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Contracting Parties in the territory of the other, should there not be at the place where the death takes place any known heir, either personally present or represented, or an executor appointed by the deceased, or, in the case of the heir being a minor, a guardian, the respective Consular authorities shall have the right to perform, for the preservation and administration of the estate, whatever acts are or may in the future be permitted to the Consular functionaries of the most favoured nation.

XII. Any questions or controversies on the subject of the interpretation, application, or execution of the present Treaty, which cannot be decided amicably, shall be submitted to the decision of a Board of Arbitrators. Each of the two High Contracting Parties shall appoint an Arbitrator, and these two Arbitrators shall appoint a third. If an agreement cannot be arrived at with regard to a third Arbitrator, the latter shall be appointed by the Government of some third State, to be selected by the High Contracting Parties.

XIII. The High Contracting Parties, animated by a desire to avoid anything which might disturb their friendly relations, agree that their Diplomatic Representatives shall not intervene officially (except to obtain, where the occasion warrants, a friendly arrangement) in the claims or complaints of private individuals, relating to matters which are within the jurisdiction of the Civil or Criminal Courts, and which have already been submitted to the Tribunals of the country, except in the case of denial of justice, delay in its administration, contrary to usage or the law, or non-execution of a sentence definitely and finally decided by the Tribunals, or lastly, in those cases in which, in spite of the legal resources having been exhausted, there is an evident violation of the existing Treaties between the two High Contracting Powers, or of the principles of international law, whether public or private, universally recognized by civilized nations.

XIV. The present Treaty shall come into force one month after the exchange of the ratifications, and shall continue in force until six months after one of the High Contracting Parties shall have notified the other of its intention of terminating it.

The present Treaty shall be ratified, and the ratifications exchanged at Mexico, as soon as possible, after the constitutional formalities required in both countries have been fulfilled.

In witness whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the present Treaty in two originals, in the city of Mexico, on the 6th November, 1900.

(L.S.) M. WOLLHEIM. (L.S.) LUIS F. COREA.

RUSSIAN IMPERIAL ORDER, establishing the Free Port July 30 1899.*

of Dalny (Talienwan).—Peterhof, August 11'

AU MINISTRE DES FINANCES,-Notre Empire, comprenant d'immenses territoires en Europe et en Asie, est appelé par la Providence Divine à contribuer au rapprochement pacifique des peuples de l'Occident et de l'Orient. Afin d'atteindre ce but historique, nous avons reçu le concours amical de l'Empire de Chine, qui nous a cédé la jouissance du port de Talienwan et de Port Arthur, avec le territoire adjacent, et qui a ouvert à travers ses possessions une issue au graud Chemin de Fer de Sibérie jusqu'à la Mer Jaune. Grâce à cette sage décision du Gouvernement de Sa Majesté le Bogdokhan, les limites extrêmes de deux continents du Vieux-Monde seront réunies sous peu par une ligne ininterrompue de rails, qui procurera à toutes les nations les avantages incalculables de communications faciles et fera entrer de nouvelles régions dans le mouvement du commerce universel.

Dans notre sollicitude incessante pour cette entreprise d'utilité générale, nous avons porté notre attention sur l'importance de premier ordre qu'acquerra, une fois la ligne construite, son point de départ, le port de Talienwan. Ayant déclaré après son occupation que ce port était ouvert aux flottes de commerce de toutes les nations, nous jugeons utile aujourd'hui de procéder à la construction, près ce port, d'une ville à laquelle nous donnons le nom de "Dalny."

En même temps, en vue du développement commercial de la future ville, nous lui octroyons pour toute la durée du terme où son territoire est cédé à la Russie par la Chine, en vertu de l'Arrangement du Mars, 1898, le droit de libre commerce acquis aux ports francs, aux conditions suivantes :

1. L'importation et l'exportation en franchise de droits de douane des marchandises de toute espèce est admise dans la ville, dans le port et le territoire adjacent dans les limites déterminées, et pouvant être modifiées par le Ministre des Finances.

2. Le droit de libre commerce ainsi accordé ne concerne pas les taxes de transport, d'ancrage, et autres taxes de dénominations diverses prélevées dans les ports.

3. Les Règlements de Quarantaine, rendus en vue d'empêcher l'introduction de maladies contagieuses, sont observés dans toute leur teneur par tous les navires entrant dans le port.

4. Les marchandises importées en Russie qui proviennent du

Extract from the "Journal de Saint-Pétersbourg" of August, 1899.

territoire jouissant du droit de libre commerce sont visitées, acquittent les droits d'entrée, et passent dans les limites de l'Empire dans les conditions générales admises pour l'importation des marchandises étrangères.

En invoquant la bénédiction du Seigneur sur cette œuvre future, réellement pacifique, nous vous chargeons du soin de veiller à la construction de la ville et du port.

Péterhof, le

30 Juillet
11 Août

1899.

NICOLAS.

AGREEMENT between Japan and China, for the Formation of a Japanese Settlement at Shashi.-August 18, 1898.

(Translation.)

Japanese Foreign Office Notification, No. 19.

THE Articles which follow respecting the Japanese Settlement at Shashi, agreed to between the Delegates of Japan and China on the 18th August, 1898, are hereby approved of and take effect at once. Tôkiô, December 2, 1898.

36

VISCOUNT AOKI SHUZO,
Minister for Foreign Affairs.

ART. 1. Starting from the western boundary of the Government land, Kungchow, foreign wharf, Shashi port, and following the south-east course of the Changkiang, the land in a straight line. for a distance of 3,800 shaku (3,777,9% feet), with a breadth of 800 shaku (795,6 feet) from the said western boundary of not more than 800 shaku (795,36% feet), and for the remaining 3,000 shaku (2,982,63 feet) of 1,200 shaku (1,193 feet), is fixed upon for a Settlement exclusively under Japanese control. (See separate Plan.)

100

5 100

If in future another foreign Settlement is established, it shall be marked out on a situation below the Japanese Settlement.

2. All roads, bridges, drains, wharves, and embankments, and the power of police within the Settlement, shall be under the official control of the Japanese Consulate. The Japanese Consulate may construct or repair such roads, bridges, and drains at any time, and the Chinese authorities shall not be able to interfere in the matter.

3. For the safety of the Settlement, and as a precaution against the entrance of water, strong embankments shall be constructed.

The expenses of construction, and the purchase price necessary for sites for the building of embankments, shall be calculated by the Delegates of the two countries (China and Japan), after consultation, and China shall be responsible for half the amount.

4. Sites within the Settlement shall be divided into three classes, and the price of land per se (32 square poles) in each class is fixed as follows. (See separate Table.)

92 100

Sites leased during the period beginning with the day on which these Articles go into operation, and ending with the close of the next Chinese year (Kwocho, 26th year), shall be per se (393 square poles), for first class lots 100 dollars, for second class lots 80 dollars, for third class lots 50 dollars.

100

On lots leased during the four years after Kwocho 27th year (the Chinese year after next) there shall be an increase per annum of 5 dollars.

As regards sites leased after the expiration of the above period, the basis of value shall be fixed at 120 dollars for first class, 100 dollars for second class, and 70 dollars for third class sites, that is to say, the price in the fourth year mentioned in the preceding clause, and they may at any time be disposed of at auction.

For the lease of the above sites it shall not be necessary to pay to China any other tax than 1,000 Chinese cash per se (3,93 square poles) annually as ground rent.

10

The classification of sites shall be discussed and settled between the Japanese Consulate and the Chinese local authorities.

5. The price of sites provided for roads and drains within the Settlement shall be fixed per se (3,2 square poles) at 20 dollars for first class, 16 dollars for second class, and 10 dollars for third class sites, and the Japanese Consulate shall hand the amount to the Chinese local authorities at the time of the commencement of the work.

It shall not be necessary to pay to the Chinese Government any ground rent or other taxes in respect of the above sites.

6. A person wishing to lease in perpetuity a site within the Settlement shall send in an application to the Japanese Consulate, mentioning clearly in writing the site he requires. The Japanese Consulate shall, after making an examination of the site, collect the fixed price according to the nature of the site, and hand it to the Chinese local authorities. The Chinese local authorities shall prepare a title-deed in triplicate, and transmit it to the Japanese Consulate; and the Japanese Consulate shall affix their seal to it, give one copy to the lessee, return one to the Chinese local authorities, and keep one in the Japanese Consulate. Should the lessee lose the title-deed by water, fire, robbery, or other cause, be may apply for the issue of a fresh title-deed. As regards the form

of the title-deed, the Chinese local authorities and the Japanese Consulate shall consult and decide.

7. After Kwocho 31st year (six years hence), if any person wishes to lease a site in perpetuity, the Japanese Consulate shall notify its disposal by auction on a date from fifteen to twenty days, from the date of application, and it shall be so disposed of in the presence of the local authorities. The law regarding disposal of a site by auction shall, however, be that it shall always be leased to the highest bidder. If it happens that two or more persons bid the same price, it shall be put up again for auction. When the lessee has been determined, he shall be required to pay at once one-fifth of the price of the site as a deposit, and the remainder entirely within one month. The procedure in remitting the price, and the method of issuing the title-deed, shall be similar to that provided for in the previous Article.

8. The ground rent payable by the lessee shall be collected each year by the Japanese Consulate, and handed over to the Chinese local authorities on the 15th day of the 4th moon (Chinese calendar). The Chinese local authorities shall send a receipt to the Japanese Consulate. Under extraordinary circumstances, the Consul shall, after the matter has been settled, collect additional ground rent and hand it over.

9. Chinese and foreigners are permitted to reside and carry on business in the Settlement. But they have none of the rights of lease specified in these Articles.

10. When the lessee desires to sell or transfer his right to the land leased, both parties shall make application in a joint letter to the Japanese Consulate. When the Japanese Consulate considers that there is no objection, the Chinese authorities shall be communicated with, and they shall make out a new title-deed.

11. The fees for removing buildings connected with graves in the Settlement shall, at any time, be discussed and settled between the Japanese Consulate and the Chinese local authorities.

The Chinese authorities shall strictly prohibit the additional construction of buildings connected with graves in future.

12. The Japanese Consulate may at any time make regulations and levy dues from vessels stopping at the wharves, and apply the proceeds to the expenses of the Settlement.

13. When it is desired to repair the wharves within the Settlement, or erect hulks, a spot shall be chosen which does not interfere with the passing to and fro of merchant-vessels, after consultation between the Japanese Consulate and the Commissioner of Customs.

14. It shall not be permitted to construct within the Settlement buildings thatched with straw or rushes, or inferior shingles, or to

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