production of his licence or authority for keeping, conveying, landing, or selling the same.

18. When the officer or other person executing such warrant has reasonable cause to believe that any fire-arms or ammunition found by him in any such place, ship, or vehicle are being kept, conveyed, landed, or sold in contravention of these Regulations, he may seize and detain the same until the Commissioner has decided whether they are liable to be forfeited or not.

19. Any person acting under such warrant shall not be liable to any suit for seizing or detaining any fire-arms or ammunition, subject, or presumably subject, to the provisions of these Regulations.

20. Fire-arms and ammunition belonging to, or imported for the use of, the Government of the Protectorate are exempted from the provisions of these Regulations; but any person unlawfully possessing or dealing with any such fire-arms or ammunition shall nevertheless be guilty of an offence against these Regulations, and punishable accordingly.

21. These Regulations shall come into force on such day as may be appointed by the Commissioner, and that date is hereinbefore referred to as the commencement of these Regulations.

Foreign Office, London, June 3, 1896.

SALISBURY

REGULATIONS as to Fire-arms in the East Africa Protectorate.-London, November 11, 1896.

[Came into force December 29, 1896.]

WHEREAS under "The Zanzibar Order in Council, 1888,"* and "The Africa Order in Council, 1889,"+ the Consul-General has power from time to time to make Regulations for peace, order, and good government, and for enforcing the observance of any Treaty or Convention to which Her Majesty may be a party;

And whereas Her Majesty is a party to the General Act of the Brussels Conference, signed at Brussels on the 2nd July, 1890;‡

And whereas it is expedient that Regulations should be made for carrying into effect in the East Africa Protectorate the provisions of the said General Act with respect to the importation of fire-arms and ammunition;

Vol. LXXIX, page 1060.

+ Vol. LXXXI, page 301.

Vol. LXXXII, page 55.

It is hereby notified that the Consul-General has, in pursuance of the powers aforesaid, made the following

Regulations.

1. These Regulations may be cited as "The East Africa Firearms Regulations, 1896."

2. In these Regulations

"Fire-arm" means any cannon, gun, rifle, machine-gun, or other fire-arm, whether whole or in detached pieces.

"Ammunition" means any gunpowder, cartridges, balls, caps, and any other materials for loading fire-arms.

"Arm of precision" means any breech-loading or other rifle, or any magazine-gun or machine-gun.

"Public warehouse" means any building or place which the Consul-General shall have by Proclamation appointed for the deposit and storage of fire-arms and ammunition, and for the other purposes of these Regulations.

"The Protectorate" means the East Africa Protectorate.

"Sub-Commissioner " means, in relation to any district of the Protectorate, the Sub-Commissioner for that district.

"Prohibited zone" means the zone specified in Article VIII of the Brussels Act.

3. All fire-arms and ammunition imported into the Protectorate shall be deposited, at the cost, risk, and peril of the importer, in a public warehouse.

4. Any fire-arms or ammunition shall not be withdrawn from a public warehouse except in accordance with a permit in writing signed by a Sub-Commissioner.

5. Before a permit for withdrawal is granted, every complete firearm, and, where the parts are not complete, every part of a fire-arm, and every package of ammunition, shall be stamped with a distinctive mark and number, and registered according to such mark and number, and, if necessary, according to any other existing marks and numbers.

6. Before granting a permit for the withdrawal of any arms of precision, or any ammunition suitable thereto, and intended for use within the Protectorate, the Sub-Commissioner may require a guarantee, with or without security, as the Sub-Commissioner thinks fit, that the arms and ammunition will not be given, assigned, or sold to any person within the Protectorate, except as provided in these Regulations. If the person applying for the permit is a subject of any European Power, a declaration by the competent authority of his Government that the arms or ammunition are destined exclusively for

his personal defence will be accepted as a guarantee under this Regulation, and no other security shall be required.

7. Before granting a permit for the withdrawal of any fire-arms or ammunition intended for exportation, the Sub-Commissioner may require a guarantee, with or without security, that the same are to be immediately exported to some place beyond the limits of the prohibited zone, or to some place within such zone for the service or with the approval of the Government having authority there.

8. Every permit shall specify the number and description of the fire-arms and ammunition authorized to be withdrawn. The SubCommissioner may, in his discretion, limit the number of tire-arms and quantities of ammunition permitted to be withdrawn at any one time.

9. The Sub-Commissioner may annex conditions to any permit for withdrawal of fire-arms or ammunition, and in particular he may

(a.) In the case of fire-arms or ammunition intended for exportation, specify the time within which the same are to be exported after withdrawal, and the place or places in which the same are to be secured in the interval.

(b.) In the case of fire-arms or ammunition intended for sale (other than arms of precision and ammunition suitable thereto), specify the store or depôt within which the same are to be kept before sale, and the region or district within which they may be sold, and may require accounts to be delivered at fixed times of the firearms and ammunition sold and remaining in stock respectively.

10. The storage of fire-arms and ammunition in a public warehouse shall be free of charge for six months after deposit. Thereafter a rent of 1 anna for each complete fire-arm, or each part of any incomplete fire-arm, and 2 annas for each package of ammunition, will be payable for every month during which the same is stored.

11. For the purpose of cleaning any fire-arms deposited in a public warehouse, access at reasonable times, to be fixed by the SubCommissioner, will be given to the owner or his agent. Such cleaning may be done at the owner's request by the persons in charge of the warehouse at reasonable charges, to be fixed by the Sub-Commissioner with the approval of the Consul-General.

12. A permit for withdrawal shall not be granted until all rent for storage and all charges for cleaning are fully paid, and where any such rent or charges are in arrear and unpaid for a period of six months, the fire-arms or ammunition may be destroyed, or otherwise disposed of, as the Sub-Commissioner, with the approval of the Consul-General, may direct.

13. Any person, at the commencement of these Regulations, possessing any fire-arms within the Protectorate shall, within such [1895-96. LXXXVIII.]

Р

time as may be fixed by the Consul-General by a Proclamation in this behalf, bring the same to a public warehouse or other place mentioned in the Proclamation, and every such fire-arm shall be stamped and registered in like manner as is required in these Regulations in the case of fire-arms deposited in a public warehouse.

14. Any fire-arm not brought for registration as herein provided. shall be deemed to be possessed in contravention of these Regulations.

15. Arms of precision, and any ammunition suitable to or intended for them, shall not be sold, transferred, bought, or received within the Protectorate except by permission of a Sub-Commissioner in writing, signified by him on the note of sale or transfer, or otherwise, as seems fit.

16. If any person imports, exports, sells, buys, transfers, keeps, uses, possesses, or deals with any fire-arms or ammunition in contravention of these Regulations, he shall be guilty of an offence, and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine which may extend to 1,000 rupees, or imprisonment which may extend to twelve months, with or without hard labour, and all the fire-arms or ammunition in respect of which the offence is committed may be forfeited.

17. It shall be lawful for any Magistrate, if satisfied by information on oath that any fire-arms or ammunition are being unlawfully kept, conveyed, landed, or sold in contravention of these Regulations at any place, whether a building or not, or in any ship or vehicle, to grant a warrant to enter at any time, and, if needs be, by force, on Sundays as well as on other days, the place, ship, or vehicle named in such warrant, and every part thereof, and to examine the same, and to search for any fire-arms or ammunition unlawfully kept therein, and to demand from the owner or occupier thereof the production of his licence or authority for keeping, conveying, landing, or selling the

same.

18. When the officer or other person executing such warrant has reasonable cause to believe that any fire-arms or ammunition found by him in any such place, ship, or vehicle are being kept, conveyed, landed, or sold in contravention of these Regulations, he may seize and detain the same until a Magistrate has decided whether they are liable to be forfeited or not.

19. Any person acting under such warrant shall not be liable to any suit for seizing or detaining any fire-arms or ammunition, subject, or presumably subject, to the provisions of these Regu lations.

20. Fire-arms and ammunition belonging to, or imported for the use of, the Government of the Protectorate are exempted from the provisions of these Regulations, but any person unlawfully possessing or dealing with any such fire-arms or ammunition shall nevertheless

be guilty of an offence against these Regulations, and punishable accordingly.

21. These Regulations shall come into force on such day as may be appointed by the Consul-General, and that date is hereinbefore referred to as the commencement of these Regulations.

Foreign Office, London, November 11, 1896.

SALISBURY.

BRITISH NOTIFICATION of the Declaration issued by the Japanese Government with regard to the position in Formosa of Subjects, Citizens, and Vessels of Powers having Treaty Relations with Japan.-London, February 13, 1896.*

Foreign Office, February 13, 1896. THE Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs has received a note. from the Japanese Minister stating that he has been instructed by telegraph to communicate to Her Majesty's Government the following Declaration which has been issued by the Japanese Government with regard to the position in Formosa of subjects, citizens, and vessels of Powers having Treaty relations with Japan:

"Order and tranquillity having been established in Formosa, the Japanese Government grant to the subjects, citizens, and vessels of Treaty Powers being in, or resorting to Formosa, the following privileges and facilities, namely:

"1. The subjects and citizens of Powers having Commercial Treaties with Japan may reside and trade in Formosa at Tamsui, Kelung, Anping, Tainan Fu, and Takao, and the vessels of such Powers may visit and carry cargo to and from the ports and harbours of Tamsui, Kelung, Anping and Takao.

"2. Notwithstanding the exceptional condition of affairs in Formosa, Treaties of Commerce and Navigation, Tariffs, and Arrangements existing and now in force between Japan and other Powers, are, so far as they are applicable, extended to the subjects, citizens, and vessels of such Powers, being in, or resorting to, Formosa, at the same time it being understood that all persons availing themselves of the above enumerated privileges and facilities shall obey all Decrees and Regulations which may at any time be in force in Formosa.""

The Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs has informed Her "London Gazette," February 14, 1896.