and to adopt such modifications thereof as are found necessary for trade and for the benefit of China. The Chinese Government agrees that, upon the exchange of the ratifications of this Treaty, Mukden and Antung, both in the province of Sheng-king, will be opened by China itself as places of international residence and trade. The selection of suitable localities to be set apart for international use and occupation and the regulations for these places set apart for foreign residence and trade shall be agreed upon by the Governments of the United States and China after consultation together. Article XIII. China agrees to take the necessary steps to provide for a uniform national coinage which shall be legal tender in payment of all duties, taxes and other obligations throughout the Empire by the citizens of the United States as well as Chinese subjects. It is understood, however, that all Customs duties shall continue to be calculated and paid on the basis of the Haikuan Tael. Article XIV. The principles of the Christian religion, as professed by the Protestant and Roman Catholic Churches, are recognized as teaching men to do good and to do to others as they would have others do to them. Those who quietly profess and teach these doctrines shall not be harassed or persecuted on account of their faith. Any person, whether citizen of the United States or Chinese convert, who, according to these tenets, peaceably teaches and practices the principles of Christianity shall in no case be interfered with or molested therefor. No restrictions shall be placed on Chinese joining Christian churches. Converts and non-converts, being Chinese subjects, shall alike conform to the laws of China; and shall pay duc respect to those in authority, living together in peace and amity; and the fact of being converts shall not protect them from the consequences of any offence they may have committed before or may commit after their admission into the church, or exempt them from paying legal taxes levied on Chinese subjects generally, except taxes levied and contributions for the support of religious customs and practices contrary to their faith. Missionaries shall not interfere with the exercise by the native authorities of their jurisdiction over Chinese subjects; nor shall the native authorities make any distinction between converts and nonconverts, but shall administer the laws without partiality so that both classes can live together in peace. Missionary societies of the United States shall be permitted to rent and to lease in perpetuity, as the property of such societies, buildings or lands in all parts of the Empire for missionary purposes and, after the title deeds have been found in order and duly stamped by the local authorities, to erect such suitable buildings as may be required for carrying on their good work. Article XV. The Government of China having expressed a strong desire to reform its judicial system and to bring it into accord with that of Western nations, the United States agrees to give every assistance to such reform and will also be prepared to relinquish extra-territorial rights when satisfied that the state of the Chinese laws, the arrangements for their administration, and other considerations warrant it in so doing. Article XVI. The Government of the United States consents to the prohibition by the Government of China of the importation into China of morphia and of instruments for its injection, excepting morphia and instruments for its injection imported for medical purposes, on payment of tariff duty, and under regulations to be framed by China which shall effectually restrict the use of such import to the said purposes. This prohibition shall be uniformly applied to such importation from all countries. Chinese Government undertakes to adopt at once measures to prevent the manufacture in China of morphia and of instruments for its injection. Article XVII. It is agreed between the High Contracting Parties hereto that all the provisions of the several treaties between the United States and China which were in force on the first day of January A. D. 1900, are continued in full force and effect except in so far as they are modified by the present Treaty or other treaties to which the United States is a party. The present Treaty shall remain in force for a period of ten years beginning with the date of the exchange of ratifications and until a revision is effected as hereinafter provided. It is further agreed that either of the High Contracting Parties may demand that the tariff and the articles of this convention be revised at the end of ten years from the date of the exchange of the ratifications thereof. If no revision is demanded before the end of the first term of ten years, then these articles in their present form shall remain in full force for a further term of ten years reckoned from the end of the first term, and so on for successive periods of ten years. The English and Chinese texts of the present Treaty and its three annexes have been carefully compared; but, in the event of there being any difference of meaning between them, the sense as expressed in the English text shall be held to be the correct one. This Treaty and its three annexes shall be ratified by the two High Contracting Parties in conformity with their respective constitutions, and the ratifications shall be exchanged in Washington not later than twelve months from the present date. In testimony whereof, we, the undersigned, by virtue of our respective powers, have signed this Treaty in duplicate in the English and Chinese languages, and have affixed our respective seals. Done at Shanghai, this eighth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and three, and in the twenty ninth year of Kuang Hsü eighth month and eighteenth day. As citizens of the United States are already forbidden by treaty to deal in or handle opium, no mention has been made in this Treaty of opium taxation. As the trade in salt is a government monopoly in China, no mention has been made in this Treaty of salt taxation. It is, however, understood, after full discussion and consideration, that the collection of inland dues on opium and salt and the means for the protection of the revenue therefrom and for preventing illicit traffic therein are left to be administered by the Chinese Government in such manner as shall in no wise interfere with the provisions of Article IV of this treaty regarding the unobstructed transit of other goods. Article IV of the Treaty of Commerce between the United States and China of this date provides for the retention of the native Customs offices at the open ports. For the purpose of safeguarding the revenue of China at such places, it is understood that the Chinese Government shall be entitled to establish and maintain such branch native Customs offices at each open port, within a reasonable distance of the main native Customs offices at the port, as shall be deemed by the authorities of the Imperial Maritime Customs at that port necessary to collect the revenue from the trade into and out of such port. Such branches, as well as the main native Customs offices at each open port, shall be administered by the Imperial Maritime Customs as provided by the Protocol of 1901. Annex III. The schedule of tariff duties on imported goods annexed to this Treaty under Article V is hereby mutually declared to be the schedule agreed upon between the representatives of China and the United States and signed by John Goodnow for the United States aud Their Excellencies Lü Hai-huan and Sheng Hsüan-huai for China at Shanghai on the sixth day of September A. D. 1902 according to the Protocol of the seventh day of September A. D. 1901. Edwin H. Conger. (Seal.) Déclaration entre la Russie et la Suisse concernant la situation des sociétés par actions (anonymes) et autres associations commerciales, industrielles et financières; signée à Berne, le 19 octobre 1903. Le Gouvernement Impérial de Russie et le Conseil Fédéral Suisse ayant jugé utile de régler réciproquement la situation des sociétés par actions (anonymes) et autres associations commerciales, industrielles et financières, les soussignés, en vertu de l'autorisation qui leur a été conférée, sont convenus de ce qui suit. Les sociétés par actions (anonymes) et autres associations commerciales, industrielles et financières domiciliées dans l'un des deux pays, et à condition qu'elles y aient été validement constituées conformément aux lois en vigueur, seront reconnues comme ayant l'existence légale dans l'autre pays, et elles y auront notamment le droit d'ester en justice devant les tribunaux, soit pour intenter une action soit pour s'y défendre. Il est entendu que la stipulation qui précède ne concerne point la question de savoir si une pareille société constituée dans l'un des deux pays sera admise ou non dans l'autre pays pour y exercer son commerce et son industrie, cette admission restant toujours soumise aux prescriptions qui existent à cet égard dans ce dernier pays. Il est entendu que les droits reconnus aux sociétés suisses en Russie et russes en Suisse ne pourront en aucun cas déroger aux règles impératives et d'ordre public de la légis lation interne et que les dites sociétés étrangères ne pourront jouir de droits plus étendus que celles du pays. Le présent arrangement entrera en vigueur le 1 novembre 1903, et il ne cessera ses effets qu'un an après la dénonciation qui en serait faite de part ou d'autre. Berne, le 19 octobre 1903. Pour la Russie: (L. S) (signé) V. Jadovski. Pour la Suisse: 95. ÉTATS-UNIS D'AMÉRIQUE, RÉPUBLIQUE DE PANAMA. Convention concernant le percement de l'isthme de Panama; signée à Washington, le 18 novembre 1903.*) Publication officielle des Etats-Unis d'Amérique. Isthmian canal convention. The United States of America and the Republic of Panama being desirous to insure the construction of a ship canal across the Isthmus of Panama to connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and the Congress of the United States of America having passed an act approved june 28, 1902, in furtherance of that object, by which the President of the United States is authorized to acquire within a reasonable time the control of the necessary territory of the Republic of Colombia, and the sovereignty of such territory being actually vested in the Republic of Panama, the high contracting parties have resolved for that purpose to conclude a convention and have accordingly appointed as their plenipotentiaries. The President of the United States of America, John Hay, Secretary of State, and The Government of the Republic of Panama, Philippe Bunau-Varilla, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Panama, thereunto specially empowered by said government, who after communicating with each other their respective full powers, found to be in good and du form, have agreed upon and concluded the following articles: Article I. The United States guarantees and will maintain the independence of the Republic of Panama. *) L'échange des ratifications a eu lieu à Washington, le 26 février 1904. |