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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 30TH OCTOBER, 1886.

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The four other delegations were not in possession of full powers to sign the final procès-verbal. As appears, however, in the Appendix to the records of the Conference, one of these delegations, having received his full powers too late to sign the final procès-verbal, has declared his acceptance of it in the shape agreed upon, after deliberation, by the Conference.

In compliance with the desire expressed in this document, we have the honour to forward to your Excellency a certain number of copies of the records of the Conference, which contain, besides the Protocols of the sittings, and the detailed Report of the Commission upon the various draftings under consideration-the documents adopted by the Delegates, and recommended by them to the consideration of their Governments, viz. :-

1. Convention concerning the creation of an International Union for the protection of literary and artistic works.*

2. Additional Article to the said Convention.*

3. Final Protocol.*

We recommend these documents to the favourable consideration of your Excellency, requesting special attention to the fact that by the unanimous consent of the Conference, the texts now adopted thereat cannot be subjected to further amendment, and that it remains only to fill in the blank left for the indication of the time and place of the next Conference of the Delegates of the Union, and to sign the definitive Convention itself. We trust that your Excellency will recognize the utility of the projected Conference, and that in the actual constitution of the Union the States represented at the Conference of 1885 will all take part, and that their number may be increased by the accession of other States who may be disposed to join in this work of progress.

We therefore invite your Excellency to be represented at a fresh Conference to be held at Berne in September, 1886, for the purpose of signing the Convention, and we hope that your Excellency's Delegate may be furnished with full powers for the signature of this diplomatic instrument.

We shall be glad if your Excellency will make known to us as soon as possible if we may count on the participation of Her Majesty's Government in this Conference.

We avail, &c.

In the name of the Swiss Federal Council:

For the President of the Confederation,

(Signed)

The Chancellor of the Confederation,

WELTI.

No. 63.

(Signed)

RINGIER.

Sir,

Sir J. Pauncefote to Sir T. Farrer.

Foreign Office, November 28, 1885.

I AM directed by the Marquis of Salisbury to transmit to you a copy of a note from the Swiss Agent and Consul-General in London, † inclosing an invitation from the Federal Council to Her Majesty's Government to authorize their Representative at Berne to sign next September on behalf of Her Majesty's Government the Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Property, the draft of which was unanimously agreed to by the Delegates present at the Copyright Conference held this year.

The project having now assumed a final and definite shape, it will probably be signed next year by the Representatives of the most important European States, and it appears therefore to Lord Salisbury to be necessary to decide without loss of time the question, whether Great Britain should become one of the Signatory Parties to the International Copyright Union, and, if so, what steps it may be necessary to take for that purpose.

With this view, I am to request that the Board of Trade will favour his Lordship, as soon as convenient, with any observations which they may have to offer upon the recommendations made by the British Delegates in their Report dated the 25th September last, of which a copy was inclosed in my letter of the 19th ultimo, and generally with any suggestions which may occur to them in connec- tion with the matter.

I am, &c.

(Signed)

JULIAN PAUNCEFOTE.

* See Inclosure 2 in No, 58,

† No. 62.