a life pension to the survivors of an injured workman after the latter's death, should the agreement provide that in the place of a life pension to an injured workman a certain amount shall be paid down. The above does not hold good except when the amount of the life pension is less than 45 kroner a-year. 22. If the employer or foreman neglect to send in the doctor's certificate or other certificates, as prescribed by section 12, a fine is imposed of 5 to 200 kroner. Should anyone make an untrue statement against his better knowledge, a fine is imposed of 25 to 1,000 kroner in cases in which the ordinary criminal law does not apply. Fines inflicted according to this section fall to the Crown. Should the means be wanting to pay such fines, they may be commuted in accordance with common criminal law. 23. An employer in a trade other than that covered by this Law, wishing by insurance in the State insurance office to provide for compensation in accordance with the conditions laid down in this Law for injury from accident suffered during the performance of the work in question, is entitled so to provide; if such insurance has been made, the prescriptions of the Law shall apply correspondingly. 24. A workman, whether engaged in work included in this law or not, can by insurance in the State insurance office ensure compensation in accordance with the prescriptions of this Law for injuries received from accident during such work. Right to compensation on the strength of such insurance may not be transferred, and may not be given in pledge for debt. 25. The expenses of insurance of a workman in the State insurance office must be fixed at an amount which, with respect to the general danger of the work and to the special conditions under which it is carried on, shall be proved to be sufficient for the covering of such risks as the insurance is intended for. The expenses of the organization and administration of the State insurance office are defrayed by the State. 26. Any further prescriptions which may become necessary over and above those contained in this Law with regard to the operations of the State insurance office will be issued by the Crown. 27. This Law cancels the conditions laid down in the Law of the 12th March, 1886, regarding the responsibility for injury in connection with service on the railway, binding railway owners or managers to give compensation when, as a result of railway work, labourers or foremen in the service or employ of the railway during their work are injured or killed; the said conditions, however, shall still apply in the place of the prescriptions contained in this Law in cases of workmen and foremen who, at the time this Law comes into force, are in the service or employ of the railway. This Law comes into force at a time to be appointed by the King, after the State insurance office, mentioned in section 10, has been established, but it does not apply in cases of accident occurring before such time. Department of Justice, L. ANNERSTEDT. OSCAR. ITALIAN NOTIFICATION of the Accession of Sweden to the International Agreement of December 9, 1907, respecting the Creation of an International Office of Public Health.— London, August 23, 1909.* (Translation.) SIR, The Italian Ambassador to Sir Edward Grey. Italian Embassy, London, August 23, 1909. UNDER instructions from my Government, I have the honour to inform your Excellency that the Swedish Government has acceded, in the third category, to the Rome Agreement of the 9th December, 1907,† for the creation of an International Office of Public Health at Paris. In requesting you to be good enough to communicate the above to the Government of India, I have, &c. A. DI SAN GIULIANO. ARBITRATION CONVENTION between the United States and Switzerland.-Signed at Washington, February 29, 1908.‡ [Ratifications exchanged at Washington, December 23, 1908.] THE Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Swiss Confederation, signatories of the Convention for the pacific settlement of international disputes, concluded at The Hague on the 29th July, 1899; § Taking into consideration that by Article XIX of that Convention the High Contracting Parties have reserved to themselves the right of concluding agreements, with a view to referring to arbitration all questions which they shall consider possible to submit to such treatment; "Treaty Series No. 22 (1909)." [1908-9. CII.] + Vol. C, page 466. 3 G Have authorized the Undersigned to conclude the following arrangement:— ART. I. Differences which may arise of a legal nature, or relating to the interpretation of Treaties existing between the two Contracting Parties, and which it may not have been possible to settle by diplomacy, shall be referred to the Permanent Court of Arbitration established at The Hague by the Convention of the 29th July, 1899, provided, nevertheless, that they do not affect the vital interests, the independence, or the honour of the two Contracting States, and do not concern the interests of third parties. II. In each individual case the High Contracting Parties, before appealing to the Permanent Court of Arbitration shall conclude a special agreement defining clearly the matter in dispute, the scope of the powers of the Arbitrators, and the periods to be fixed for the formation of the Arbitral Tribunal at the several stages of the procedure. It is understood that such special agreements on the part of the United States will be made by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate thereof, and, on the part of Switzerland, by the Federal Council of the Swiss Confederation, with the advice and consent of the Federal Assembly. III. The present Convention is concluded for a period of five years, dating from the day of the exchange of the ratifications. IV. The present Convention shall be ratified by the President of the United States of America, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate thereof; and by the Government of the Swiss Confederation in accordance with its constitution and laws. The ratifications of this Convention shall be exchanged at Washington as soon as possible, and it shall take effect on the date of the exchange of its ratifications. Done in duplicate, in the English and French languages, at Washington, this 29th day of February, in the year 1908. (L.S.) ELIHU ROOT. (L.S.) L. VOGEL. NOTIFICATION of the Ratification by Turkey of the Radiotelegraphic Convention of November 3, 1906.—London, July 1, 1909. Count Metternich to Sir Edward Grey. (Translation.) YOUR EXCELLENCY, German Embassy, London, July 1, 1909. IN compliance with my instructions, I have the honour to inform you that the International Radiotelegraphic Convention, signed at Berlin on the 3rd November, 1906,* has now been ratified by Turkey.† The ratification has reached Berlin, and has been taken charge of by the Imperial Government. I have, &c. P. METTERNICH. THE CONSTITUTION of the Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire. ART. 1. The Ottoman Empire comprises the existing territories and divisions and the privileged provinces. It forms an indivisible whole, and can never allow any part to be detached for any reason whatever. 2. Constantinople shall be the capital of the Ottoman Empire. That city shall possess no privilege or immunity not enjoyed by other Ottoman towns. 3. The Imperial Ottoman sovereignty, which carries with it the Supreme Caliphate of Islam, falls to the eldest Prince of the House of Osman, according to the rule established ab antiquo. On his accession the Sultan shall swear before Parliament, or, if Parliament is not sitting, at its first meeting, to respect the provisions of the Sheri (the canon law) and the Constitution, and to be loyal to the country and the nation. 4. As Caliph, His Imperial Majesty the Sultan is the Protector of the Mussulman faith; and he is the Ruler and Padishah of all Ottoman subjects. 5. The person of His Imperial Majesty the Sultan is sacred and irresponsible. 6. Liberty of the members of the dynasty of Osman, their property, both real and personal, and the Civil List granted them for life by the law ad hoc, are under the guarantee of all. 7. Among the sacred prerogatives of the Sultan are the following: The mention of his name in prayers; the minting of money; the granting of high public offices and titles, according to the law ad hoc; the conferring of orders; the selection and appointment *Vol. XCIX, page 321. + Ratification deposited June 29, 1909 ["Treaty Series No. 6 (1910)"]. The Constitution was originally granted December 1876. Vol. LXVII, page 683. It was restored in July 1908, and many of its Articles were modified by the Chamber of Deputies in the following year. The above is a translation of the Constitution as it stood on the 1st May, 1912, according to the "Official Almanac" ("Sal Namé") and the ("Takvim-i-Vekai"). Official Gazette " of the Grand Vizier and the Sheikh-ul-Islam; the confirmation in their offices of the members of the Cabinet formed and proposed by the Grand Vizier, and, if need arise, the dismissal and replacement of Ministers according to established practice; the approval and putting into force of general laws; the drawing up of regulations concerning the working of Government departments and the method of administering the laws; the initiative in all kinds of legislation; the maintenance and execution of the canon and civil laws; the appointment of persons to the privileged provinces according to the terms of their privileges; the command of the military and naval forces; the declaration of war and the making of peace; the reduction and remission of sentences passed by penal Courts; the granting of a general amnesty with the approval of Parliament; the opening and closing of the parliamentary sessions; the summoning of Parliament before its time in extraordinary circumstances; the dissolution of the Chamber of Deputies if necessary, with the consent of the Senate, on condition that the elections take place and the Chamber assembles within three months; and the conclusion of Treaties in general. Only, the consent of Parliament is required for the conclusion of Treaties which concern peace, commerce, the abandonment or annexation of territory, or the fundamental or personal rights of Ottoman subjects, or which involve expenditure on the part of the State. In case of a change of Cabinet while Parliament is not sitting, the responsibility arising out of the change rests upon the new Cabinet. Public Rights of the Subjects of the Ottoman Empire. 8. All subjects of the Ottoman Empire, without exception, are styled Ottoman, whatever may be their faith or creed. The character of Ottoman subject can be obtained or lost in the cases specified by law. 9. All Ottomans enjoy personal liberty, and they are bound not to interfere with the liberty of others. 10. Personal liberty shall be absolutely inviolable. Except for the reasons and in the manner prescribed by the canon and the civil law, no one shall be arrested or punished on any pretext whatsoever. 11. The religion of the Ottoman State shall be the Mussulman religion; but, while maintaining this principle, the State shall protect the free exercise of all the religions recognized in the Ottoman dominions, and shall maintain as hitherto the religious privileges granted to the various communities, provided that they do not disturb public order and are not harmful to public morals. 12. The press shall be free within the limits prescribed by law. It cannot be subjected to inspection or examination of any kind before printing. 13. Ottoman subjects shall be at liberty to form companies of |