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C.O. 885

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON |

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(3.) If the stay of the ship in port should exceed the time estimated, the provisions which are considered indispensable will be handed over to the captain by the Custom House authorities, the remainder being re-sealed and the correspond- ing correction made in the list.

(4.) In case the ship, whether in cargo or in ballast, sails for another Spanish port, the necessary provisions for the voyage and two extra days will be given to the captain, the remainder being sealed and a certified list of the provisions under seal given to the captain.

(5.) On her arrival, the Custom House will see that the seals are intact and that the provisions under them are as stated in the list which was given to the captain. This being so, a certificate of correctness will be given.

(6.) On the provisions which are missing, the ordinary tariff will be imposed once, and twice more as a fine. If the provisions are more than stated, the excess will be treated as cargo not mentioned in the manifest, and the corresponding fine will be levied.

(7.) If the seals are broken, the captain will incur a fine of 500 pesetas, unless it had happened by accident or was justifiable in any other way-for instance, if a reference to the Log showed that it had been necessary to extract provisions from the sealed packages. In this or in analogous cases a paper stating the facts would have to be drawn up and signed by the captain or by the consignoes in his name.

The publication of the Royal Order of May 4th, 1901, caused many complaints and petitions from companies whose vessels touch Spanish ports, and it was found necessary to issue another Royal Order on November 27th, 1901, explaining various points of uncertainty, and amending the table for calculating the consumption of provisions on board.

The decisions announced by this Royal Order refer in the most part to special cases, but the following are of general interest:—

(Paragraph 2.) That the sealing up of provisions is not enforced on national or foreign transatlantic mail steamers, which touch at Spanish ports to take up passengers and which only remain a few working hours in the day.

(Paragraph 3.) That spirits, candles, &c. &c., are not considered to be included in the table of provisions, if they are known to be of national production, with the exception of sugar, which is under special regulations in Spain. The quantities of tea, preserves and fine liquors stated in the table of consumption are increased.

(Paragraph 4.) Foreign vessels, which on concluding their discharge at a Spanish port go to another Spanish port to take in cargo or for coasting trade, are included in the regulations for vessels making regular and periodical voyages.

(Paragraph 10.) When a vessel has concluded her voyage of importation, and there remains a surplus of the provisions allotted at the first port of entry, the corresponding Customs duties will be demanded if the vessel has not carried out the itinerary which served as the basis of the calculation for the provisions, or does not sail direct for some foreign country.

Copies of the Royal Orders of June 24th, 1899, May 4th, 1901, and November 27th, 1901, are attached to this memorandum,

Madrid, March 22nd, 1902.

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on which duty has not been paid. These measures may, according to circumstances, be as follows:-All foreign goods (with the exception of those without packing) on which duty has not been paid shall be sealed or shall be placed in fastened or sealed hatches.

These precautionary measures not only apply to ports located on one sea, but also to those situated on different seas.

St. Petersburg, April 15th, 1902.

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JOHN MICHELL.

TELEGRAM from H.M, AMBASSADOR, St. Petersburg.

May 29th, 1902. No. 15 Commercial.

I have received official confirmation of the statement contained in my telegram No. 14 Commercial of the 19th instant, to the effect that the entire Russian coasting trade is confined to Russian vessels.

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MEMORANDUM by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (Translation from the Russian.)

No. 2505.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, First Department,

May 12th, 1902.

With reference to the verbal inquiry of His Excellency Sir Charles Scott, the First Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has the honour to inform the British Embassy that, according to information supplied by the Section of Mercantile Navigation, it would appear that in 1900, at the instance of the Governor-General of the Pri-Amur Region, cabotage for foreign vessels was, by way of exception, Imperially sanctioned from the 17th May 1900 for the period of one year, viz., to the 17th May 1901. On the expiration of this period, and at the instance of the Minister of Finance, such period was again renewed for another year, i.e., to the 17th May 1902.

The British Embassy.

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(d.) Russia.

MEMORANDUM by H.M. Consul-General at St. Petersburg.

Article 28 of Annex LX. to the Russian Customs Code, relating to the sea carriage of goods from one Russian port to another, provides in such cases that the Customs authorities at the port at which such goods were shipped shall be bound to take precautionary measures against the discharge at other ports of the Empire of goods

(Translation.)

(e.) Italy.

COUNT PRINETTI to LORD CURRIE.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rome, April 21st, 1902.

MONSIEUR L'AMBASSADEUR,

In order to be able to furnish the information desired by Your Excellency in your note of the 17th March last, I applied to the Ministry of Finance, within whose province the matter lies. That Ministry has just informed me that the exercise of Coasting trade on Italian shores is confined to vessels of those States which, in virtue of international agreements, allow the same treatment to the Italian flag.

Foreign vessels exercising this privilege must, however, be placed on the same footing as Italian vessels with regard to frontier dues on goods as well as all other taxes.

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