delivery within a specified time, shall be reciprocally returned without charge directly to the dispatching exchange office at the expiration of thirty days from the date of their receipt at the office of destination. * XI. All matters connected with the exchange of mails between the two countries which are not herein provided for shall be governed by the provisions of the Universal Postal Convention and Regulations now in force, or which may hereafter be enacted, for the government of such matters in the exchange of mails between countries of the Universal Postal Union generally, so far as the Articles of such Universal Postal Convention shall be obligatory upon both of the Contracting Parties. XII. The Postmaster-General of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Panamá shall have authority to jointly make such further regulations of order and detail as may be found necessary to carry out the present Convention from time to time; and may by agreement prescribe conditions for the admission to the mails of any of the articles prohibited by Article I. XIII. This Convention abrogates the postal relations existing between the two countries. It shall be ratified by the contracting countries in accordance with their respective laws, and its ratification shall be exchanged at the city of Washington as early as possible. It shall take effect thirty days from the exchange of ratifications and shall continue in force until terminated by mutual agreement, or annulled at the instance of the Post Office Department of either country upon six months' previous notice given to the other. Done in duplicate, and signed at Washington the 19th day of June, 1905. (L.S.) GEORGE B. CORTELYOU, Postmaster- AGREEMENT between the United States of America and the Republic of Panamá, to amend the Postal Convention of June 19, 1905.-Signed at Washington, July 19, 1905. For the purpose of perfecting the Postal Convention between the United States of America and the Republic of Panamá, signed * Vol. LXXXIX, page 65. at Washington on the 19th June, 1905;* the Undersigned, George B. Cortelyou, Postmaster-General of the United States of America, and J. D. de Obaldia, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Panamá, in the exercise of powers duly conferred upon them, have agreed upon the following amendment to said Postal Convention : Add to Article I of the Convention the following paragraph: "(c.) The classification of, and the rates of postage and the registration fee to be levied and collected upon, mail matter originating in either country and addressed to the other, shall be in accordance with the domestic laws and regulations of the country of origin: Provided that the rates of postage and registration fees so levied shall not exceed in either country the minimum rates of postage and registration fee prescribed for articles of a like nature, by the Articles of the Universal Postal Convention which is in force." Done in duplicate, and signed at Washington the 19th day of July, 1905. (L.S.) GEORGE B. CORTELYOU, Postmaster- DECREE of the King of Spain, prolonging the Application of Customs Tariff (B) to all Most-favoured-nation Countries, except Italy, till March 1, 1906.--Madrid, August 15, 1905. (Translation.) AN Act of the 4th July, 1905, having authorized the Government to prolong up to the 1st March, 1906, if necessary, the application to importations from countries which admit Spanish products to most-favoured-nation treatment, of the duties fixed by Tariff (B) of the Commercial Convention with Switzerland of the 13th July, 1892,† in so far as such a concession be justified in the view of the Government by considerations of reciprocity. This Convention has formed the base of our commercial relations with foreign countries, owing to the elaborate character of its Tariff; for although other Treaties are in force, such as those with Denmark, Greece, Norway, the Netherlands and Colonies, Sweden * Page 898. + Vol. LXXXIV, page 223. and Portugal, yet the five first either contain no Tariffs or only Tariffs of no importance, and the dispositions of the latter, with Portugal, are peculiar, owing to its being a neighbouring State and not applicable to other countries. Since the Convention with Switzerland terminates at an early date, the second Tariff of the Customs régime now existing would then come into force against the products of the countries now enjoying most-favoured-nation treatment in Spain; this Tariff would again have to be modified at the introduction of the new régime in course of elaboration or on the conclusion of Commercial Treaties. Continuity in Tariff régime being desirable for the development of commerce, the latter would inevitably suffer from such violent and frequent variations, and there are, moreover, to be considered the possible retaliatory measures which would be taken against our products by other countries. The legislative authority referred to above provides adequate measures for avoiding these difficulties, if it be applied with the promptitude required by the circumstances and the necessity of securing a sound basis for future legislation. The prolongation of the status quo presents no difficulties, as it applies to nearly all foreign countries-Spanish products enjoying almost universal most-favoured-nation treatment as a permanence. Consequently such prolongation will be applied to all countries enjoying most-favoured-nation treatment until the 1st March, 1906, without prejudice to the negotiations now proceeding with Switzerland with some special reservations as regards the date of the prolongation in regard to Italy. Italy has denounced the actual modus vivendi, which consequently terminates on the 21st November next, but proposed a provisional arrangement, which has not yet been concluded. Therefore the prolongation will apply to Italian products only until the 21st November unless a new modus vivendi be in the meantime concluded on a basis of reciprocity. On these grounds we submit the following Decree to your Majesty. Madrid, August 14, 1905. Decree. The following is decreed under the Act of the 4th July last, and in agreement with the Council of Ministers : ART. 1. The duties fixed by Tariff (B) of the Commercial Convention between Spain and Switzerland of the 13th July, 1892, will continue to be applied until the 1st March, 1906, to the products of Annam, Austria, Hungary, Belgium, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Egypt, France and Algiers, Germany, Great Britain and Colonies, Greece, Guatemala, Chile, China, Italy, Japan, Luxem burg, Morocco, Mexico, Nicaragua, Norway, Netherlands and Colonies, Paraguay, Persia, Peru, Portugal, Argentine Republic, Russia, Salvador, Siam, Sweden, Tunis, Turkey, Uruguay and Venezuela. Art. 2. The prolongation of this régime will apply to Italian products only until the 21st November next, unless an arrangement be in the meantime come to with that country. Art. 3. The Departments of State and of Finance will take the necessary measures for the execution of this Decree. August 15, 1903. ALFONSO. CIRCULAR issued by the United States, proposing the meeting of a Second Peace Conference at The Hague.-Washington, October 21, 1904. To the Representatives of the United States accredited to the Govern ments signatories to the Acts of The Hague Conference, 1899. SIR, Department of State, Washington, THE Peace Conference which assembled at The Hague on the 18th May, 1899, marked an epoch in the history of nations. Called by His Majesty the Emperor of Russia to discuss the problems of the maintenance of general peace, the regulation of the operations of war, and the lessening of the burdens which preparedness for eventual war entails upon modern peoples, its labours resulted in the acceptance by the Signatory Powers of Conventions for the peaceful adjustment of international difficulties by arbitration, and for certain humane amendments to the laws and customs of war by land and sea. A great work was thus accomplished by the Conference, while other phases of the general subject were left to discussion by another Conference in the near future, such as questions affecting the rights and duties of neutrals, the inviolability of private property in naval warfare, and the bombardment of ports. towns, and villages by a naval force. Among the movements which prepared the minds of Governments for an accord in the direction of assured peace among men, a high place may fittingly be given to that set on foot by the InterParliamentary Union. From its origin in the suggestions of a Member of the British House of Commons, in 1888, it developed until its membership included large numbers of Delegates from the Parliaments of the principal nations, pledged to exert their influence toward the conclusion of Treaties of Arbitration between nations and toward the accomplishment of peace. Its annual Conferences have notably advanced the high purposes it sought to realize. Not only have many international Treaties of Arbitration been concluded, but, in the Conference held in Holland in 1894, the memorable declaration in favour of a Permanent Court of Arbitration was a forerunner of the most important achievement of the Peace Conference of The Hague in 1899. The annual Conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Union was held this year at St. Louis, in appropriate connection with the world's fair. Its deliberations were marked by the same noble devotion to the cause of peace and to the welfare of humanity which had inspired its former meetings. By unanimous vote of delegates, active or retired members of the American Congress, and of every Parliament in Europe with two exceptions, the following Resolution was adopted : Whereas enlightened public opinion and modern civilization alike demand that differences between nations should be adjudicated and settled in the same manner as disputes between individuals are adjudicated, namely, by the arbitrament of Courts in accordance with recognized principles of law, this Conference requests the several Governments of the world to send Delegates to an international Conference to be held at a time and place to be agreed upon by them for the purpose of considering "1. The questions for the consideration of which the Conference at The Ilague expressed a wish that a future Conference be called, "2. The negotiation of Arbitration Treaties between the nations represented at the Conference to be convened. "3. The advisability of establishing an International Congress to convene periodically for the discussion of international questions. "And this Conference respectfully and cordially requests the President of the United States to invite all the nations to send Representatives to such a Conference." On the 24th September ultimo these Resolutions were presented to the President by a numerous deputation of the InterParliamentary Union. The President accepted the charge offered to him, feeling it to be most appropriate that the Executive of the nation which had welcomed the Conference to its hospitality should give voice to its impressive utterances in a cause which the American Government and people hold dear. He announced that he would at an early day invite the other nations, parties to The Hague Conventions, to reassemble with a view to pushing forward toward completion the work already legun at The Hague by considering the questions which the first Conference had left unsettled with the express provision that there should be a second Conference. |