Additional Article.-The parties signing have, moreover, agreed to record in this Protocol, being duly authorized so to do, that it is the will of the two Governments of the High Contracting Parties that this Protocol be and shall be considered as definitive, and, consequently, requires no approval or ulterior ratification by said. Governments.

In testimony whereof they signed and sealed the present Protocol, in two originals, in the city of Mexico, on the 14th of September, 1883.

(L.S.) JOSÉ FERNANDEZ.

(L.S.) MANUEL HERRERA, Junior.

ORDINANCE of the High Commissioner and Commander-inchief of the Island of Cyprus, with the advice of the Legislative Council thereof, for regulating the Limits of the Jurisdiction of Mussulman Religious Tribunals in Cyprus. [No. 4.]

ROBERT BIDDULPH.

[May 4, 1883.]

WHEREAS, under and by virtue of a Convention concluded at Constantinople on the 4th day of June, 1878,* and of an Annex to the said Convention made on the 1st day of July, 1878,† it was among other things provided that a Mussulman religious Tribunal should continue to exist in Cyprus which should take exclusive cognizance of religious matters and of no others, concerning the Mussulman population of the said island;

And whereas, by "The Cyprus Courts of Justice Order, 1882," provision was made for the vesting in and exercise by certain Courts of Justice thereby established all jurisdiction theretofore within the jurisdiction of the Mehkeme-i-Sheri excepting the jurisdiction thereof in religious matters concerning persons of the Mussulman faith;

And whereas it is expedient to provide for the maintenance of a sufficient number of religious Tribunals for the wants of the Mussulman population of Cyprus, and for the redistribution from time to time of such Tribunals in the said island and for the altering from time to time the limits of the local jurisdiction thereof;

Be it therefore enacted by his Excellency the High Commissioner and Commander-in-chief of the Island of Cyprus, with the advice of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:

1. It shall be lawful for the High Commissioner in Council from

* Vol. LXIX. Page 744.

† Vol. LXIX. Page 746.

time to time to prescribe the number of religious Tribunals which shall be maintained in Cyprus, and to define, extend, and vary the local limits of the jurisdiction of such Tribunals.

2. This Ordinance may be cited as "The Mussulman Religious Tribunals Ordinance, 1883."

Passed in Council this 1st day of May, in the year of Our Lord 1883.

H. M. SINCLAIR, Lieutenant, R.E.,

Clerk of Council.

AGREEMENT between Great Britain and Siam, for regulating the Traffic in Spirituous Liquors.-Signed at London, April 6, 1883.

THE Government of Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Government of His Majesty the King of Siam, being desirous of making satisfactory arrangements for the regulation of the traffic in spirituous liquors in Siam, the Undersigned, duly authorized to that effect, have agreed as follows:

ART. I. Spirits of all kinds not exceeding in alcoholic strength those permitted to be manufactured by the Siamese Government in Siam may be imported and sold by British subjects on payment of the same duty as that levied by the Siamese excise laws upon spirits manufactured in Siam; and spirits exceeding in alcoholic strength spirits manufactured in Siam as aforesaid may be imported and sold upon payment of such duty and of a proportionate additional duty for the excess of alcoholic strength above the Siamese Government standard.

Beer and wines may be imported and sold by British subjects on payment of the same duty as that levied by the Siamese excise laws upon similar articles manufactured in Siam, but the duty on imported beer and wines shall in no case exceed 10 per cent. ad valorem.

The said duty on imported spirits, beer, and wines shall be in substitution of, and not in addition to, the import duty of 3 per cent. leviable under the existing Treaties; and no further duty, tax, or imposition whatever shall be imposed on imported spirits, beer, and wines.

The scale of excise duty to be levied upon spirits, beer, and wines manufactured in Siam shall be communicated by the Siamese Government to Her Majesty's Agent and Consul-General at Bangkok, and no change in the excise duties shall affect British

subjects until after the expiration of six months from the date at which such notice shall have been communicated by the Siamese Government to Her Majesty's Representative at Bangkok.

II. The testing of spirits imported into the Kingdom of Siam by British subjects shall be carried out by European officials nominated by the Siamese authorities, and by an equal number of experts nominated by Her Majesty's Consul. In case of difference the parties shall nominate a third person, who shall act as umpire.

III. The Siamese Government may stop the importation by British subjects into Siam of any spirits which, on examination, shall be proved to be deleterious to the public health; and they may give notice to the importers, consignees, or holders thereof to export the same within three months from the date of such notice, and if this is not done the Siamese Government may seize the said spirits and may destroy them, provided always that in all such cases the Siamese Government shall be bound to refund any duty which may have been already paid thereon.

The testing of spirits imported by British subjects, and which may be alleged to be deleterious, shall be carried out in the manner provided by Article II.

The Siamese Government engage to take all necessary measures to prohibit and prevent the sale of spirits manufactured in Siam which may be deleterious to the public health.

IV. Any British subject who desires to retail spirituous liquors, beer, or wines in Siam must take out a special licence for that purpose from the Siamese Government, which shall not be refused. without just and reasonable cause.

This licence may be granted upon conditions to be agreed upon from time to time between the two Governments.

V. British subjects shall at all times enjoy the same rights and privileges in regard to the importation and sale of spirits, beer, wines, and spirituous liquors in Siam as the subjects of the most favoured nation; and spirits, beer, wines, and spirituous liquors coming from any part of Her Britannic Majesty's dominions shall enjoy the same privileges in all respects as similar articles coming from any other country the most favoured in this respect.

It is therefore clearly understood that British subjects are not bound to conform to the provisions of the present Agreement to any greater extent than the subjects of other nations are so bound.

VI. Subject to the provisions of Article V, the present Agreement shall come into operation on a date to be fixed by mutual consent between the two Governments, and shall remain in force until the expiration of six months' notice given by either party to determine the same.

The existing Treaty engagements between Great Britain and

Siam shall continue in full force until the present Agreement comes into operation; and after that date, except in so far as they are modified hereby.

Should the present Agreement be terminated the Treaty engagements between Great Britain and Siam shall revive, and remain as they existed previously to the signature hereof.

VII. In this Agreement the words "British subject" shall include any naturalized or protected subject of Her Britannic Majesty; and the words "Her Majesty's Consul" shall include any Consular officer of Her Britannic Majesty in Siam.

In witness whereof the Undersigned have signed the same in duplicate, and have affixed thereto their seals.

Done at London, the sixth day of April, 1883, corresponding to the fourteenth day of the waning moon of the month Phagunamas, of the year Horse, Fourth Decade, 1244, of the Siamese Astronomical Era. (L.S.) GRANVILLE. (L.S.) PRISDANG.

AGREEMENT between Great Britain and France, to regulate the Postal Relations between France and the Australasian Colonies by means of English and French Packets.-Signed at Paris, April 26, 1883; and at London, April 30, 1883.*

AGREEMENT regulating the exchange of correspondence between France and the French Colonies of the one part, and the British Colonies of Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania, of the other part, as well as the cost of conveyance of mails sent from the above-mentioned British Colonies to England or to other British Colonies and vice versa, by means of French Packets.

THE Postmaster-General of the United Kingdom of Great Britain. and Ireland, of the one part, and the Minister of the Posts and Telegraphs of France, of the other part;

Having regard to the Postal Convention concluded, the 24th September, 1856,† between France and England;

And the Universal Postal Union Convention signed at Paris the 1st June, 1878;‡

Have agreed as follows:

ART. I. There shall be paid to the French Administration for the conveyance by sea of correspondence forwarded by French packets, either from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and * Signed also in the French language.

† Vol. XLVI, Page 195.

Vol. LXIX. Page 210.

Ireland and its possessions, for Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania, or from Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania for France, the French Colonies, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the British possessions, the sum of 25 fr. for each kilog. of letters and post cards, and of 1 fr. for each kilog. of other articles.

Reciprocally, there shall be paid to the British Post Office for the conveyance by sea of correspondence forwarded by British packets, either from France and the French Colonies for Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania, or from French Colonies by way of Australia for France and other French Colonies, and vice versa, the sum of 25 fr. for each kilog. of letters and post cards, and 1 fr. for each kilog. of other Articles.

II. The French Postal Administration and the Postal Administration of each of the British Colonies of Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania shall be at liberty to hand over to each other reciprocally, either "à découvert" or in closed mails, correspondence for those countries in regard to which they can reciprocally make use of each other as intermediaries.

In such case the dispatching office will have to pay, in addition to the sea transit-rates specified in Article I above, the cost of the further conveyance, which shall be determined by the intermediary office as far as possible in accordance with the rules of the Universal Postal Union.

The Postal Union Rules shall also be applicable to the settlement of the cost of the French land transit of the mails sent from England to Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania, and vice versa, by means of French packets.

As to mails from or for the same British Colonies carried by the service known as the Indian Mail Service, their conveyance through France will continue to be governed by the special conditions now in force.

III. There may be exchanged between France and the French Colonies of the one part, and the British Colonies of Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania of the other part:

Ordinary letters prepaid to destination or unpaid, according to the wish of the senders;

Commercial papers, trade patterns without value, and printed papers of all kinds, prepaid to destination. Such articles shall not be forwarded unless prepaid at least in part.

The postage payable on the correspondence in question shall be levied in accordance with the Table (A) annexed to the present Agreement.

On correspondence prepaid in accordance with this tariff, no postage can be levied from the addressees.