenever an application to that effect may be addressed to it, to persons named by the Portuguese Government, land under identic conditions, and for an identic purpose, at a point on the south-west shore of Lake Nyasa, which may, by agreement between the two Governments, be deemed adequate for that object. I avail, &c., Sir G. Petre. COUNT DE VALBOM. (Inclosure 3.)-Sir G. Petre to Count de Valbom. M. LE MINISTRE, Lisbon, June 11, 1891. I AM instructed by Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to inform your Excellency that Her Majesty's Government, in conformity with the desire expressed by the Portuguese Government, undertake on their demand to lease for ninety-nine years, to persons named by them, land in some spot on the south-western coast of Lake Nyasa, to be agreed upon between the two Governments, on similar conditions and for similar purposes as the land which the Portuguese Government undertake to lease for ninety-nine years to persons named by Her Majesty's Government at the Chinde mouth of the Zambezi, to be used under regulations for the landing, storage, and transhipment of goods. The sites, price, and regulations to be arranged by three Commis sioners, to be named one by each of the two Governments, and the third by a neutral Power to be selected by them. Count de Valbom. I avail, &c., GEORGE G. PETRE. (Inclosure 4.).-Sir G. Petre to the Count de Valbom. M. LE MINISTRE, Lisbon, June 11, 1891. In view of the great importance, in the interests of British and Portuguese commerce, of an easy and economical means of transport between the sphere of influence reserved to Great Britain on the south of the Zambezi and the sea-coast, I am instructed to state that it would be satisfactory to Her Majesty's Government if you could give me an assurance that the traffic rates to be charged on the railway to be constructed under Article XIV of this Convention shall not be unreasonably in excess of the proportionate rates per mile charged on other railway systems in South Africa. I avail, &c., Count de Valbom. GEORGE G. PETRE. (Inclosure 5.)-Count de Valbom to Sir G. Petre. (Translation.) YOUR EXCELLENCY, Lisbon, June 11, 1891. THE Undersigned, His Most Faithful Majesty's Minister for Foreign Affairs, formally declares, with reference to the wish expressed by the British Government, that the tariff rates of the railway to be constructed in compliance with Article XIV of the Treaty signed to-day should not be excessive, that it is the intention of the Portuguese Government that the tariff rates on the railway in question should be moderate, and on a par with those of other African railways, without prejudice to the capital employed, and to certain other circumstances which must be had in consideration. I avail, &c., Sir G. Petre. COUNT DE VALBOM. (Inclosure 6.)-Count de Valbom to Sir G. Petre. (Translation.) YOUR EXCELLENCY, Lisbon, June 11, 1891. THE Undersigned, His Most Faithful Majesty's Minister for Foreign Affairs, agrees, with reference to the wish expressed by Her Britannic Majesty's Government, that the importation of ardent spirits to either bank of the Zambezi and Shiré, by those rivers, whether on the Portuguese or British sphere of influence, shall be |