board any ship (not being or having the status of a ship of war), within the territory, there is concealed or deposited any opium or other hypnotic subject to forfeiture under this Ordinance, such District Magistrate may, by his warrant directed to any police or excise officer, empower such officer, by day or by night

(1.) To enter such dwelling-house, shop, or other building or place, or to go on board such ship, and there to search for and take possession of any such opium or other hypnotic, and of any implements, in such place or ship; and

(2.) To arrest any person or persons, being in such dwellinghouse, shop, or other building or place, or ship, in whose possession such opium or other hypnotic may be found, or whom such officer may reasonably suspect to have concealed or deposited any such opium or other hypnotic in such place or ship or thereabout.

18. All opium or other hypnotic seized with regard to which any breach of this Ordinance, or of any regulation made thereunder, has been committed, together with any implements, as hereinbefore defined, may be forfeited by the District Magistrate.

19.-(1.) Whenever any seizure of opium or other hypnotic is made under this Ordinance, or wherever there is reasonable ground to believe that opium or other hypnotic is held, dealt with, or prepared by any unauthorized person or in any unauthorized place, all opium, other hypnotic, or implements found in the possession of such person, or in any such unauthorized place, may be seized by any police or excise officer.

(2.) If a District Magistrate has reason to believe that the unlawful preparation of opium or other hypnotic was carried on by such unauthorized person or in such unauthorized place, or if any implement within the meaning of this Ordinance is found in the possession of such unauthorized person or in such unauthorized place, the District Magistrate may order such opium, other hypnotic, or implement, to be forfeited.

20.-(1.) When any opium or other hypnotic, or any implement, is found without being apparently in the possession of any person, the District Magistrate may cause a notice to be affixed to the place where such opium or other hypnotic, or implement, was found calling upon the owner thereof to claim the same.

(2.) If no person makes such a claim within one week from the affixing of such notice, such opium or other hypnotic, or implement, shall be forfeited.

21.-(1.) Every person who conceals or secretly places any opium or other hypnotic in any part of any ship shall be liable, on conviction, to a penalty not exceeding 400 dollars, and, in default of payment, to imprisonment, with or without hard labour, for any term not exceeding six months.

(2.) Any opium or other hypnotic concealed or secretly placed as aforesaid shall be seized, and the District Magistrate may, whether any person is charged with or convicted of any offence under this section or not, order such opium or other hypnotic to be forfeited

22. Every person who (1) attempts to commit any offence in contravention of this Ordinance, or (2) aids and abets any other person in any such offence, or in the attempt to commit any such offence, shall be liable, on conviction, to the same punishment and penalties as if he had been guilty of the actual offence.

23. Any medical practitioner, chemist, or druggist practising or dispensing within the territory, holding a certificate issued by the Commissioner under section 3 of this Ordinance, who

(a.) Prescribes opium or other hypnotic for other than bonâ fide medical purposes; or

(b.) Prescribes opium or other hypnotic in larger quantities than is reasonably necessary having regard to the patient's condition during a period of forty-eight hours, or prescribes for a longer period than forty-eight hours; or

(c.) Prescribes opium or other hypnotic in order to satisfy a craving for the drug, except in cases of emergency, the onus of proving which shall lie on the medical practitioner; or

(d.) Fails to report to a District Magistrate that he has supplied or prescribed opium or other hypnotic to or for an habitual consumer, shall be guilty of an offence, and shall be liable, on conviction thereof, to a fine of not more than 400 dollars, or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year, or to both.

24. Every omission or neglect to comply with, or act done contrary to, the provisions of this Ordinance, shall be deemed an offence; and for every offence against this Ordinance, or against any regulation made thereunder, not otherwise specially provided for, the offender shall, in addition to the forfeiture of opium or other hypnotic, or implements, provided for by this Ordinance, be liable, on conviction, to the following penalties:

(1.) For every first offence, a penalty not exceeding 200 dollars, or imprisonment, with or without hard labour, for any term not exceeding three months; and

(2.) For every subsequent offence, a penalty not exceeding 400 dollars, or imprisonment, with or without hard labour, for any term not exceeding six months.

25. A portion not exceeding one-half of the pecuniary penalty recovered from any offender against this Ordinance may, in the discretion of the District Magistrate, be awarded to the informer.

26. Every person who assaults, resists, or wilfully obstructs any officer in the due execution of his duty under this Ordinance shall, on conviction, be liable, in the discretion of the District Magistrate, to a penalty not exceeding 400 dollars, or to imprisonment, with or without hard labour, for any term not exceeding six months.

27. The Commissioner may from time to time make, and, when made, add to, alter, or revoke, regulations for carrying out the provisions of this Ordinance, such regulations to include, if the Commissioner shall think fit, provision as to

(a.) The storing of opium or other hypnotic brought into the territory under this Ordinance.

[1908-9. CII.]

2 P

(b.) The keeping of registers by licensed importers or vendors. (c.) The fees to be paid upon the issue of any licence under this Ordinance.

28. This Ordinance shall come into force on the 30th day of June, 1909, as and from which day "The Prepared Opium Ordinance, 1905,"* is hereby repealed.

COLOMBIAN DECREE regulating the Establishment of Foreign Companies in Colombia.-Bogotá, January 19, 1906.†

(Translation.)

Legislative Decree No. 2 of the 19th January, 1906, supple

mentary to Title VII of Book 2 of the Code of Commerce, and amending Laws No. 62 of 1886 and No. 65 of 1890.

THE President of the Republic of Colombia, in exercise of the powers conferred by Article 121 of the Constitution,

Decrees:

ART. 1. Societies or companies domiciled abroad, who maintain or establish enterprises of a permanent character within the territory of the republic, will formally register ("protocolizarán "), within the six months following the initiation of their work, the document relating to their foundation and their statutes with the notary within the circuit in which the head office is established. Joint-stock companies will also register, with the same notary, proof of the authorization of the Government where such authorization is necessary for their legal existence.

Paragraph.-If the above-mentioned companies shall have already been established in the country the time limit in their case is extended to one year.

2. The said companies must have in Colombia, at their principal office, a representative, with full powers and with the same status as the manager, to deal with any legal controversies that may arise, or with any business being carried on in the country.

Paragraph.--The powers of attorney of the representatives of these companies must be registered with the same notary as those referred to in Article 1.

3. The documents referred to in the previous Articles must, in order to be valid in Colombia, be drawn up with all the

* Vol. XCIX, page 834.

"Official Gazette," No. 12,554 of January 24, 1906.

formalities necessary in the country from which they originate; they must, moreover, bear the authentication of the diplomatic or consular officer of Colombia resident in said locality, and, in the absence of such officers, by the Consul or Minister of a friendly nation.

4. In addition to the extract from the documents and statutes of joint-stock companies, which must be registered in conformity with Law 42 of 1898, the extract from the powers of attorney of the representatives of foreign companies, certified by the notary before whom they shall have been deposited, must also be registered in the office of the respective Circuit Judge where the chief office of the company is located.

Paragraph. The extracts, after being duly registered in the Judge's office, shall be published at least three times in the "Official Gazette" of the respective department.

5. It rests with the executive power to declare that the formalities required by this Decree have been duly complied with on the part of foreign companies.

6. All documents drawn up or contracts concluded without regard to the formalities prescribed in this Decree are null and void.

7. The books referred to in the first three sentences of Article 27 of the Code of Commerce shall, wherever Chambers of Commerce exist, be endorsed on each page by the secretary of said Chamber, and on the first page a note shall be made, signed by the president and secretary, of the total number of pages and the person to whom the books belong.

8. Circuit and District Judges, in civil cases, and their respective secretaries, are entitled to divide a fee of cent gold (4d.) for each page of merchants' books endorsed by them. Paragraph.-In Chambers of Commerce the fee of cent belongs to the secretary.

9. The indorsements of commercial books, made by the secretaries of Chambers of Commerce before the coming into force of the present Decree, shall be considered valid for all legal purposes.

10. The present Decree shall come into force thirty days after its publication in the " Official Gazette."

Given in Bogotá, the 19th January, 1906.

R. REYES. (The signatures of the members of the Cabinet follow.)

CONVENTION between Denmark and Mexico relating to the Exchange of Postal Parcels between Mexico and the Danish West Indies.-Signed at Mexico, May 26, 1909.*

(Translation.)

FOR the purpose of improving the postal service between the United States of Mexico and the Danish West Indies the Undersigned:

Norberto Domínguez, Engineer, and Director-General of Posts of the Mexican Republic, and Henry L. Wiechers, Knight of the Order of Danebrog, Consul for the Kingdom of Denmark in Mexico, duly authorized for the purpose, have agreed on the following Articles :

ART. I.-1. Postal packages without insurance, and without collection of the value of the contents on delivery, weighing up to 5 kilog., can be forwarded, under the denomination of Parcel Post, from the United States of Mexico to the Danish West Indies, and vice versa.

2. Merchandise, and articles which are allowed to be transmitted by post, will be accepted for transmission in the mailbags, cases, or hampers exchanged in conformity with this Convention, with the sole limitation that no package may exceed the above-mentioned weight nor the following dimensions: maximum length, 60 centim., and maximum girth, 120 centim.

3. Letters, post-cards, and written correspondence, of whatsoever nature, cannot be admitted into the Parcel Post exchanged in virtue of the present Convention.

4. The packing of the parcels must be effected in such manner as to admit of their contents being readily examined by the postoffice clerks and the customs officers.

For the purpose of collecting the import duties all packages of merchandise received in one country and dispatched from the other shall be examined in the exchange offices appointed for that purpose, and the duties payable shall be noted on the package. The parcels shall immediately thereafter be forwarded to their destination by the quickest route, remaining subject in transmission to the laws and regulations of either country respectively.

5. In no circumstances shall articles prohibited by the Universal Postal Union be admitted into the mails, and such articles will consequently not be forwarded from one country to the other.

II.-1. No letter or communication in the nature of private correspondence may accompany the parcel, whether written on the outside of the package or enclosed within the same.

2. If such letter or communication should be discovered, it will be posted separately if it can be detached from the parcel,

*Came into force October 1, 1909.