expiration of this period the duty may be increased to 25 francs during a fresh period of three years. At the end of the sixth year it shall be submitted to revision, the average results produced by these tariffs being taken as a basis, for the purpose of then fixing, if possible, a minimum duty throughout the whole extent of the zone where the prohibition referred to in Article XCI is not in force.

The powers retain the right of maintaining and increasing the duties beyond the minimum fixed by the present article in those regions where they already possess that right.

ARTICLE XCIII.

Distilled liquors manufactured in the regions referred to in Article XCII, and intended for inland consumption, shall be subject to an excise duty.

This excise duty, the collection of which the powers engage to secure, as far as possible, shall not be less than the minimum import duty fixed by Article XCII.

ARTICLE XCIV.

The signatory powers having possessions in Africa contiguous to the zone specified in Article XC engage to adopt the necessary measures for preventing the introduction of spirituous liquors within the territories of the said zone via their inland frontiers.

ARTICLE XCV.

The powers shall communicate to one another, through the office at Brussels, and according to the terms of Chapter V, information relating to the traffic in alcoholic liquors within their respective territories.

CHAPTER VII. Final provisions.

ARTICLE XCVI.

The present general act repeals all contrary stipulations of conventions previously concluded between the signatory powers.

ARTICLE XCVII.

The signatory powers, without prejudice to the stipulations contained in Articles XIV, XXIII and XCII, reserve the right of introducing into the present general act, hereafter and by common consent, such modifications or improvements as experience may prove to be useful.

ARTICLE XCVIII.

Powers who have not signed the present general act shall be allowed to adhere to it.

The signatory powers reserve the right to impose such conditions as they may deem necessary to their adhesion.

If no conditions shall be stipulated, adhesion implies acceptance of all the obligations and admission to all the advantages stipulated by the present general act.

The powers shall agree among themselves as to the steps to be taken to secure the adhesion of states whose cooperation may be necessary or useful in order to insure complete execution of the general act.

Adhesion shall be effected by a separate act. Notice thereof shall be given through the diplomatic channel to the Government of the King of the Belgians, and by that Government to all the signatory and adherent states.

ARTICLE XCIX.

The present general act shall be ratified within the shortest possible period, which shall not in any case exceed one year.

Each power shall address its ratification to the Government of the King of the Belgians, which shall give notice thereof to all the other powers that have signed the present general act.

The ratifications of all the powers shall remain deposited in the archives of the Kingdom of Belgium.

As soon as all the ratifications shall have been furnished, or at the latest one year after the signature of the present general act, their delivery shall be recorded in a protocol which shall be signed by the representatives of all the powers that have ratified.

A certified copy of this protocol shall be forwarded to all the powers interested.

ARTICLE C.

The present general act shall come into force in all the possessions of the contracting powers on the sixtieth day, reckoned from the day on which the protocol provided for in the preceding article shall have been drawn up.

In witness whereof the respective plenipotentiaries have signed the present general act, and have thereto affixed their seals.

Done at Brussels the 2nd day of the month of July, 1890.

ARTICLE XXXIX.

ANNEX TO THE GENERAL ACT.

License to ply the coasting trade on the East Coast of Africa in conformity with

Article XXXIX.

The undersigned,

DRAFT OF PROTOCOL.

met at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at Brussels, in pursuance of Article XCIX of the General Act of July 2, 1890, and in execution of the Protocol of July 2, 1891, with a view to preparing a certificate of the deposit of the ratifications of such of the signatory powers as were unable to make such deposit at the meeting of July 2, 1891.

His Excellency the Minister of France declared that the President of the Republic, in his ratification of the Brussels General Act had provisionally reserved, until a subsequent understanding should be reached, Articlĵes XXI, XXII, XXIII, and XLII to LXI. The representatives acknowledged to the Minister of France the deposit of the ratifications of the President of the French Republic, as well as of the exception bearing upon Articles XXI, XXII, XXIII, and XLII to LXI.

It is understood that the powers which have ratified the General Act in its entirety, acknowledge that they are reciprocally bound as regards all its clauses. It is likewise understood that these powers shall not be bound toward those which shall have ratified it partially, save within the limits of the engagements assumed by the latter powers.

Finally, it is understood that, as regards the powers that have partially ratified, the matters forming the subject of Articles XLII to LXI, shall continue, until a subsequent agreement is adopted, to be governed by the stipulations and arrangements now in force.

SENATE RESOLUTION OF RATIFICATION.

IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES,

January 11, 1892.

Resolved, (two thirds of the Senators present concurring therein,) That the Senate advise and consent to the ratification of the General Act signed at Brussels, July 2, 1890, by the plenipotentiaries of the United States and other powers, for the suppression of the African Slave-trade, and for other purposes.

Resolved further, That the Senate advise and consent to the acceptance of the partial ratification of the said General Act on the part of the French Republic, and to the stipulations relative thereto, as set forth in the protocol signed at Brussels, January 2, 1892.

Resolved further, as a part of this act of ratification, That the United States of America, having neither possessions nor protectorates in Africa, hereby disclaims any intention, in ratifying this treaty, to indicate any interest whatsoever in the possessions or protectorates established or claimed on that Continent by the other powers, or any approval of the wisdom, expediency or lawfulness thereof, and does not join in any expressions in the said General Act which might be construed as such a declaration or acknowledgment; and, for this reason, that it is desirable that a copy of this resolution be inserted in the protocol to be drawn up at the time of the exchange of the ratifications of this treaty on the part of the United States.

Attest:

ANSON G McCook

Secretary.

By CHAS W JOHNSON,
Chief Clerk.

DEPOSIT OF THE RATIFICATION BY THE UNITED STATES.

PROTOCOL-TRANSLATION.

February 2nd, 1892, conformably to article XCIX of the General Act of July 2nd, 1890, and to the unanimous decision of the signatory Powers which prorogued to February 2nd, 1892, for the United States the term provided for in the same article XCIX, the undersigned, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister plenipotentiary of the United States of America has deposited in the hands of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium the ratifications of the President of the United States of the said General Act.

At the request of His Excellency, the following resolution by which the Senate of the United States consented to the ratification of the President has been inserted in the present protocol:

Resolved, (two-thirds of the Senators present concurring therein,) That the Senate advise and consent to the ratification of the General Act signed at Brussells July 2nd, 1890, by the plenipotentiaries of the United States and other Powers, for the suppression of the African Slave Trade, and for other purposes.

Resolved further, That the Senate advise and consent to the acceptance of the partial ratification of the said General Act on the part of the French Republic and to the stipulations relative thereto, as set forth in the protocol signed at Brussels January 2nd, 1892.

Resolved further, as a part of this act of ratification, That the United States of America, having neither possessions nor protectorates in Africa, hereby disclaims any intention, in ratifying this treaty, to indicate any interest whatsoever in the possessions or protectorates established or claimed on that continent by the other Powers, or any approval of the wisdom, expediency or lawfulness thereof, and does not join in any expressions in the said General Act which might be construed as such a declaration or acknowledgment; and, for this reason, that it is desirable that a copy of this resolution be inserted in the protocol to be drawn up at the time of the exchange of the Ratifications of this treaty on the part of the United States.

This resolution of the Senate of the United States having been preparatively and textually conveyed by the Government of His Majesty the King of the Belgians to the knowledge of all the signatory Powers of the General Act, the latter have given their assent to its insertion in the present Protocol which will remain annexed to the Protocol of· January 2nd, 1892.

Acknowledgment of this is given to the Minister of the United

States.

The ratification of the President of the United States having been found in good and due form, acknowledgment of their deposit is equally given to His Excellency Mr. Edwin H. Terrell; they will be preserved in the archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belgium. At the moment of proceeding to the signature of the present Protocol, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of His Majesty the King of the Belgians made it known that the Representative of Russia, in the note expressing the assent of his Government, expressed the opinion that it would have been desirable that a translation into the French language accompany in the Protocol the English text of the resolutions of the Senate of the United States of America and that at all events the absence of this translation is not to form a precedent.

A certified copy of the present Protocol will be addressed by the Belgian Government to the Signatory Powers of the General Act. Done at Brussels, February 2nd., 1892.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs

(S)

The PRINCE DE CHIMAY

The Envoy Extraordinary and Minister plenipotentiary of the United States of America

Copy certified conformable to the original [SEAL] The Minister of Foreign Affairs

The PRINCE DE CHIMAY

1899.

ADHESION OF THE UNITED STATES TO THE CONVENTION SIGNED AT BRUSSELS, JUNE 8, 1899, BY THE PLENIPOTENTIARIES OF CERTAIN POWERS FOR THE REGULATION OF THE IMPORTATION OF SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS INTO CERTAIN REGIONS OF AFRICA.

Concluded June 8, 1899; adhesion advised by Senate December 14, 1900; declaration of adhesion by President February 1, 1901; proclaimed February 6, 1901. (U. S. Stats., vol. 31, p. 1915.)

His Majesty the German Emperor, King of Prussia, in the name of the German Empire; His Majesty the King of the Belgians; His Majesty the King of Spain, and in his name Her Majesty the QueenRegent of the Kingdom; His Majesty the King-Sovereign of the Independent State of the Congo; the President of the French Republic; İler Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India; His Majesty the King of Italy; Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands; His Majesty the King of Portugal and of the Algarves, &c.; His Majesty the Emperor of All the Russias; his Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway, &c.; and His Majesty the Emperor of the Ottomans;

Wishing to provide for the execution of Article XCII of the General Act of Brussels, which prescribes the revision of the Regulations on the importation of spirituous liquors into certain regions of Africa; Have resolved to assemble a Conference for the purpose at Brussels, and have named as their Plenipotentiaries, that is to say:

His Majesty the German Emperor, King of Prussia, in the name of the German Empire, M. Frederic-Jean, Count of Alvensleben, his Chamberlain and Privy Councillor, his Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to His Majesty the King of the Belgians; and M. Guillaume Göhring, his Councillor of Legation;

His Majesty the King of the Belgians, M. Auguste, Baron Lambermont, his Minister of State, his Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary; and M. Auguste van Maldeghem, Councillor of the Court of Cassation of Belgium;

a Adhered to by Denmark July 22, 1899; Persia, August 27, 1899; Austria, January 29, 1900; Liberia, April 17, 1900.