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In view of the decision of the Courts in this Country in the case of the Parlement Belge it is clear that Her Majesty's Government are unable to secure to Postal vessels that complete immunity from the process of the local Courts which is the privilege of Ships-of-war, but if the Imperial Government are prepared to cause instructions to be issued to the Imperial Consular Officers and to the Com- manders of the North German Lloyd's steamers and to the Agents of the Company in all British ports of call to give all necessary facilities to the local authorities in relation to Customs Regulations and to judicial process and not to claim to exercise the privilege in question to the detriment of public justice or of public rights it is unlikely that any practical difficulties will arise.
Her Majesty's Government are therefore prepared on that understanding to signify to the Governors of the Colonies at which the steamers of the North German Lloyds are intended to touch that the line is subsidized by the Imperial Govern- ment for Postal purposes and that it is the wish of Her Majesty's Government that the privileges mentioned in Art. V of the Postal Convention with France September 24th, 1856, should be extended to its vessels so long as the French Convention shall remain in force.
It is right however to add that both the French and Belgian Conventions may be determined at any time owing to the difficulties which I have pointed out and to the fact that as the British Mail steamers on the lines to India, China and Australia only touch at British ports they practically derive no benefit from the Article in question, while the other provisions of the Conventions have for the most part been abrogated by the Postal Union Treaty of Berne of October 9th, 1874, and by the Convention of Paris (the Universal Postal Union) of June 1st,
1878.
His Excellency
COUNT HATZFELDT,
fe.. fc.,
fc.
(Signed)
ROSEBERY.