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ART. 27. The National Bank of Haiti, which has charge of sending to the United States the matallic pieces of 1 gourde and of 50 centimes, as stated in article 24, will receive directly, and place to the credit of the Government, the new pieces of 50, 25, and 10 cents.

ART. 28. As these coins arrive, the commission of control, upon notification by the Secretary of Finance, will meet at the national bank and assist at the verification of the packages which contain them. A report stating the quantity of silver pieces received will be made at every verification. A duplicate will be sent to the Secretary of Finance, another to the commission of control, and a third to the national bank. After each verification, these reports will be published in the Moniteur by the Department of Finance.

ART. 29. As the pieces of the new coinage arrive, the withdrawal at 50 per cent premium of the metallic pieces of 20 and of 10 centimes now in circulation will be instituted. This withdrawal will be carried on by the national bank under the same conditions of supervision, of verification, and of publicity prescribed by articles 21 and 23 preceding.

ART. 30. The pieces of 20 and 10 centimes retired from circulation will be, under the supervision of the commission, sent abroad by the national bank to be sold for American gold. The net proceeds of these sales, after having been, at the time they were deposited in bank, submitted to the conditions of control and publicity required by article 28, will be applied (1) to reimburse, always at 50 per cent premium, the balance of the I gourde and 50 centime pieces; (2) to withdraw from circulation, at the same rate as the other coins, a sum of 100,000 gourdes in bronze coin of the last issue, and all the copper money coined under the governments of Boyer, Riché, Soulouque, and Geffrard; (3) to pay all the expenses of the loan, of the withdrawal, and of the coinage. The balance of the proceeds of said sales, if there is any, will remain on deposit at the National Bank of Haiti, and will constitute a reserve for the treasury, which it is forbidden to touch without express authorization of the Legislative Body.

ART. 31. The copper coin withdrawn from circulation will likewise remain on deposit in the national bank, and can never be restored to circulation without a resolution of the legislative chambers, necessitated by the insufficiency of current money and an imperious need of exchange.

ART. 32. The commission created by article 3 of the present law will exercise control not only over the transactions of the loan and withdrawal, but also over everything which directly or indirectly concerns these operations. It will be established as soon as the withdrawal begins. All the books, papers, printed matter, and things necessary for the work of the commission will be furnished by the national bank, at the Government's expense. A certain number of employees will be placed at its disposal to care for the accounts, and to transact all the duties of the service. These employees will be chosen by the commission and paid from the public treasury. Their number and their salary will be determined by the commission and the Secretary of Finance.

ART. 33. The functions of the control commission correspond partly to those of the Secretary of Finance and partly to those of the national bank.

ART. 34. No sum can be taken from the coffers of the National Bank of Haiti, whether at Port au Prince or in the other towns, to be employed in the withdrawal, without a positive order from the commission. This latter will control especially the expedition of the silver coins destined to be recoined or sold (which coins will be previously verified), and also the admission of the notes produced by the sales or by the new coinage.

ART. 35. The commission will present, at the end of its work, a circumstantial report to the Secretary of Finance.

ART. 36. No foreign silver money will have legal circulation in the Republic after the beginning of the redemption. The importation of said coins, of whatever nature or country, is formally forbidden. Any violation of this law will involve the confiscation of the value imported and the condemnation of the transgressor to a fine equal to the sum confiscated.

ART. 37. The national bank will assume all the expenses of the redemption, classification, and burning of the paper money, as well as those covering the withdrawal and sale of the silver money taken from circulation, and of all the expenses necessary to these operations. The commission will appropriate from the amount withdrawn from circulation (the premium of 50 per cent being deducted) a percentage of to be paid once, which it is authorized to take, after the withdrawal from the first funds arising from the sale of the metallic pieces of 10 and 20 centimes prescribed by article 30. In case of misunderstanding between the Government and the bank concerning the percentage to be granted the latter, the Government will provide means to insure the execution of the present law and will name, if necessary, in the chief towns of the Republic, commissions which will be charged with the withdrawal, and will be paid from the public treasury.

ART. 38. As soon as the withdrawal of the paper money and the national silver coin takes place, the gold coin of the United States of America will be legal tender in the Republic, and all the custom-house duties and other revenues of the State will be collected in the same money. The new metallic pieces of 50, 25, and 10 cents will be received as a balance to the amount of 5 gourdes for each payment. The bronze coin will only be admitted up to 50 cents for each payment.

ART. 39. No one shall be bound to receive in the same payment, in silver coin or bronze, a sum exceeding that fixed by the preceding article. Nevertheless, the Government is under obligation to accept the payment of 10 per cent of import duties in small coins of 50, 25, and 10 cents.

ART. 40. The obligations contracted in national money before the withdrawal, of whatever nature they may be and for whatever cause, will be paid in American gold at the rate, 50 per cent premium, adopted for the withdrawal. The same rule applies to all debts of the State and of the communes contracted in national money, the consolidation of which has not been ordered, or a special mode of settlement of which has not been determined, by existing laws or by agreement of the parties.

ART. 41. The Secretary of Finance will render account to the chambers, at the opening of the legislative session, of the operations of the loan, of the withdrawal, of the coinage, and, in general, of all the operations ordered by the present law. No release whatever shall be given to the Secretary of Finance, if he does not execute strictly the preceding provisions. It will be the same with the other secretaries of state, if measures are discussed in the council of the secretaries of state tending to violate the provisions of the present law.

ART. 42. All decisions made and all acts performed not in accordance with the present law are null and void. Debts contracted under these conditions do not bind the Republic. They are personal obligations for those who have contracted them. ART. 43. The present law abrogates all laws or provisions of laws which are opposed thereto.

It will be printed and executed under the direction of the Secretary of Finance.

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In the name of the Republic, the President of Haiti orders that the above law of the Legislative Body shall be invested with the seal of the Republic, printed, published, and executed.

Given in the national palace at Port au Prince, the 21st of December, 1897, anno ninety-fourth of the independence. TIRESIAS AUGUSTIN SIMON SAM.

A GERMAN VIEW OF THE AMERICAN CONSULAR SERVICE.

I inclose copy and translation of a letter issued by the Association of German Bicycle Manufacturers, in which attention is called to the activity displayed by our consuls in introducing American goods into foreign countries. This is as foreigners see us and quite in contrast with the complaints sometimes made by those who think that the consular service is not what it ought to be. But the circular speaks for itself. For the copy, I am indebted to Mr. Eugene Germain, vice and deputy consul. A. LIEBERKNECHT,

ZURICH, April 14, 1898.

Consul.

ASSOCIATION OF GERMAN BICYCLE MANUFACTURERS,
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT,

MR. BRUNO NAUMANN,

DRESDEN.

Privy Commercial Councilor:

We take the liberty to bring a matter to your attention which we believe deserves your notice and consideration.

It is a well-known fact that American consuls display at all times great activity and energy in developing foreign trade and opening new markets for the products of American industry. To these well-applied consular efforts is due the success with which American manufacturers have been enabled to introduce bicycles in such large quantities into Germany, thereby flooding our markets. It is especially well known that the American consul stationed at Frankfort is and has been doing everything in his power to introduce American bicycles into Germany, and to his persistent effort is mainly due the foothold they have obtained in that country.

Not only in Germany is the activity of the American consuls noticeable, but in all countries of the world they display great energy in promoting the commercial interests of their country. Our East Indian correspondent informs us that the same activity prevails there.

It has, therefore, occurred to us that by a joint movement we might induce the authorities to take the proper steps to cause our German consuls to work in the same manner as their American colleagues.

We, of course, do not know whether a movement inaugurated by our association would effect the desired results, being ignorant in regard to the duties devolving upon German consuls; nor have we studied ways by which this object might be reached; but, having observed the zeal and activity displayed by American consuls, we have decided to submit the above to your opinion.

It is a well-known fact that German consuls could be more useful to the industrial interests of their country, and it is also an established fact that these officers take the attitude that any attention to commercial affairs is in no way part of their duty.

We had occasion recently to ask one of our consuls for certain information. In his reply, covering several pages, he did not give us the information desired, but

referred us to an attorney of his acquaintance, to whom, he said, we might write in German.

We shall be pleased to hear from you on this subject, and to learn if you think it worth while to promulgate our idea with a view to taking concerted action.

Most respectfully,

[Signature omitted],

Dresden.

HONORED MEMBERS: The above letter, sent me by one of our members, is herewith submitted for your consideration. I intend in due time to bring the matter to the attention of our German Department of Foreign Affairs, and would ask you to give me your opinion, together with any further information you may have in this matter, to serve me as guidance. Most respectfully,

BRUNO NAUMANN,

President.

THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.*

Local and European authorities estimate the area of the Philippine Islands at 150,000 square miles, and their population at from 8,000ooo to 10,000,000. The island of Luzon, on which the city of Manila is situated, is larger than New York and Massachusetts, and has at population of 5,000,000; and the island of Mindanao is nearly, if not quite, as large. There are scores of other islands, large and very populous. An idea of the extent of the Philippines may be formed when it is stated that the six New England States, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware have 10 per cent less area. In addition to the Philippine Islands, the Caroline, Ladrone, and Sooloo groups are considered under the jurisdiction of this consulate (Manila). I have received a petition requesting that a consular agency be established at Yap, in the Caroline group.

In all, there are about two thousand islands in a land and sea area of about 1,200 miles of latitude and 2,400 miles of longitude.

EXPORTS.

During the quarter ended December 31, 1897, there were exported from these islands to the United States and Great Britain 216,898 bales of hemp (280 pounds per bale), of which 138,792 bales went to the United States and only 78, 106 bales to Great Britain. During the year 1897 there was an increase in the export of hemp from the Philippines to continental Europe of 19,741 bales; to Australia, 2,192 bales; to China, 28 bales; to Japan, 2,628 bales; and to the United States, 133,896 bales-a total increase of 158,485 bales, while to Great Britain there was a decrease of 22,348 bales.

*This report is to appear in the forthcoming edition of Commercial Relations, 1896-97, but is printed now on account of the general demand for information.

Thus, of increased shipments from the Philippines, those to the United States were 544 per cent greater than to all other countries combined.

Of the total exports of hemp from the Philippines for the ten years ended 1897, amounting to 6,528,965 bales (914,055 tons), 41 per cent went to the United States.

During the same years the Philippine Islands exported to the United States and to Europe 1,582,904 tons of sugar, of which 875,150 tons went to the United States, 666,391 tons to Great Britain, and 41,362 tons to continental Europe; showing that of the total exports more than 55 per cent went to the United States.

At the current values in New York of hemp (4 cents per pound) and of raw sugar (3% cents per pound), the exports of these two products alone from these islands to the United States, during the ten years under review, amounted to $89, 263,722.80, or an average of nearly $8,926,372 * per year.

Data as to cigars, tobacco, copra, woods, hides, shells, indigo, coffee, etc., are not now obtainable; but a conservative estimate would so raise the above figures as to show United States imports from these islands to average about $1,000,000 per month. To-day, I have authenticated invoices for export to United States amounting to $138,066.12.

Later, I will write of the Philippine tariff, import and export, being now engaged in translating it into English. The export duties and charges here on the hemp and sugar exported to the United States, during the ten years ended with 1897, amounted to $5,172,994.87.

It is, from the above, very apparent that the trend of trade is toward the United States, and my best endeavors will be exerted for its further extension.

There are here twenty-two consulates representing the several countries, but the volume of the export trade coming under my official supervision equals that of my twenty-one colleagues combined.

MANILA, February 28, 1898.

OSCAR F. WILLIAMS,

Consul.

According to the returns of the Bureau of Statistics, Treasury Department, the annual imports into the United States from the Philippine Islands amounted to $74,150,284 during the ten years ended June 30, 1897, or $7,415,028 per year. For the seven years ended with 1894, the imports averaged $8,564,611 per year, but for the last three years the imports fell off nearly one-half, amounting to only $4,731,366, $4,982,857, and $4,383,740, in 1895, 1896, and 1897, respectively.

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