of the law of 1881, namely, 1.10 francs and 5 centimes per gross ton, which is about equivalent to a rate of 1.550 francs and 75 centimes per net ton. The rate of annual decrease has been left at the original figure, which will prolong from two to three years the period during which vessels will have the benefit of the bounty. Iron and steel steamships will enjoy the bounty for twenty-seven and one-half years; wooden steamships for eighteen and one-fourth years; iron and steel sailing yessels for twenty-eight years; wooden sailing vessels for twenty years. The navigation bounty for international coasting trade has been fixed at two-thirds of that of over-sea voyages. Article 12. The commission has reduced to 3 per cent instead of 4 per cent the reserve fund on all bounties instituted in articles 2, 3, 6, and 7 in favor of French sailors or their families victims of shipwreck or other accidents at sea. This reservation, which will produce a result of 350,000 francs or thereabouts, appears to be enough. It has not seemed desirable to accept the amendment of MM. Raspail, Guieysse, Braud, and others of our colleagues who asked that a reserve of 1 per cent should be made for the repair of vessels for the use of naval apprentices, so that they shall receive 500 instead of 300 orphans. This question is not considered here, but it is proposed by its authors to bring it to the notice of the minister of marine. Your commission is in accord now with the Government on the principal points of the project, and it proposes the issue of an order as soon as possible to date, say, from October, to put into effect the law modified as has been indicated. ITALY. 11. ITALIAN. BOUNTY LAW. [Act No. 318, of July 23, 1896.] Humbert I, by the grace of God and the will of the people, King of Italy, the Senate and Chamber of Deputies having approved, we sanction and promulgate the following law: CHAPTER I.-Construction bounties. ARTICLE 1. For a period of ten years from the date of this act there shall be paid as bounties for the construction of vessels in Italian shipyards the following bounties: ART. 2. For merchant vessels for all waters, domestic or foreign, built in Italy, there shall be granted a construction bounty per gross ton measurement of 77 lire for iron or steel vessels and of 17.5 lire for wooden vessels. To obtain this bounty vessels must be in the first class of the Italian register, or similarly classed by recognized foreign classification societies. Naval vessels shall not receive construction bounties, but customs duties paid on foreign material imported for the construction of such vessels, their engines, boilers, and auxiliary apparatus, shall be refunded. The bounty accorded by this article in the case of iron and steel vessels shall be reduced by 10 per cent on vessels in which less than three-fourths of the material of construction are of Italian production. There shall also be a reduction of 15 per cent in the case of vessels equipped with engines and boilers of foreign construction. No bounty shall be paid for the construction of small iron, steel, or wooden vessels for exclusive use in the harbors, rivers, and lakes of Italy. ART. 4. Changes in the construction of a vessel made in Italy, resulting in increased tonnage, shall entitle the vessel to the construction bounty for the increase in gross tonnage thus effected. ART. 5. There shall be granted for ten years from the date of this act a construction bounty for engines and boilers made in Italy for navigation purposes as follows: 12.50 lire per indicated horsepower for engines and 9.50 per quintal for boilers. ART. 6. Auxiliary apparatus not connected with the main engines and boilers constructed in Italy shall receive a construction bounty of 11 lire per quintal. ART. 7. The construction bounties for vessels, engines and boilers, and auxiliary apparatus shall be paid to the constructor, unless otherwise agreed to. ART. 8. Owners of vessels which have received the construction bounties provided for in the foregoing articles, if subsequently transferred to navigation within ports and harbors, will be required to refund interest on the construction bounties received. ART. 9. While this act is in operation certain provisions of the acts of 1872,. 1878, and 1866 shall be suspended. CHAPTER II.-Navigation bounties. ART. 12. There shall be paid navigation bounties to Italian sail and steam vessels as follows: (a) When the voyage extends beyond the Suez Canal or the Strait of Gibraltar, including in the Mediterranean the Sea of Marmora, the Black Sea, the Sea of Azoff, the river Danube, and vice versa. (b) When the voyage is from one Mediterranean port to another, including the Sea of Marmora, the Black Sea, the Sea of Azoff, and the river Danube, not including, however, voyages from one Italian port to another. (c) When the voyage is by a steam vessel engaged in trade from one Italian port to another there shall be paid a navigation bounty for each gross ton per 1,000 nautical miles traversed at the following rates: 1. For voyages under paragraph (a) 80 centessimi for the first three years of the vessel's existence, with a decrease for each triennial period thereafter of 10 centessimi in the case of steam vessels and 15 centessimi in the case of a sail vessel. When, as a result of this gradual reduction, the bounty on a sailing vessel reaches 20 centessimi, it shall be retained at that figure without any further reduction. 2. For voyages under paragraphs (b) and (c) the premium will be two-thirds of that established for paragraph (a). The secretary of the navy may grant an increase of 50 per cent of the navigation bounties to steamships built in Italy which maintain 16 knots speed with full cargo for a period of twelve hours. This additional bounty shall be paid from the appropriation for the navy. ART. 13. The navigation bounties shall be awarded (a) To vessels registered at Italian ports at the date of the promulgation of this law, provided they are of Italian construction. (b) To vessels of Italian construction which may hereafter be registered for the ten years from the promulgation of this law. (c) Foreign-built vessels registered before the 1st of January, 1887. (e) Foreign-built vessels registered between January 1, 1887, and December, 1895, shall receive half the navigation bounties prescribed by article 12. ART. 14. In order to receive the navigation bounties under article 12 vessels must be (1) Recorded as vessels of the first class in the Italian register or some recognized foreign classification society. (2) Of a gross tonnage of not less than 500 tons in the case of steamships and 250 tons in the case of iron or steel sailing vessels and 100 tons in the case of wooden sailing vessels, in order to receive the bounties provided for in paragraph (a) of article 12, and of not less than 100 gross tons in order to receive the bounty provided for in paragraph (b) of article 12. (3) To be entitled to bounty, a steamship must be less than fifteen years old and a sailing vessel less than twenty-one years old. ART. 15. There shall be excluded from navigation bounties yachts and vessels under contract with the Government. ART. 16. The bounty shall be paid from the last port at which cargo was discharged or taken aboard to the port of arrival; the number of miles traversed shall be computed according to the distance traversed between the port of departure and that of entry by the most direct. maritime line. ART. 17. In the case of war, epidemic, or any other unusual event the Government can impress vessels which receive a bounty. ART. 18. Steam vessels receiving navigation bounties shall be required to transport free correspondence and parcels for the Government post-office. CHAPTER III.-Coasting trade between Italian ports. ART. 19. Italian ports are reserved for Italian vessels, except in cases provided for by reciprocity treaties. JAPAN. 12. LAW FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF MERCANTILE MARINE. [October 1, 1896.] ARTICLE 1. Any mercantile company composed of and personally owned by Japanese subjects only, as members and shareholders, which shall engage in the business of the transportation of goods and passengers with ships registered in the list of ships of Japan, either between various ports of Japan or between ports of Japan and those of foreign countries, shall receive money for the development of mercantile marine according to the articles of this law. ART. 2. Ships receiving money for the development of mercantile marine under this law shall be limited to iron or steel vessels of 1,000 tons or more, gross tonnage, and with a speed of 10 or more knots per hour at full pressure, and constructed according to the rules for shipbuilding determined by the minister of state for communications. ART. 3. The owners of ships who desire to receive money for the development of mercantile marine shall procure a certificate in advance from the minister for communications. ART. 4. The following classes of ships may not receive the bonus for the development of the mercantile marine: (1) Ships built in foreign countries which have passed five years since construction before having been registered in the register of the Empire of Japan after the enactment of this law. (2) Ships that have passed fifteen years since construction. (3) Ships traversing regular sea routes under orders from the Imperial Government. ART. 5. Money for the development of the mercantile marine shall be given at the following rates: Ships of 1,000 tons gross tonnage, with a speed at full power of 10 knots per hour, shall receive 25 sen per ton for each thousand miles of sailing distance; and one-tenth of the above sum shall be added for every increase of 500 tons, and two-tenths for every increase of 1 knot per hour. But ships of 6,500 tons or more, or of 18 or more knots per hour at full speed, shall receive money at the rate of ships of 6,000 tons gross tonnage and of 17 knots per hour at full speed. Ships which have not passed five years since construction shall receive the whole amount of the bonus for the development of mercantile marine; but for ships that have passed five years since construction, one-twentieth shall be deducted for every year above five. For the calculation of the bonus to be received for the development of the mercantile marine, fractions of a mile and of a ton shall not be taken into account. ART. 6. The number of knots traversed shall be calculated by the nearest sea routes between the respective ports. In case of foreign-bound vessels touching at various ports of the Empire of Japan en route, the last port of Japan touched at shall be fixed as the starting point of the voyage, and in vessels dispatched from foreign countries calling at various ports of Japan en route the first port of Japan called at shall be considered as the end of the voyage. Certificates of the harbor masters of the various ports touched at shall be shown in proof of the number of knots traversed. ART. 7. The minister of communications, on payment of a proper sum of money, may issue orders to ships which have received a certificate according article 3, and may use the same for purposes of state. Owners of ships who may not be satisfied that the amount of money given as above is just, shall enter complaint in a court of justice within three months from the date of receiving notification as to the remuneration. ART. 8. Owners of ships receiving a certificate according to article 3 shall, at the order of the minister of communications, receive on board at his own expense students of navigtion in the following proportion, receiving remuneration for the same as fixed by the minister of communications: Shis of 1,000 to 2,500 tons, two persons each; ships of 2,500 to 4,000 tons, three persons each; ships of 4,000 tons or more, four persons each. ART. 9. Owners of ships receiving a certificate according to article 3 shall not be allowed to employ foreign employees in the main or branch offices or on board the ships without permission from the minister of communications. But in the event of a vacancy among the employees, caused by death or unavoidable accident, occurring while in a foreign country, the owner may employ a foreigner to fill the vacant position upon receiving the official consent of the harbor master of the port. In the above case the owner or captain of the ship must receive permission from the minister of communications as soon as possible. ART. 10. Owners of ships who shall have received a certificate according to article 3, and have received a bonus for the development of the mercantile marine, shall, in the event of a voyage, at the order of the minister of communications, carry mails and parcel-postal matter, or articles for the use of the postal or parcel-postal service, without charge. ART. 11. Owners of ships, or their successors, who have received a certificate according to article 3, and the bonus for the development of mercantile marine, shall not be permitted, either during the voyage or for three years after the completion of the voyage, to sell, let, pawn, exchange, give away, or borrow money upon the said ship, to or from any foreigner, except the bounty received be first returned, or in case of some unavoidable catastrophe or forcible detention, or in case permission be received from the minister of communications. ART. 12. The minister of communications may issue orders to captains or commanders of vessels in regard to matters which concern the duty of the owners according to this law. ART. 13. Any person who shall obtain the bonus for the development of the merchant marine by an act of fraud, or shall violate article 11, shall be liable to imprisonment for from one to five years and a fine of from 200 to 1,000 yen. Any person who may not have committed the crime, but intended to do so, shall be prosecuted according to the law of intent to violate the criminal law." ART. 14. Any person who shall violate the orders of the minister of communications issued in accordance with this law, or article 9, shall be liable to a fine of from 20 to 500 yen. ART. 15. The procedure of "collective offenses" shall not be used against a person violating this law. ART. 16. In case the owner of any vessel, or, with respect to article 12, any captain or commander, shall violate this law, the bonus for development of the merchant marine may be withheld by the minister of communications. ART. 18. The several articles of this law shall be enforced against the members or managers of the company who are responsible for the transaction of the company's business. ART. 19. This law shall go into effect from October 1, 1896. LAW FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF SHIPBUILDING. ARTICLE 1. Any mercantile company composed of Japanese subjects only as members and shareholders which shall establish a shipyard with the capacity determined by the minister of state for communications, and shall manufacture ships, shall receive money for the encouragement of shipbuilding according to the articles of this law. ART. 2. The ships for which money for the encouragement of shipbuilding may be received according to this law are limited to iron or steel vessels of 700 tons or more gross tonnage, and construction under the direction of and in accordance with the regulations for shipbuilding determined by the minister of communications. ART. 3. The money for the encouragement of shipbuilding shall be given at the rate of 12 yen per ton, gross tonnage, and 20 yen per ton, gross tonnage, for ships of 1,000 tons or more. When the engine is manufactured together with the ship, 5 yen per horsepower shall be added. If the engine be made in another manufactory of Japan, with the previous consent of the minister of communications, the same treatment will be accorded. ART. 4. In the manufacture of ships and engines which are to receive money for the encouragement of shipbuilding, it shall not be allowed to use any article made in foreign countries, except such as may be permitted in the regulations determined by the minister of communications. ART. 5. Any person who shall receive money for the encouragement of shipbuilding by an act of fraud shall be liable to imprisonment for from one to five years, and a fine of from 200 to 1,000 yen, and shall return the bonus fraudulently received. Any person who may not have actually committed the above crime, but shall be guilty of the intent to do so, shall be prosecuted according to the law of "intent to violate the criminal law." ART. 6. The procedure of "collective offenses against the criminal law" shall not be used in the case of a person violating these regulations. ART. 7. The above two articles shall be enforced against the members or managers of the company who are responsible for the transaction of the company's business. ART. 8. This law shall be enforced during fifteen years, from October 1, 1896. SPAIN. 13. SPANISH OCEAN MAIL ACT. Alphonso XIII, by the grace of God and the constitution, King of Spain, and in his name and during his minority the Queen Regent of the Kingdom, To all who may see and hear the present, know: That the Cortes have decreed and we have sanctioned the following: ART. 1. The Government of His Majesty is authorized to include in the budgets for the whole term of the duration of the contract made with the Trans-Atlantic Company, on November 17, 1886, credits for the maximum annual sum of pesetas, 8,445,222.28, for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the maritime postal services, which are the subject of the said contract. ART. 2. The credits mentioned in the preceding article will be distributed among the budgets that are concerned, applying 4,615,782 pesetas to that of the Peninsula; 2,359,183.40 pesetas to that of the island of Cuba; 337,026.20 pesetas to that of the island of Porto Rico, and 1,133,230.67 pesetas to that of the Philippine Islands. ART. 3. The Government is authorized to establish, by agreement with the Argentine Republic, a maritime service to the Rio de la Plata, subsidized by the two governments, providing the convenience and speed which are offered by other foreign services, rendering an account to the Cortes of the contract which may be made. Therefore, We order all tribunals, justices, chiefs, governors, and other authorities, whether civil, military, or ecclesiastical, of whatever class or dignity, to keep and cause to be kept, fulfilled, and executed the present law in all its parts. Given in the palace, this 26th day of June, 1887. The Secretary of the Colonies VICTOR BALAGUER. 14. SPANISH SUBSIDIES FOR 1895. THE QUEEN REGENT. [From report to the British Government.] MINISTRY OF STATE PALACE, June 13, 1895. SIR: The data which your excellency asked for in your note of the 29th ultimo respecting the bounties on navigation and naval construction having been applied for to the treasury, the marine, and the colonial departments. I now have the pleasure to remit to your excellency the accompanying particulars received from the last-named department. Although I trust that the information contained in this statement, which sets forth all the subventions at present contributed by the State to the maritime postal services of the nation, I shall have the greatest pleasure in amplifying these particulars if I am furnished by the ministers of finance and marine with any data which may be of interest. I have, etc., THE DUKE OF TETUAN. Statement of the subventions now granted to the maritime postal services in the colonies and between these and the Peninsula, and return. For the services rendered by the Compania Transatlantica in con- For a further direct monthly service between the Peninsula and For the maritime postal service in the Philippine Archipelago, in For six round journeys in the year to the Marianas and Carolines, Subvention to Messrs. Slenger & Mesa for carrying the mails $1,689, 044. 45 40,000.00 168,067.80 53, 994.00 12,000.00 979.60 |