Cette réduction de 20 francs est consentie aux conditions suivantes, savoir les produits Italiens conserveront le bénéfice des taxes minima du tarif brésilien et le statu quo douanier provisoire sera maintenu de part et d'autre, six mois après le jour où l'un des deux Gouvernements aura fait connaître à l'autre son intention d'y mettre fin.

Veuillez agréer, etc.,

P. ANTONELLI.

(2)—Le Ministre des Affaires Étrangères du Brésil au Ministre Royal d'Italie à Rio de Janeiro.

Rio de Janeiro, 5 Juillet, 1900.

M. LE COMTE ANTONELLI, Envoyé Extraordinaire et Ministre Plénipotentiaire de Sa Majesté le Roi d'Italie, me communique, par une Note de ce jour, que son Gouvernement a présenté au Parlement Italien un Projet de Loi réduisant de 150 à 130 francs, par cent kilogrammes, le droit d'entrée sur le café.

M. le Ministre déclare, en outre, que cette réduction, est faite à la condition que les produits Italiens jouiront du bénéfice des taxes minima du tarif brésilien et que le statu quo provisoire ainsi établi sera maintenu pendant six mois après qu'une déclaration de chacun des deux Gouvernements aura mis fin à son effet.

Le Gouvernement Fédéral, appréciant la résolution du Gouvernement Italien de réduire de 20 francs le droit actuel sur le café, mettra en vigueur la compensation désirée dès que cette réduction sera devenue effective.

Je renouvelle à Monsieur le Ministre, etc.,

OLYNTHO DE MAGALHAES.

BRAZILIAN DECREE adhering to the Conventions signed at The Hague on July 29, 1899, relating to the (1) Laws of War on Land, and (2) applying the Geneva Convention of 1864 to Maritime Warfare.-Rio de Janeiro, January 3, 1907.*

(Translation.)

[No. 1633.]

THE President of the Republic of the United States of Brazil publishes his sanction to the following resolution decreed by the National Congress:

*Notified by the Swiss to the British Government on the 7th February,

Sole Article. The Republic of the United States of Brazil gives its entire adhesion to the Conventions signed at The Hague on July 29th, 1899,* the one relating to the laws and usages of war on land and the other extending to maritime warfare the principles of the Geneva Convention of August 22, 1864 ;† contrary dispositions being hereby revoked.

RIO BRANCO.

Rio de Janeiro, 3rd January, 1907.

A. A. M. PENNA.

MODUS VIVENDI between Brazil and Colombia, relating to Navigation and Commerce on the River Iça or Putumayo. -Bogotá, April 24, 1907.

(Translation.)

THE Governments of Colombia and Brazil, with a view to the development of the navigation and commercial relations between their respective countries by the River Iça or Putumayo, have agreed to conclude a modus vivendi for that purpose, and therefore the Ministers of the two countries, Señor General Alfredo Vasquez Cobo and Señor Doctor Eneas Martins, Minister Resident of Brazil on a Special Mission, having met in the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have discussed and agreed upon the following, in the name of their respective Governments, by whom they are duly authorized :

:

ART. I. Brazilian and Colombian merchant vessels may traffic freely with the ports which are or may be established by Colombia and Brazil on the river Iça or Putumayo, free of all charges save beaconage and similar dues, intended to assist navigation, being subject to the fiscal and police regulations imposed by the competent authorities of each country for its respective territory. Colombian vessels engaged in the navigation of the Putumayo shall have free communication with the sea by the Amazon.

II. While the present Agreement remains in force, foreign merchandise bound for Colombia by way of the Amazon and the Iça or Putumayo, may be cleared at the Custom Houses of Manaos or Belen, as ports of deposit, according to Brazilian law.

Colombian goods may likewise be exported by the said Custom Houses, provided that such goods are accompanied by a permit for exportation granted in the place of origin by Colombian authorities and verified by the authorities of the Brazilian fiscal port on the Iça.

III. Brazil shall permit the passage by the Amazon and the Iça of Colombian vessels of war bound for waters of the Putumayo under Colombian jurisdiction, the number of such vessels having * Vol. XCI, pages 988 and 1002. Vol. LV, page 43.

been previously notified. In return, Colombia shall permit Brazilian vessels of war to navigate waters of the Putumayo under the jurisdiction of Brazil.

IV. The present modus vivendi shall come into force immediately and shall last until it is denounced or modified by common consent of the two Governments.

In faith whereof the undersigned have signed the present Agreement and sealed it with their seals of office this 24th day of April, 1907.

(L.S.) ENEAS MARTINS.

(L.S.) ALFREDO VASQUEZ COBO.

TREATY between Brazil and Colombia, relating to Boundaries. Transit and Inland Navigation.--Signed at Bogotá, April 24, 1907.

[Ratifications exchanged at Rio de Janeiro, April 20, 1908.] (Translation.)

THE Republics of Colombia and of the United States of Brazil being desirous to establish on a firm and lasting basis their ancient relations of peace and friendship, to do away with all causes of disagreement and to facilitate the development of their interests as good neighbours and commercial nations, have resolved to conclude the following Treaty, bearing in mind, with a view to a friendly settlement, their respective situations in the matter of possessions and rights, and for this purpose have appointed as their Plenipotentiaries :

His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Colombia: General Don Alfredo Vasquez Cobo, Minister for Foreign Affairs; and His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Brazil: Señor Doctor Eneas Martins, Minister Resident on Special Mission to the Government of Colombia;

Who, having communicated to each other their full powers, and found them in due form, have agreed as follows:

ART. I. The frontier of Colombia and Brazil, between the Stone of Cocuy, on the Rio Negro, and the confluence of the river Apaporis, on the left bank of the river Yapura or Caqueta, shall be as follows:

§1. From the island of San José, opposite the Stone of Cocuy. towards the East as far as the right bank of the Rio Negro, which it shall cut in latitude 1°13′ 51.76" North, and in longitude 7° 16'25.9′′ East of the meridian of Bogotá, or 23° 39′11·51′′ West of that of Rio de Janeiro; thence in a straight line to the head of the little river Macacuny (or Macapury), a tributary on the right bank of the Rio Negro or Guainia and lying wholly in Colombian territory;

§2. From the head of the Macacuny (or Macapury) the frontier shall follow the watershed until it passes between the head of the Igarape Japery, a tributary of the river Xie, and that of the river Tomo, a tributary of the Guainia, at a point fixed by the co-ordinates 2° 1′26-65" North latitude, and longitude 6° 28' 59.8" East of the meridian of Bogotá, or 24° 26′ 38 58′′ West of that of Rio de Janeiro;

§3. The frontier shall continue in an easterly direction, winding along the highest part of the ground separating the waters flowing north from those flowing south, as far as the hill of Caparro, and thence, still following the watershed between the waters flowing into the river Guainia and those flowing into the Cuiary (or Iquiare), as far as the principal source of the river Memachi, a tributary of the river Naquieni, which in its turn is a tributary of the Guainia;

4. From the principal source of the Memachi, in latitude 2° 1′27 03′′ North, and longitude 5° 51′ 15.8′′ East of the meridian of Bogotá, or 25° 4′ 22.65" West of that of Rio de Janeiro, the frontier line shall follow the highest points of the ground, as far as the principal source of that tributary of the Cuiary (or Iquiare) which lies nearest to the head of the Memachi, following the course of the above-mentioned tributary as far as its junction with the said Cuiary (or Iquiare);

§5. From this junction, the frontier line shall descend the course (thalweg) of the said Cuiary as far as the point where the river Pegua, its tributary on the left bank, enters it, and from the confluence of the Pegua and Cuiary the frontier line shall follow the parallel of the said confluence to the West until it meets the meridian through the junction of the Kerary and the Vaupes;

§6. On meeting the meridian through the confluence of the rivers Kerary (or Cairary) and Vaupes, the frontier line shall follow the course (thalweg) of the latter in an easterly direction as far as its source in about longitude 69° 30′ East of Greenwich, following the meridian of this source as far as the Taraira, thence following the course of the said Taraira as far as its junction with the Apaporis, and the course of the Apaporis until it discharges into the river Yapura or Caqueta, where the portion of the frontier fixed by the present Treaty comes to an end, the line from the Stone of Cocuy to the Mouth of the Apaporis being thus defined; the remaining portion of the disputed frontier being left for a subsequent arrangement between the two countries, should Colombia obtain a favourable decision as regards other pending questions with Peru and Ecuador.

II. Within one year after the exchange of the ratifications a mixed Commission appointed by the two Governments shall proceed to the demarcation of the frontier laid down in this Treaty.

§1. The composition of this mixed Commission and the Instruc

tions as to its work, shall be arranged by special Protocols; it must begin its labours within eight months after its appointment.

§2. For the purpose of closing and completing the frontier line, it is laid down that henceforward, when necessary owing to the absence of salient points in the lie of the land, parallels of latitude, and meridians of longitude shall be followed, in preference to any oblique lines.

III. Any points of doubt which may arise during the process of demarcation shall be amicably arranged between the High Contracting Parties, to whom the points in question shall be submitted by their respective Commissioners, without affecting the progress of the demarcation.

If the two Governments shall be unable to come to a direct agreement, they declare their intention henceforth to have recourse to an arbitral decision.

IV. Within the space of twelve months, the two High Contracting Parties shall conclude a Treaty of commerce and navigation based on the most complete liberty of transit by land and of fluvial navigation for both nations, a right which they recognise in perpetuity from the moment of the approval of this Treaty, over the whole length of the rivers which rise in or flow within the limits of the region defined by the frontier line therein laid down, on condition of the observance of the fiscal and police regulations which are or may be imposed in the territories of each. Such regulations shall in no case impose charges or formalities in respect of Colombian vessels, effects or persons in Brazil, heavier than those which are or may be imposed on Brazilians in Brazil or on Colombians in Colombia.

Colombian vessels engaged in the navigation of those rivers shall have free communication with the sea by the Amazon. The regulations mentioned shall be as favourable as possible to navigation and commerce and shall be as uniform as possible in the two countries. It is nevertheless understood and declared that this navigation does not comprise that between port and port in the same country, nor local river navigation, which in each of the two States shall remain subject to their respective laws.

V. This Treaty, after having been approved in regular and due form in the Republic of Colombia and in the Republic of the United States of Brazil, shall be ratified by the two Governments. and the ratifications shall be exchanged in the city of Bogotá or in that of Rio de Janeiro, with the least delay possible.

In faith whereof we, the Plenipotentiaries of the two Republics, have signed it and sealed it with our seals of office, in Bogotá, 24th April, 1907.

(L.S.) ALFREDO VASQUEZ COBO. (L.S.) ENEAS MARTINS.