668638-1886-International-and-Colonial-Copyright-Act- — Page 24

998 THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 30TH OCTOBER, 1886.

My Lord,

Inclosure in No. 30.

The President of the Swiss Confederation to Earl Granville..

(Translation.)

Berne, October 17, 1884. GRACIOUSLY accepting our invitation, your Lordship was good enough to appoint a Repre- sentative to the Diplomatic Conference which was held at Berne on the 8th September last, to inquire in what manner it would be possible to arrive at a common agreement on the international protection to be accorded to the authors of literary and artistic works.

After laborious sittings, the Delegates of all the countries represented at that Conference agreed upon accepting a final procès-verbal, in which they engaged to submit the result of their deliberations to the examination of their respective Governments.

We have the honour to transmit to your Lordship copies of the proceedings of the Conference, which contain, besides the reports of their sittings, the suggestions adopted by the Delegates, and recommended by them to the attention of their Governments, namely

I.

(a.) Draft of Convention with reference to the creation of a general Union for the protection of the rights of authors;

(b.) Draft of Additional Article to that Convention;

(c.) Draft of Protocole de Clôture.

II.

Principles recommended for an eventual unification. *

We beg you to take into your favourable consideration these suggestions, in which an effort has been made to conciliate all tendencies and all interests, and to favour us before the 1st April next with any observations which you may have to make thereon, pointing out to us, if there should be occasion to do so, any modifications which you may wish to see introduced. On the above-mentioned date we propose to communicate to all the Governments a résumé of the observations and proposals which we may have received, and to convene, at the same time,. a new Diplomatic Conference for the month of September, 1885, for which it would be desirable that the Powers should give their Delegates instruc- tions, and definitive Full Powers.

We trust that your Lordship will be able to inform us of the views of your Government on the results of the labours of the Conference, and we avail, &c.

Sir,

In the name of the Swiss Federal Council :

For the President of the Confederation,

(Signed) L. RUCHONNET. The Chancellor of the Confederation, (Signed)

No. 31.

Sir J. Pauncefote to M. Vernet.

RINGIER.

Foreign Office, November 14, 1884.

I AM directed by Earl Granville to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 4th instant, relative to the International Copyright Conference at Berne; and I am to acquaint you, in reply, that his Lordship will take the subject into careful consideration in communication with the proper Depart- ment of Her Majesty's Government; and that he will in due time make a reply to the Circular note which the Federal Council have been so good as to address to him.

I am, &c.

(Signed)

JULIAN PAUNCEFOTE.

No. 32.

Sir,

Mr. Calcraft to Sir J. Pauncefote.-(Received December 3.)

Board of Trade, London, December 2, 1884. REFERRING to your communication of the 22nd October, relative to the proceedings of the recent International Copyright Conference of Berne, and asking that Earl Granville may receive the opinion of this Board as to the course it may be advisable for Her Majesty's Government to pursue in the matter, I am directed by the Board of Trade to request that the following reply may be laid before his Lordship.

* See Inclosures to No. 25.