CO885-8 — Page 165

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The law of June 28th, 1888, which sanctions a new commercial code, has the following provisions :—

"Article 3.-As soon as the code comes into force, all anterior legislation which deals with those subjects embraced by the said code is revoked, and in general all previous commercial legislation.

"§1. Legislation regarding judicial proceedings not contrary to the provisions of the new code is excepted, as well as that which regulates commerce between the ports of Portugal, the islands and Portuguese dominions in whatever part of the world, whether by exportation or by importation, and reciprocally.

"§2. The Government may suspend temporarily the execution of the legislation excepted in the final part of the preceding paragraph, with regard to the Island of Madeira, rendering an account to the Côrtes of the use they have made of this authorisation."

"

The law of September 16th, 1890, which abolished tonnage, anchorage, sanitary and "direito de carga," quarantine dues, and substituted for them a single due called (cargo dues) contains the following paragraph in Article 4 :-

"For a period of five years from the publication of the present law no cargo dues shall be levied on ships in the port of Funchal, except, in view of contracts, those belonging to firms or companies subsidized by the State."

On the 30th of April, 1895, a decree was issued opening the coasting trade of Madeira to foreign vessels, under the provisions of the law of June 28th, 1888, above quoted, and renewing the exemption from cargo dues in Funchal for a further period of five years.

The two articles of the decree are as follows:-

"Article 1. The legislation which regulates the commerce between national ports, whether by exportation or by importation, and reciprocally, is suspended with regard to the Island of Madeira.

"Article 2. The period for exemption from cargo dues in the port of Funchal, fixed in the law of the 16th of September, 1890, is prolonged for five more years, to count from the publication of the present decree."

The provisions of the preceding article, No. 2, were prolonged for a further period of five years by the decree of April 26th, 1900.

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 885

8

Lil

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDONÍ ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH--NOT TO.