final and conclusive upon each claim decided upon by them, and to give full effect to such decisions without any objections, evasions, or delay whatever.

ARTICLE VIII.

Every claim shall be presented to the Commissioners within a period of six months, reckoned from the day of their first meeting for business, after notice to the respective Governments, as prescribed in Article V of this Convention. Nevertheless, in any case where reasons for delay shall be established to the satisfaction of the Commissioners, or of any two of them, the period for presenting the claim may be extended by them to any time not exceeding three months longer.

The Commissioners shall be bound to examine and decide upon every claim within two years from the day of their first meeting for business as aforesaid; which period shall not be extended except only in case the proceedings of the Commission shall be interrupted by the death, incapacity, retirement or cessation of the functions of any one of the Commissioners, in which event the period of two years herein prescribed shall not be held to include the time during which such interruption may actually exist.

It shall be competent in each case for the said Commissioners to decide whether any claim has, or has not, been duly made, preferred, and laid before them, either wholly, or to any and what extent, according to the true intent and meaning of this Convention.

ARTICLE IX.

All sums of money which may be awarded by the Commissioners as aforesaid, shall be paid by the one Government to the other, as the case may be, at the capital of the Government to receive such payment, within twelve months after the date of the final award, without interest, and without any deduction save as specified in Article X.

ARTICLE X.

The Commissioners shall keep an accurate record and correct minutes or notes of all their proceedings, with the dates thereof; and the Governments of the United States and of France may each appoint and employ a Secretary versed in the language of both countries, and the Commissioners may appoint any other necessary officer or officers to assist them in the transaction of the business which may come before them.

Each Government shall pay its own Commissioner, Secretary and Agent or Counsel, and at the same or equivalent rates of compensation, as near as may be, for like officers on the one side as on the other. All other expenses, including the compensation of the third Commissioner, which latter shall be equal or equivalent to that of the other Commissioners, shall be defrayed by the two Governments in equal moieties.

The whole expenses of the Commission, including contingent expenses, shall be defrayed by a ratable deduction on the amount of the sums awarded by the Commissioners, provided always that such

deduction shall not exceed the rate of five per centum on the sums so awarded. If the whole expenses shall exceed this rate, then the excess of expense shall be defrayed jointly by the two Governments in equal moieties.

ARTICLE XI.

The High Contracting Parties agree to consider the result of the proceedings of the Commission provided by this Convention as a full, perfect and final settlement of any and every claim upon either Government within the description and true meaning of Articles I. and II.; and that every such claim, whether or not the same may have been presented to the notice of, and made, preferred or laid before the said Commission, shall, from and after the conclusion of the proceedings of the said Commission, be considered and treated as finally settled, concluded and barred.

ARTICLE XII.

The present convention shall be ratified by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate thereof, and by the President of the French Republic, and the ratifications shall be exchanged at Washington, at as early a day as may be possible within nine months from the date hereof.

In testimony whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the present convention, in the English and French languages, in duplicate, and hereunto affixed their respective seals.

Done at the city of Washington, the fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty.

[SEAL.] SEAL.]

WILLIAM MAXWELL EVARTS.
MAX OUTREY.

The Commission provided for in the foregoing Convention was duly appointed, met at Washington, November 5, 1880, and adjourned March 31, 1884, awarding $625,566.35 against the United States, and 13,659 francs 14 centimes against France.

1882.

CLAIMS CONVENTION.

Concluded July 19, 1882; ratification advised by the Senate August 8, 1882; ratified by the President December 28, 1882; ratifications exchanged December 29, 1882; proclaimed December 29, 1882.

ARTICLES.

SOLE ARTICLE: Time for examination and presenting of claims extended.

The United States of America and the French Republic, being persuaded that the labors of the Commission for the settlement of the claims of citizens of either country against the Government of the other, which was organized under the convention between the two Governments signed at Washington the fifteenth day of January, 1880, cannot be concluded within the term fixed by that convention, have deemed it expedient to conclude a supplementary convention

extending the term of duration of said Commission for a further period, and have named as their respective plenipotentiaries to that end as follows:

The President of the United States, Frederick T. Frelinghuysen, Secretary of State of the United States; and

The President of the French Republic, Théodore-Justin-Dominique Roustan, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of France at Washington, Commander of the National Order of the Legion of Honor, etc., etc.;

Who, after having communicated to each other their respective full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed upon the following article:

SOLE ARTICLE.

The term of two years fixed by the second paragraph of Article VIII. of the convention between the United States and the French Republic, concluded January 15, 1880, within which the Commissioners appointed thereunder shall be bound to examine and decide upon every claim presented to them, is hereby extended to July first, 1883.

Nothing in this agreement contained shall extend or alter the terms fixed in the first paragraph of said Article VIII. for the presentation of claims, but the same shall remain as therein fixed.

If the proceedings of the Commission shall be interrupted by the death, incapacity, retirement or cessation of the functions of any one of the Commissioners, then the period for which the term of the Commission is hereby extended shall not be held to include the time during which such interruption may actually exist.

The present convention shall be ratified and the ratifications exchanged at Washington at as early a day as may be practicable.

In testimony whereof the respective plenipotentiaries have signed the present convention, in the English and French languages, in duplicate, and have hereunto affixed their respective seals.

Done at the city of Washington the nineteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty-two. [SEAL.] FRED'K T. FRELINGHUYSEN. TH. ROUSTAN.

[SEAL.]

1883.

CLAIMS CONVENTION.

Concluded February 8, 1883; ratification advised by the Senate with an amendment February 21, 1883; ratified by the President April 3, 1883; ratifications exchanged June 25, 1883; proclaimed June 25, 1883.

ARTICLES.

I. Time for examination and presenta- II. Time of receiving evidence; ratifition extended. cation.

The Government of the United States of America and the Government of the French Republic, being persuaded that the labors of the Commission for the settlement of the claims of citizens of either

country against the Government of the other, which was organized under the convention between the two Governments signed at Washington the fifteenth day of January, 1880, and which was extended to July first, 1883, by the supplementary convention of July 19th, 1882, cannot be concluded by July 1st, 1883, have deemed it expedient to conclude another supplementary convention extending the term of duration of said Commission for a further period, and have named as their respective plenipotentiaries to that end, as follows:

The President of the United States, Frederick T. Frelinghuysen, Secretary of State of the United States, and the President of the French Republic, Théodore Justin Dominique Roustan, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of France at Washington, Commander of the National Order of the Legion of Honor, etc., etc. Who, after having communicated to each other their respective full powers found in good and due form, have agreed upon the following articles.

ARTICLE I.

The term of two years fixed by the second paragraph of Article VIII. of the convention between the United States and the French Republic, concluded January fifteenth, 1880, within which the Commissioners appointed thereunder shall be bound to examine and decide upon every claim presented to them which was extended to July 1st, 1883, by the supplementary convention of July 19th, 1882, is hereby extended to the first day of April, A. D. 1884.

Nothing in this agreement contained shall extend or alter the terms fixed in the first paragraph of said Article VIII. for the presentation of claims, but the same shall remain as therein fixed.

If the proceedings of the Commission shall be interrupted by the death, or incapacity of any one of the Commissioners, then the period for which the term of the Commission is hereby extended shall not be held to include the time during which such interruption may actually exist.

ARTICLE II.

No testimony or evidence either in support of or in answer to any claim shall be presented to, or received by the Commission after the first day of July, 1883.

The present convention shall be ratified and the ratification exchanged at Washington at as early a day as may be practicable.

In testimony whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the present convention in the English and French languages, in duplicate, and have hereunto affixed their respective seals.

Done at the City of Washington the eighth day of February in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and eighty-three. [SEAL.] FRED'K T. FRELINGHUYSEN. TH. ROUSTAN.

[SEAL.]

1891.

COPYRIGHT PROCLAMATION CONCLUDED JULY 1, 1891.

NOTE.-See copyright proclamation, Belgium, France, Great Britain and Switzerland, page 105.

1898.a

RECIPROCAL COMMERCIAL AGREEMENT."

Concluded May 28, 1898; proclaimed May 30, 1898; in effect June 1,

1898.

I. Concessions by France.
II. Concessions by United States.

ARTICLES.

III. Effect; duration.

PROTOCOL

of the Reciprocal Agreement between the Governments of the United States of America and of the French Republic concluded at Washington this twenty-eighth day of May 1898 by their respective Representatives duly empowered for that purpose; namely, on the part of the United States the Honorable John A. Kasson, Special Commissioner Plenipotentiary etc. and on the part of the French Republic His Excellency, M. Jules Cambon, Ambassador of France etc. etc. etc. The Government of the United States and the Government of France being animated by the same spirit of conciliation and being equally desirous to improve their commercial relations, have concluded the following Agreement.

I.

It is agreed on the part of France that during the continuance in force of this Agreement the following articles of commerce, the product of the soil or industry of the United States, shall be admitted into France at the minimum rates of duty, to wit, not exceeding the following rates:

Sawed or squared timber 80 mm. or more in thickness..

Squared or sawed lumber exceeding 35 mm. and less than 80 mm. in thickness.
Wood sawed 35 mm. or less in thickness....

Terminated by tariff act of 1909, to take effect October 31, 1909. Nicholas v. U. S. (122 Fed. Rep., 892).

Federal case: