the aforesaid undertaking. (The aforesaid sum shall be paid in London in pounds sterling.) 2. Besides the aforesaid sum, whatever cash assets the Company may possess in the Company's chests, at the Bank, or its Sarrats. such as bills, bonds, ready cash, and money orders, shall belong to the Company itself, as well as the tumbaku which has beet purchased for the exterior, with its necessary packing materia existing at the Agencies at Tabreez, Nashan, Ispahan, Shiran or belongs to the Company and is its property. 3. After payment of the aforesaid 500,000l., the Company sha hand over to the Representatives of the Persian Government the whole of its remaining property, such as tumbaku for the interior, the garden and house known as the Ilkhani, situated at Tehran, the furniture and effects existing at Tehran and other agencies of the Company, and the machinery and the necessaries for the manufacture of tootoon and tumbaku; and the Company engages to prove to a person to be appointed to the satisfaction of the Persian Government and the British Minister Plenipotentiary that the property handed over to the Persian Government has cost the Company 139,000l.; the approval of that person shall be final, aud the deficiency shall be immediately paid to the Persian Government in cash. 4. The agents of the Corporation shall submit to the Representatives of the Persian Government statements of the quantities and qualities of tumbaku at their agencies, and the exterior and interior tumbaku shall be separated in that statement, and separate statements of both kinds shall be submitted, and inventories of all the Company's property, such as furniture, machinery, and the necessaries for the manufacture of tumbaku and its packing, shail be submitted to the Representatives of the Persian Government. except the necessaries for the packing of the export tumbaku, which are the property of the Company itself. 5. After the payment of the 500,000l. aforesaid the PersiaL Government engages, within the space of three months, to take over the assets of the Company which become the property of the Persian Government. In the event of delay on the part of the Persian Government in taking over the aforesaid assets, the expenses of the Company shall be paid to the Company to 11 extent not exceeding 2,000l. per mensem, up to the last day of the taking over. 6. Besides the sum of 139,000l. worth of existing assets aforesaid, the Company shall hand over to the Representatives of the Persian Government, as agreed upon, the amount of 15,000% wort: of shares of the Régie Company, in order that they should be handed over to Major Talbot in lieu of money advanced. Dated the 5th Ramazan, the year of the Whale 1309 of the jreb, at Tehran. (L.S.) AMIN-ES-SULTAN. (In the Shah's autograph): It is approved. (Inclosure 3.)-Sir F. Lascelles to the Amin-es-Sultan. TESSE, Tehran, April 5, 1892. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Highness' te of the 3rd instant, transmitting an Agreement for cancelling e Concession granted to the Imperial Tobacco Corporation of rsia, and providing for the cessation of its business, both these cuments bearing the autograph approval of His Imperial Majesty e Shab. I have the satisfaction of informing your Highness that this greement has been approved by Her Majesty's Government and cepted by the Corporation, and in order to meet the wishes xpressed by your Highness I have the honour to transmit herewith duplicate copy of the Agreement bearing my seal and signature. I have, &c., The Amin-es-Sultan. FRANK C. LASCELLES. No. 148.-Sir F. Lascelles to the Marquess of Salisbury.-(Received (Telegraphic.) May 15.) Tehran, May 15, 1892. THE Agreement between the Persian Government and the Bank was signed yesterday evening by the Shah, the Amin-es-Sultan, the Persian Minister for Foreign Affairs, and M. Rabino as representative of the Bank. I added my signature in the capacity of witness. The bonds, to the number of forty, have been given to M. Rabino, and they bind the Persian Government to pay interest on them from this day's date. As, however, the Bank is unable to claim payment of interest until the money has been paid, it has been proposed by the Amin-es-Sultan that the amount which will have accrued between to day and the day on which payment is made shall be handed over to the Tobacco Corporation on condition that they immediately commence operations for making over the assets. This proposal has been submitted by M. Ornstein to the liquidators. The Shah has appointed the Moukber-ed-Dowleh, K.C.I.E., as the person to take over the assets and to name some person who shall, it conjunction with myself, ascertain, from inspection of the Corporation's books, that they have spent 139,000l. on the assets which are to be handed over to the Persian Government by them. Fo this post M. Rabino has been suggested, and his appointment i agreed to by the Amin-es-Sultan and the Mouk ber-ed-Dowleh, an is approved by M. Ornstein. M. Rabino is prepared to accept th post provided that he receives permission from his Directors. CORRESPONDENCE between the Governments of France an the United States, on the subject of Liberia (Independent Boundary, French Treaty, &c.).—1891-1893. (Translation.) No. 1.-M. Desprez to Mr. Blaine. Legation of the French Republic in the United States, MR. SECRETARY OF STATE, Washington, November 3, 1891 By virtue of various Treaties confirming, for the most par previous Treaties concluded with the Chiefs of the country of th Ivory Coast, all the portion of that coast comprehended betwee the Lahou and the River Cavally is placed under the sovereignty c under the Protectorate of France. In conformity with the regulations of Article XXXIV of th General Act of the Berlin Conference,* I have the honour to mak known to you the Treaties in question, which have been ratified by Decree of the President of the Republic, dated the 3rd August 1891, and the enumeration of which is as follows: 1. Treaty concluded with Cokoi, King of the territories of Moyen Lahou, the 30th August, 1890. 2. Treaty concluded with Yéré, King of Fresco, the 31st August, 1890. 3. Treaty concluded with Akala, King of Grand Drewin, the 25th October, 1890. 4. Treaty concluded with Ojra, King of Petit-Lahou, the Sta April, 1891. 5. Treaty concluded with Loffé, King of Kotron, the 12th Apri 1891. 6. Treaty concluded with Levis, King of Grand Trépon, or Frepoint, the 16th April, 1891. 7. Treaty concluded with Toco, King of Trépon, the 16th Apr, 1891. 8. Treaty concluded with the Kings of Grand and Petit Drew, Dateko, and Bassa, and Akala and Kagé, the 21st April, 1891. * Vol. LXXVI, page 4. 9. Treaty concluded with Buggery, King of Sassandra (St. dré), the 22nd April, 1891. 10. Treaty concluded with Mani, King of the country situated tween the River Cavally and the River San Pedro, the 24th April, 91. 11. Treaty concluded with Kougoua, King of San Pedro, the 'th May, 1891. G. Blaine, Esq. Accept, &c., P. DESPREZ. No. 2.—M. Patenôtre to Mr. Blaine. Translation.) Legation of the French Republic in the United States, MR. SECRETARY OF STATE, Conformably to the provisions of Article XXXIV of the General Act of the Berlin Conference, I have the honour to notify you, by direction of my Government, the Treaties in question which have been ratified by Decree of the President of the Republic, the 6th September, 1891, and the list of which is as follows: 1. Treaty concluded with Yacabi, King of Little Drewin, the 25th April, 1891. 2. Treaty concluded with Same, King of Roctown, the 26th April, 1891. 3. Treaty concluded with Traga, King of Victory and of the villages Bokiou, Douaondé, and Dezah, the 27th April, 1891. 4. Treaty concluded with James, or Djemma, King of Victory (village of Noumery), the 27th April, 1891. 5. Treaty concluded with the Chiefs Wobery and Meat Bati, of the villages of Douaondé and Bokiou, the 28th April, 1891. 6. Treaty concluded with Blabeloy, King of the village of Cavally (rive gauche), Blicrow by name, the 5th May, 1891. 7. Treaty concluded with Hyrie, King of Grand Basha (village of Boutlé), the 7th May, 1891. 8. Treaty concluded with Tagui, and Guié, Kings of Tahou, the 9th May, 1891. J. G. Blaine, Esq. Accept, &c., PATENÔTRE. SIR, No. 3.-Mr. Blaine to Mr. Coolidge * Department of State, Washington, June 4, 1892. I INCLOSE a copy of a note from the Minister of France of the 26th January last, by which, referring to and continuing M. Desprez' note of the 3rd November last,† a copy of which I also inclose, M. Patenôtre informs me of the conclusion of recent Treaties with certain Chiefs of the African Ivory Coast, by which their territories have been placed under the protection of France, He states, also, that this notification is made in conformity with the provisions of Article XXXIV of the General Act of the Conference of Berlin. Under these circumstances a few pertinent observations on the part of this Government appear absolutely necessary. Until the United States shall, by subsequent accession to and ratification of the General Act of the Conference of Berlin in the manner therein provided, become a party to the stipulations thereof, it will be impossible to determine the due and proper weight to be given by this Government to the declaration and claim which is thus announced. Not only does the notification carry with it no present constraint upon the United States to recognize and acquiesce in the claims so put forth; but, if the facts are correctly apprehended, and if, as appears, the Protectorate claimed by France invades the sovereign jurisdiction of the Republic of Liberia, the Government of the United States could not fail to feel the deepest concern and make earnest remonstrance against such encroachment. Since 1846, when the territory comprised within the State of Maryland was ceded to Liberia by the native Chiefs, the eastern boundary of the Republic has been recognized as extending to the San Pedro River. The Protectorate M. Patenôtre now announces on the part of France extends westward from the San Pedro River to Cavally River, an important stream which empties into the ocean some 65 miles further west, and embraces the Berreby territory. The Government of France cannot be unaware of the lively interest which the United States have in the welfare of Liberia. The fact has been made known on repeated occasions. On the 13th January, 1886, when it was reported that a French claim of jurisdiction westward of San Pedro River had been set up, my predecessor in office instructed the United States' Minister to France as follows: "We exercise no protectorate over Liberia, but the circumstance |