In cases other than those stated in the foregoing clauses, the report shall be forwarded by the owner of the house or the person under whose management the house remains.

ART. V. A foreigner registered in the registration book mentioned in Article VII is required to report to the police of the district in which he resides any change in the names and nationality of himself or the members of his family within ten days from such change.

ART. VI. When the title owned by a foreigner is registered by the registrar, the latter shall report the fact to the police within whose jurisdiction his residence is situated.

It is necessary for the registrar to mention the foreigner's address in his report. ART. VII. A registration book shall be provided at police stations in order to register therein matters reported in accordance with Article VI, concerning foreigners specified in clauses 1, 2, and 4 of Article III, as well reports forwarded in accordance with clauses 1 and 2 of Article III and Articles IV and V. This is applicable to cases when, though no report or information has been given to the police, the facts which are required to be registered come to the knowledge of the police through the proceedings mentioned in Article IX of these regulations.

ART. VIII. Any person may ask the police for permission to inspect the registration book mentioned in Article VII, or for a duplicate or copy of the registration. Persons wishing to inspect the registration book shall pay a fee of 10 sen and another 10 sen per page or less for a duplicate or copy of the registration, provided the calculation of pages shall be made according to the originals.

The fees mentioned in the preceding clause shall be paid in revenue stamps pasted on the application.

ART. IX. Everybody is required to answer questions put by police officials concerning matters which must be reported in accordance with Article I and matters to be registered in the registration book mentioned in Article VII, and also concerning the keeper of a house, his family, and his lodgers.

Foreigners carrying passports or other certificates to prove their nationality shall show the same to police officials if required.

ART. X. Any person refusing to answer the questions put by police officials, or who refuses the request of police officials contrary to what is required in Article IX, shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than 20 yen, except in cases to which the penal code is applicable.

ART. XI. Persons who neglect to forward the reports mentioned in Article I, clauses 1 and 2 of Article III, and Articles IV and V shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than 1.25 yen, and persons making false statements in such reports shall be ordered to pay a fine of not more than 20 yen, except in cases to which the penal code is applicable.

Persons infringing the provisions of Article II and clause 3 of Article III shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than 1.25 yen.

ART. XII. The number of days allowed for forwarding reports required in clause 1 and 2 of Article III concerning foreigners residing within Japanese territory on the day on which these regulations come into operation shall be calculated from the date of operation of these regulations.

ART. XIII. These regulations shall be put into operation on and after July 17, 1899.

DECEASED FOREIGNERS' PROPERTY.

By ordinance No. 40 of the Department of Justice the regulations for the safekeeping of foreigners' property in accordance with clause 2, article 209 of the law of noncontentious cases, have been enacted as follows:

ARTICLE I. The local office which, in accordance with the provisions of the treaty,

is entitled to issue notice of the death of a foreigner or to receive such notice or to interfere in the safe-keeping of a deceased foreigner's property shall be the local court with jurisdiction over the district in which his death has taken place.

In case a foreigner has died at a place outside Japanese territory, the local office mentioned above shall be the local court with jurisdiction over the district in which his property is situated.

ART. II. Procedure relating to the safe-keeping of a demised foreigner's property may be intrusted to others.

ART. III. When the fact of a foreigner's death comes to the knowledge of a police official, he shall at once report at the local court mentioned in clause 1, Article I, the nationality, abode or domicile, name, age of the deceased, and place and date at which the death has occurred.

The registrar shall at once forward a copy of registration to the above-mentioned local court when he has registered the death of a foreigner.

ART. IV. In case a local office in accordance with the provisions of the treaty participates in the sealing or unsealing of a deceased foreigner's property, a judge and a clerk of the local court concerned shall attend on behalf of the court. A public procurator of the court may also attend.

ART. V. In case a local office has to compile, in accordance with the provisions of the treaty, an inventory of a deceased foreigner's property to the consul concerned, the local court shall, in compliance with the request of persons interested or of a public procurator, appoint an administrator, causing the latter to submit a copy of the inventory, and shall forward the latter with other documents to the consul.

ART. VI. The local court shall notify the consul concerned when a public notification concerning a deceased foreigner's property mentioned in articles 69 and 70 of the law of noncontentious cases or of article 1057 of the civil code is published. ART. VII. The present ordinance shall take effect from the 17th of the seventh month of the thirty-second year of Meiji (July 17, 1899).

TONNAGE DUES LAW IN JAPAN.

Minister Buck transmits from Tokyo, June 30, 1899, translation of regulations for the operation of the tonnage dues law, as follows:

REGULATIONS FOR THE OPERATION OF THE TONNAGE DUES LAW.

ARTICLE I. Persons wishing to pay the tonnage dues for one year at one time, according to the provisions of the note appended to Article I of the tonnage dues law, shall give notice of their intention to the custom-house or a branch office of the same.

ART. II. When the custom-house or a branch office desires to collect tonnage dues, notice shall be given to the payer of the amount of dues and the place of payment.

ART. III. Vessels engaged in foreign trade which enter port on account of calamities at sea or other unavoidable reason should certify to the circumstances at the custom-house or branch office.

In case the tonnage dues are paid, the above is not required.

ART. IV. Persons who desire to receive a certificate of the payment of tonnage dues, or a certificate of the measurement of their vessel, in case such vessel has been measured in accordance with Article IV of the tonnage law, should apply to the custom-house or branch office and pay a fee of 1.50 yen (74 cents) for each certificate.

The above fee may be paid in revenue stamps, attached to the application for certificate.

ART. V. With regard to the method of investigation and punishment of violations of these regulations, the regulations for the operation of the custom-house law shall be applied.

Appendix.

This ordinance shall go into effect on the date of the operation of the tonnage dues law (August 4, 1899).

JAPANESE DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR
OFFICERS.

The Department has received from Minister Buck, of Tokyo, under date of June 23, 1899, translations of revised regulations for diplomatic and consular officers of that Government, as follows:

IMPERIAL ORDINANCE NO. 280.-OFFICIAL REGULATIONS FOR DIPLOMATIC OFFICIALS

AND CONSULS.

ARTICLE I. Diplomatic officials here referred to include ministers plenipotentiary, ministers resident, first-class secretaries of legation, second-class secretaries of legation, third-class secretaries of legation, and assistant diplomatic officials.

ART. II. Ministers plenipotentiary and ministers resident belong to the chokunin* rank; first, second, and third class secretaries of legation and assistant diplomatic officials belong to the sonin† rank.

ART. III. Consuls here referred to include consuls-general, consuls, vice-consuls, and assistant consuls.

ART. IV. Consuls-general, consuls, vice-consuls, and assistant consuls belong to the sonin rank.

ART. V. In places where no diplomatic official is located, diplomatic agents can be appointed.

The business of diplomatic agents is to be conducted by a consul.

ART. VI. In places where no consul is located, a commissioner of trade, an honorary consul, or an honorary vice-consul can be appointed.

Commissioners of trade belong to the sonin rank, and the other two officials are to be treated as sonin officials.

ART. VII. Diplomatic clerks (élèves) are to be attached to legations, consulates, and commercial agencies. Diplomatic clerks belong to the hannin ‡ rank. ART. VIII. At legations where there is a necessity of interpreting foreign languages other than English, French, and German, first-class and second-class interpreters can be appointed. These two officials belong to the sonin rank.

ART. IX. At legations, consulates, and commercial agencies where there is a necessity of interpreting foreign languages other than English, French, and German, student interpreters (élèves) for foreign affairs can be appointed. These student interpreters belong to the hannin rank.

ART. X. Those diplomatic officials and consuls who are for a time relieved from duty abroad, or those officials of the Foreign Office who, being appointed diplomatic officials or consuls, are not yet assigned to any post, are said to be in taimei.§

*Appointed by the Emperor.

+ Appointed by the cabinet.

Appointed by heads of departments. § Waiting for appointment.

Diplomatic officials and consuls in taimei, though they retain their office, do not perform their duties. They are the same as officials actually holding office, except in the points which are specially enacted in this ordinance, and in regard to the law of the expenses for the legation and the consulate. The diplomatic officials and the consuls in taimei can be employed temporarily to perform duty at the Foreign Office. In this case, the legal enactment concerning officials actually holding office shall be applied to them.

Taimei terminates in three full years. When that term has expired, those officials still in taimei are to be relieved of their posts.

The diplomatic officials and the consuls in taimei can not be suspended from office.

The foregoing paragraphs are applicable to commissioners of trade, first-class and second-class interpreters of legation.

Appended rules.

ART. XI. Imperial ordinance No. 82, issued in the twenty-eighth year of Meiji (1895), and imperial ordinance No. 87, issued in the same year, are to be annulled on and after the day when this ordinance comes into force.

ART. XII. Those who hold the position of first and second class consuls when this ordinance comes into force are appointed consuls, if they do not receive official notice to the contrary.

IMPERIAL ORDINANCE NO. 281.-THE FIXED NUMBER OF OFFICIALS BELONGING TO THE GOVERNMENT OFFICES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES.

ARTICLE I. The fixed number of diplomatic officials, consuls, commissioners of trade, first and second class interpreters of legation, diplomatic clerks (élèves), and student interpreters (élèves) for foreign affairs is as follows:

Ministers plenipotentiary and ministers resident.........
First, second, and third class secretaries of legation..........

Consuls-general, consuls, vice-consuls, and commissioners of trade..
First and second class interpreters of legation...........
Assistant diplomatic officials and assistant consuls..

15

28

34

7

29

Diplomatic clerks (élèves) and student interpreters (élèves) for foreign affairs... 123

If a diplomatic official adds to his own office that of a consul, or vice versa, the addition is not counted in the fixed number.

ART. II. The fixed number of the diplomatic officials, consuls, commissioners of trade, and first and second class interpreters in taimei is 15, outside of the number stated in the foregoing article.

IMPERIAL ORDINANCE NO. 282.-THE GRADE OF THE OFFICIALS BELONGING TO THE GOVERNMENT OFFICES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES.

ARTICLE I. The grade of the officials belonging to the Government offices in foreign countries is as follows:

First-class higher official: Ministers plenipotentiary.

Second-class higher official: Ministers plenipotentiary, ministers resident. Third-class higher official: First-class secretaries of legation, consuls-general. Fourth-class higher official: First-class secretaries of legation, consuls-general, second-class secretaries of legation, consuls, commissioners of trade.

Fifth-class higher official: Second-class secretaries of legation, consuls, commissioners of trade.

Sixth-class higher official: Third-class secretaries of legation, consuls, commissioners of trade, first-class interpreters of legation.

Seventh-class higher official: Third-class secretaries of legation, consuls, commissioners of trade, vice-consuls, second-class interpreters of legation, assistant diplomatic officials, assistant consuls.

Consuls-general who have held the third grade of the higher official (kotokwan) for more than three years, and have rendered special service to the Government, can be ranked in the second class of the higher official.

ART. II. Official positions that are not fixed in this ordinance shall be determined according to the law governing the salaries of the different grades of higher officials.

Appended rules.

ART III. Imperial ordinance No. 170, issued in the twenty-sixth year of Meiji (1893), is to be annulled when this ordinance comes into force.

ART. IV. Those who do not receive any official notice to the contrary, when this ordinance comes into force, are appointed to the grade corresponding to the present grade of their office.

NOTE.

The law of expenses of legations and consulates is amended to conform with the above regulations.

TRADE ON THE WEST RIVER OF CHINA.

The most important inland feeder of Hongkong is the West River country, which drains the provinces of Kwangsi and Yunnan. Since the beginning of last year, this section has increased very much in importance, and is rapidly developing, now that it has been opened to foreign trade. Prospectors have been through the country, and their reports of the mineral wealth of the section are surprising. At present, the district is open to trade only. Foreigners are not allowed to hold property in their own names. Wuchow, at the head of navigation, 220 miles from Hongkong, is the most important port of transshipment. The port was opened on the 4th of June, 1897, so that its commercial history has been necessarily very brief. I inclose a very instructive editorial from the Daily Press of June 2, which may be of interest to American firms doing business with this part of China.

HONGKONG, June 3, 1899.

ROUNSEVELLE WILDMAN,
Consul-General.

The customs returns for the January-March quarter show that the trade of Hongkong's more immediate commercial dependencies is in a fairly prosperous condition and that the West River trade in particular gives promise of fulfilling the expectations of the most sanguine advocates of the opening of that route. The import duty collected on general cargo during the quarter at Canton, Kowloon, Lappa, and the West River ports was 182,000 taels ($130,000), an increase of 8,000 taels as compared with the same period of 1898, and of 41,000 taels over 1897. The total collection, including opium duty and likin, export duty, and the local taxes for the same quarter, was 602,000 taels ($434,000), or 35,000 taels more than in 1898.

These figures, while moderately satisfactory in themselves, are still more so