No. 1.
Earl Granville to Prince Narès Varariddhi.
M. le Ministre,
Foreign Office, August 1, 1884. BY Article VI of the Agreement between the Governments of Great Britain and Siam for regulating the traffic in spirituous liquors of the 6th April, 1883, it is stipulated that, "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."
I have now the honour to propose, on behalf of Her Majesty's Govern- ment, that the 1st January, 1885, be fixed as the date in question; and I should be glad to receive a note from you to the effect that this proposal is accepted by the Siamese Government.
I beg leave, at the same time, to state that the fact of a date being thus fixed will in no wise prejudice the right of British subjects, under Article V of the aforesaid Convention, to claim, now or hereafter, the treatment accorded to subjects of the most favoured nation in regard to the spirit trade in Siam,
No. 2.
I have, &c.
(Signed) GRANVILLE,
Prince Narès Varariddhi to Earl Granville.—(Received August 2.)
The Siamese Legation, 14, Ashburn Place, London, August 2, 1884.
My Lord,
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the letter of your Lordship dated yesterday, in which the 1st January, 1885, is proposed by your Lordship as the date on which the Agreement between the Governments of Siam and Great Britain for regulating the traffic in spirituous liquors shall come into operation. On behalf of the Siamese Government, I beg to accept this date, and to assure your Lordship that the Siamese Government is fully alive to the fact to which your Lordship makes reference, that the fixing of the date cannot in any way prejudice the right of British subjects secured to them under the Vth Article of the aforesaid Agreement.
I have, &c.
(Signed) NARES VARARIDDHI.
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