sera admise comme base pour le calcul des droits à percevoir dans les ports japonais.

Si, comme je l'espère, le Gouvernement Japonais ne verra aucun inconvénient à accéder à la demande du Gouvernement du Roi, je suppose qu'une publication officielle en Norvège et au Japon, faite dans les formes usitées, suffira pour donner à cet arrangement la sanction requise.

Aussitôt que je tiendrai un exemplaire de la publication japonaise je m'empresserai de le transmettre au Gouvernement du Roi afin qu'une publication semblable soit faite en Norvège. Veuillez etc. etc.

Son Excellence

Monsieur le Ministre des Affaires Etrangères

de S. M. l'Empereur du Japon.

v. Bylandt.

Monsieur le Ministre.

Tokio, le 29 Janvier 1902.

D'un autre côté, le Gouvernement Imperial accepte intégralement les propositions contenues dans la lettre N:o 26 que Son Excellence Monsieur le Comte de Bylandt avait adressée au Ministre des Affaires Etrangères en date du 22 Mai 1894 au sujet de la reconnaissance mutuelle du certificat de jauge, entre les Gouvernements Japonais et Norvégien.

Mon Gouvernement se propose de mettre en vigueur les clauses des arrangements en question à partir du 1:er avril de la présente année, ainsi que Votre Excellence voudra bien s'en rendre compte par les projets de l'arrêté et de la notification du Ministère des communications qu'elle trouvera sous ce pli.

Je Lui serais reconnaissant de me le faire savoir, si elle avait quelques observations à faire.

Veuillez agréer etc.

Komura Jutaro,

Ministre des Affaires Etrangères.

S. Exc. Monsieur le Jonkheer Testa, Envoyé Extraordinaire et Ministre Plénipotentiaire de Suède & Norvège

etc. etc. etc.

Libéria.

Traité du 1 septembre 1863 d'amitié, de commerce et de navigation.

Ratifié à Stockholm le 26 février et à Monrovia le 14 janvier 1864. Les ratifications ont été échangées à Londres le 27 juil let 1864.

Art. I. There shall be perpetual peace and friendship between His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway, His Heirs and Successors, on the one part, and the Republic of Liberia, on the other part, and also between the subjects and citizens of the respective States.

Art. II. The slave-trade is prohibited and declared criminal by the two contracting parties.

Art. III. A) Swedish and Norwegian subjects in the Republic of Liberia, and Liberian citizens in the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, shall enjoy religious liberty in accordance with the legislation in force in the respective countries.

B) There shall be reciprocal freedom of commerce between the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, and the Republic of Liberia. The subjects of His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway shall be permitted to reside and trade in any part whatever of the territory of the Republic of Liberia, where other foreigners now are or in future may be admitted. They shall enjoy full protection for their persons and property. They shall be allowed to buy from and sell to whomsoever they choose, without being placed under any limitation or restriction from monopolies, contracts or any other exclusive privileges of purchase or sale whatever. They shall have the right to possess, on the same terms as native citizens, and without being subjected to any special tax or impost as foreigners, personal property of any and every description, and freely to dispose of the same according to

the laws of the country; to succeed to and to transmit such property, whether by inheritance ab intestato or by testament. They shall enjoy all other rights and privileges which now are or hereafter may be conceded to any other foreigners, the subjects or citizens of the most favoured nation. In consideration whereof the citizens of the Republic of Liberia shall enjoy in the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway the same protection and the same privileges.

Art. IV. No other or higher duties on tonnage of importation or charges or taxes of any descriptions whatever shall be levied in the Republic of Liberia on Swedish or Norwegian vessels or on goods imported or exported in Swedish or Norwegian vessels, than are levied on the vessels of the Republic or on the goods imported or exported in the same; and in like manner no other or higher duties on tonnage of importation or other charges or taxes shall be levied in the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway on the vessels of the Republic or on the goods imported or exported in the same, than in like case would be levied on national vessels or on the goods imported or exported in the same. Liberian vessels shall be admitted to the colonies of His Majesty The King of Sweden and Norway on the same terms as the vessels of the most favoured nations; but in respect to the intercourse between Sweden and Norway and the colonies as also to the coasting trade in the countries belonging to either of the contracting parties the laws of the respective States are to be followed.

Art. V. Produce and wares imported from Swedish or Norwegian Ports into the Republic of Liberia, irrespective of the nationality of the vessels, and imported in Swedish or Norwegian vessels, irrespective of the ports of lading, shall be subject to no prohibition, nor to any other or higher duties on the part of the Republic than in like case are levied on the same produce or wares imported from any other place or in any other foreign vessels. Likewise all articles produced in the Republic may be exported by Swedish or Norwegian merchants and in Swedish or Norwegian vessels on as favourable conditions as are conceded to the flag and to the citizens of any other foreign State. In like manner all produce and wares exported from the ports of the Republic of Liberia, irrespective of the nationality of the vessels, and imported into Swedish or Norwegian ports in Liberian vessels, irrespective of the ports of lading, shall, on the part of the United Kingdoms be subject neither to prohibition nor to any other or higher duties than are levied on the same produce or wares imported from any other foreign place or in any other foreign vessels. Likewise all articles of Swedish or Norwegian pro

duction may be exported by Liberian citizens and in Liberian vessels on as favourable conditions as they can be exported by the citizens and in the vessels of any other foreign State.

Art. VI. The protection of the Government of the Republic of Liberia shall be granted to all Swedish and Norwegian vessels, their officers and crews. If any Swedish or Norwegian ship be wrecked on the coast of the Republic, the local authorities shall succour and protect the same against plunder and see that all articles saved from the wreck be restored to their lawful owner. In like manner the protection of His Majesty The King of Sweden and Norway shall be granted to all Liberian ships, their officers and crews. If any such ship should be wrecked on the coasts of Sweden or Norway, the local authorities shall succour and protect the same against plunder and see that all articles saved from the wreck be restored to their lawful owner. The amount of the salvage-dues shall be regulated, in case of dispute, by arbitrators chosen by the two parties.

Art. VII. It being the intention of the two contracting parties to bind themselves by the present treaty to treat each other on the basis of the most favoured nation, it is agreed that every favour, preference or immunity, which one of the contracting parties may now or at any future time grant to the citizens or subjects of any other State in matter of commerce or navigation, shall at once be extended to the citizens or subjects of the other contracting party, gratuitously, if the concession in favour of such other State shall have been gratuitous, or for a consideration, if it has been conditionally granted, the consideration to be determined by common consent, and to correspond as far as possible in value and importance with that for which the said favour had been granted.

Art. VIII. Each of the contracting parties shall have the right to appoint, for the protection of commerce, Consuls and Vice-Consuls in the territories of the other. These fonctionaries can not, however, enter upon the duties of their office before they have been recognized in the customary manner by the Government of the country where they are to reside. They shall enjoy, both in their persons and in the exercise of their official duties, the same protection and privileges that are accorded to Consuls of the most favoured nations.

Art. IX. The respective Consuls of the contracting parties shall have the right to cause to be arrested and sent back, either on board their own ship, or home, such seamen as have deserted from the ships of their own nation, whilst in the ports of the other, provided however they be not subjects of the power on who's territory the desertion has taken place. To this end they shall apply, in writing, to

the local authorities and prove by an exhibition of the original, or of a certified copy, of the register of the vessel, or of the roll of the crew, or by other official documents, that the persons claimed belonged to the crew of the ship designated. On such demand the deserters shall be surrendered to the Consuls. All necessary assistance shall besides be afforded them for the apprehension of the said deserters, who on the demand of the Consul, and at his expense, shall be detained and kept in the public prisons of the country, until the Consul has found an opportunity for sending them home. If, however, no such opportunity should occur within two months from the date of the arrest, the deserters shall be set at liberty and not again be liable to arrest for the

same cause.

Art. X. It is clearly and reciprocally understood by the contracting parties that no article, nor any part of this treaty whatever, shall be so interpreted, constructed or understood as prohibiting the respective Governments of the contracting parties, whenever either or both shall be disposed so to do, from restricting by statute law the vessels as well as the exports and imports belonging to subjects or citizens of the other, to the regularly constituted ports of entry within their respective dominions.

Art. XI. The present Treaty shall be in force for ten years from the date of the exchange of the ratifications, and further until the end of twelve months after either of the contracting parties shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the same; each of the contracting parties reserving to itself the right of giving such notice to the other at the end of the said term of ten years, or at any later period.

Art. XII. The present Treaty shall be ratified by both the contracting parties, and the ratifications exchanged in London, within twelve months from this date, or sooner if possible.

In witness hereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed this Treaty and affixed their seals thereto.

Done at London on the first day of September A. D. Eighteen hundred and sixty three.

C. Wachtmeister.

Gerard Ralston.