633202-1898-Local-Branch-Post-Office — Page 1

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(Translation.)

THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 2xd JULY, 1898.

BERLIN, April 21st, 1898.

In the name of His Majesty the Emperor, the undersigned has the honour to submit to the Reichstag, for its constitutional decision, the annexed draft of a Law respecting commercial relations with the British Empire, as approved by the Federal Council.

For the Imperial Chancellor.

To the Reichstag.

DRAFT OF A LAW

COUNT VON POSADOWSKY.

RESPECTING COMMERCIAL RELATIONS WITH THE BRITISH EMPIRE.

We, William, by the Grace of God, German Emperor, King of Prussia, &c., ordain in the name of the Empire, with the consent of the Federal Council and of the Reichstag, as follows:

The Federal Council is authorised to extend to the subjects and to the products of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, as also to the subjects and products of British Colonies and Foreign Possessions, during the period up to the 30th of July, 1899, the advantages which are accorded by the Empire to the subjects or products of the most favoured nation.

Given under our Imperial Hand and Seal, &c.

EXPOSÉ DES MOTIFS.

On the 30th of July last Her Britannic Majesty's Government denounced the Treaty of Commerce between the Zollverein and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland of the 30th of May, 1865. In consequence of this denunciation, the Treaty, together with the Supplementary Agreements since made, will terminate on the 30th of July next.

As Her Britannic Majesty's Government have declared their readiness to conclude a new Treaty, negotiations have been entered into, which have not, however, as yet led to a conclusion.

In order that the time necessary for the negotiations may be kept free, it is desirable that the Federal Council should be authorised to extend to the various portions of the British Empire, for one year after the terinination of the Treaty of the 30th of May, 1865, the most favoured nation treatment hitherto accorded to them. The Federal Council will only be able to make use of this authorisation with regard to the British Empire or portions of the same, in so far as no alteration of most favoured nation treatment takes place in them to the disadvantage of the subjects or exports of Germany, and especially also in so far as in British Colonies and Possessions the subjects and products of Germany are not treated in a more unfavourable manner than those of the British mother country. Similarly it will be a condition for the exercise of this authorisation on the part of the Federal Council, that the customs duties levied in the British territories in question shall not be altered in a manner materially disadvantageous to German export trade.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.-No. 295.

The following Notice is published.

By Command,

T. SERCOMBE SMITH,

Acting Colonial Secretary.

Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 2ud July, 1898.

NOTICE.

Branch Post Offices will be opened on Tuesday, the 5th instant, at Kowloon (in the Wharf and Godown Company's premises), and at No. 111, Praya West.

These offices will be open to the public from 7.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. on ordinary days and from 8 to 9 a.m. on Sundays and holidays. Only ordinary letters, papers, &c. will be accepted at these offices for the present.

General Post Office, Hongkong, 1st July, 1898.

A. M. THOMSON,

Postmaster General,