FRENCH NOTIFICATION of the Extension of the Treaty with Japan of August 4, 1896, to certain French Colonies.* -Paris, March 31, 1900. Aux termes de deux notes échangées, les 9 et 13 Février dernier, entre le Ministre de la République Française à Tokyo et son Excellence le Vicomte Aoki, Ministre des Affaires Etrangères du Japon, le bénéfice des dispositions du Traité conclu, le 4 Août, 1896,† entre la France et le Japon, a été étendu, conformément à l'Article XXII de ce Traité, aux Colonies de Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, de la Martinique, de la Guadeloupe, de la Guyane et de l'Inde Française. NOTES exchanged between Sweden and Bulgaria, granting Most-favoured-nation Treatment for Commerce and Navigation.-Constantinople, December 27, 1900 January 8, 1900 Légation de Suède et de Norvège, Constantinople, le 8 Janvier, 1900 27 Décembre, 1899 LE Soussigné, Ministre Plénipotentiaire de Suède et Norvège à Constantinople, dûment autorisé à cet effet par son Gouvernement, a l'honneur de déclarer à M. l'Agent Diplomatique de la Principauté de Bulgarie en cette ville que les marchandises de provenance Bulgare, à leur importation en Suède, seront soumises au même. traitement dont jouissent les provenances des pays les plus favorisés, à la condition que les marchandises et la navigation Suédoises en Bulgarie soient également traitées comme celles des nations les plus favorisées. Le présent arrangement commercial, qui ne s'applique pas aux concessions accordées ou qui pourront être accordées par la Suède à la Norvège, tant qu'elles ne seront étendues à aucun autre État, entrera en vigueur à partir d'audjourd'hui et aura force pour la durée d'un an. Il pourra être renouvelé d'une année à l'autre, chacune des deux Parties Contractantes se réservant le droit de le dénoncer trois mois avant l'expiration de chaque année. STEENBOCK. * "Journal Officiel," March 31, 1900. Agence Diplomatique de la Principauté de Bulgarie, LE Soussigné, Agent Diplomatique de la Principauté de Bulgarie à Constantinople, a l'honneur d'accuser la réception de la note de ce jour par laquelle M. le Ministre Plénipotentiaire de Suède et de Norvège en cette ville a bien voulu l'informer que les marchandises de provenance Bulgare, à leur importation en Suède, seront soumises au même traitement dont jouissent les provenances des pays les plus favorisés, à la condition que les marchandises et la navigation Suédoises en Bulgarie soient également traitées comme celles des nations les plus favorisées. Prenant acte de cette communication et dûment autorisé par son Gouvernement, le Soussigné s'empresse de déclarer que les marchandises et la navigation Suédoises seront traitées en Bulgarie comme celles des nations les plus favorisées. Le présent arrangement commercial, qui ne s'applique pas aux concessions accordées ou qui pourront être accordées par la Suède à la Norvège, tant qu'elles ne seront étendues à aucun autre État, entrera en vigueur à partir d'aujourd'hui et aura force pour la durée d'un an. Il pourra être renouvelé d'une année à l'autre, chacune des deux Parties Contractantes se réservant le droit de le dénoncer trois mois avant l'expiration de chaque année. Le Soussigné saisit, &c. I. S. GUÉCHOFF. DECLARATION explanatory of Articles IV and V of the Treaty of Navigation between Spain and Sweden and Norway of May 15, 1883, relative to the Salvage of Shipwrecked and Abandoned Vessels.-Signed at Madrid, July 13, 1900. (Translation.). IN consequence of the subordinate officials having on various occasions interpreted Article IV of the Treaty of Navigation between Spain and Sweden and Norway of the 15th May, 1883,* in such a sense as to deprive shipwrecked, stranded, and abandoned vessels outside the territorial jurisdiction of the effects of the Treaty, it is necessary on this account, and in order to avoid further difference of opinion, to state the official interpretation of the said Article in accordance with the spirit and text of the Treaty; and with this motive the Undersigned, duly authorized by their respective Governments, have met to declare that the * Vol. LXXIV, page 709. said Article includes, not only shipwrecked, stranded, and abandoned vessels in territorial waters, but also those that, having been abandoned on the high seas, are brought into territorial waters, and whose nationality has been properly proved before a competent authority; in consequence, and in order to guarantee the rights of persons employed in the salvage of vessels, and to determine the competent Court for the arrangement of differences in the case of any claim, the stipulations of Article V of the said Treaty will be also applicable to the vessels in question. The Undersigned also declare that their respective Governments undertake to take the necessary measures to assure the prompt execution of Articles IV and V of the Treaty of Navigation above mentioned, in the sense understood by the present Declaration, on the part of the subordinate authorities of Marine. Done in Madrid, in duplicate, on the 13th July, 1900. THE MARQUESS OF AGUILAR DE CAMPOS. ITALIAN DECREE, giving effect to an Agreement between Italy and the Argentine Republic on the subject of Copyright. -Rome, June 10, 1900. (Translation.) In view of Article 44 of the Law of the 19th September, 1882, in regard to the rights of authors; Having consulted the Council of Ministers; At the suggestion of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Agriculture, Industry, and Commerce, We have decreed and decree as follows: Sole Article.-Full and entire execution is given to the Agreement arrived at between Italy and Argentina, by the exchange of notes of the 7th and 18th April, 1900, for the application, in the intercourse between the two countries, of the South American Treaty of Montevideo of the 11th January, 1889,* in regard to the rights of authors. We ordain that the present Decree shall be included among the laws of the kingdom, &c., and that it shall be obeyed by all. Rome, June 10, 1900. VISCONTI VENOSTA SALANDra. HUMBERT. * Vol. XC, page 680. ACT OF CONGRESS of the United States, relative to the Government of Porto Rico. AN Act temporarily to provide Revenues and a Civil Government for Porto Rico, and for other purposes. [Chap. 191.] [April 12, 1900.] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled: That the provisions of this Act shall apply to the Island of Porto Rico and to the adjacent islands and waters of the islands lying east of the 74th meridian of longitude west of Greenwich, which were ceded to the United States by the Government of Spain by Treaty entered into on the 10th day of December, 1898;* and the name Porto Rico, as used in this Act, shall be held to include not only the island of that name but all the adjacent islands as aforesaid. Sec. 2. That on and after the passage of this Act the same tariffs, customs, and duties shall be levied, collected, and paid upon all articles imported into Porto Rico from ports other than those of the United States which are required by law to be collected upon articles imported into the United States from foreign countries: Provided that on all coffee in the bean or ground imported into Porto Rico there shall be levied and collected a duty of 5 cents per lb., any law or part of law to the contrary notwithstanding; and provided further, that all Spanish scientific, literary, and artistic works, not subversive of public order in Porto Rico, shall be admitted free of duty into Porto Rico for a period of ten years, reckoning from the 11th day of April, 1899, as provided in said Treaty of Peace between the United States and Spain; and provided further, that all books and pamphlets printed in the English language shall be admitted into Porto Rico free of duty when imported from the United States. Sec. 3. That on and after the passage of this Act all merchandize coming into the United States from Porto Rico and coming into Porto Rico from the United States shall be entered at the several ports of entry upon payment of 15 per centum of the duties which are required to be levied, collected, and paid upon like' articles of merchandize imported from foreign countries; and in addition thereto upon articles of merchandize of Porto Rican manufacture coming into the United States and withdrawn for consumption or sale upon payment of a tax equal to the internal revenue tax imposed in the United States upon the like articles of merchandize of domestic manufacture; such tax to be paid by * Vol. XC, page 382. internal revenue stamp or stamps to be purchased and provided by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue and to be procured from the Collector of Internal Revenue at or most convenient to the port of entry of said merchandize in the United States, and to be affixed under such regulations as the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, shall prescribe; and on all articles of merchandize of United States' manufacture coming into Porto Rico in addition to the duty above provided upon payment of a tax equal in rate and amount to the internal revenue tax imposed in Porto Rico upon the like articles of Porto Rican manufacture: Provided that on and after the date when this Act shall take effect, all merchandize and articles, except coffee, not dutiable under the tariff laws of the United States, and all merchandize and articles entered in Porto Rico free of duty under orders heretofore made by the Secretary of War, shall be admitted into the several ports thereof, when imported from the United States, free of duty, all laws or parts of laws to the contrary notwithstanding; and whenever the Legislative Assembly of Porto Rico shall have enacted and put into operation a system of local taxation to meet the necessities of the Government of Porto Rico, by this Act established, and shall by resolution duly passed so notify the President, he shall make proclamation thereof, and thereupon all tariff duties on merchandize and articles going into Porto Rico from the United States or coming into the United States from Porto Rico shall cease, and from and after such date all such merchandize and articles shall be entered at the several ports of entry free of duty; and in no event shall any duties be collected after the 1st day of March, 1902, on merchandize and articles going into Porto Rico from the United States or coming into the United States from Porto Rico. Sec. 4. That the duties and taxes collected in Porto Rico in pursuance of this Act, less the cost of collecting the same, and the gross amount of all collections of duties and taxes in the United dtates upon articles of merchandize coming from Porto Rico, shall not be covered into the general fund of the Treasury, but shall be held as a separate fund, and shall be placed at the disposal of the President to be used for the government and benefit of Porto Rico until the Government of Porto Rico herein provided for shall have been organized, when all moneys theretofore collected under the provisions hereof, then unexpended, shall be transferred to the local Treasury of Porto Rico; and the Secretary of the Treasury shall designate the several ports and sub-ports of entry in Porto Rico and shall make such rules and regulations and appoint such agents as may be necessary to collect the duties and taxes authorized to be levied, collected, and paid in Porto Rico by the |