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Every claim shall be formally presented to the commissioners within thirty days from the day of their first meeting, unless the commissioners or the umpire in any case extend the period for presenting the claim not exceeding three months longer. The commissioners shall be bound to examine and decide upon every claim within six months from the day of its first formal presentation, and in case of their disagreement, the umpire shall examine and decide within a corresponding period from the date of such disagreement.

ARTICLE III.

The commissioners and the umpire shall keep an accurate record of their proceedings. For that purpose, each commissioner shall appoint, a secretary versed in the language of both countries, to assist them in the transaction of the business of the commission. Except as herein stipulated, all questions of procedure shall be left to the determination of the commission, or in case of their disagreement, to the umpire.

ARTICLE IV.

Reasonable compensation to the commissioners and to the umpire for their services and expenses, and the other expenses of said arbitration, are to be paid in equal moieties by the contracting parties.

ARTICLE V.

In order to pay the total amount of the claims to be adjudicated as aforesaid, and other claims of citizens or subjects of other nations, the Government of Venezuela shall set apart for this purpose, and alienate to no other purpose, beginning with the month of March, 1903, thirty per cent. in monthly payments of the customs revenues of La Guaira and Puerto Cabello, and the payments thus set aside shall be divided and distributed in conformity with the decision of the Hague Tribunal. In the case of the failure to carry out the above agreement, Belgian officials shall be placed in charge of the customs of the two ports, and shall administer them until the liabilities of the Venezuelan Government in respect to the above claims shall have been discharged. The reference of the question above stated to the Hague Tribunal will be the subject of a separate protocol.

ARTICLE VI.

All existing and unsatisfied awards in favor of citizens of the United States shall be promptly paid, according to the terms of the respective awards.

Washington, D. C. February 17, 1903.

JOHN HAY

[SEAL]

HERBERT W. BOWEN. [SEAL]

NOTE. Continuation of this correspondence-the decisions and awards of the American-Venezuelan Claims Commission at Caracas, etc.-will be published in Foreign Relations, 1904.

RIGHTS OF ALIENS IN VENEZUELA.

(INVOLVING ISSUANCE

OF CONSULAR OR VICE-CONSULAR EXEQUATURS TO PERSONS ENGAGED IN COMMERCE.)

Mr. Russell to Mr. IIay.

No. 170.1

LEGATION OF THE UNITED States,
Caracas, April 26, 1903.

SIR: I have the honor to report that the recent law of Congress in regard to foreigners is causing grave concern to most of the foreign diplomatic representatives here. The English minister requested the dean to call a meeting of the diplomatic corps to discuss the question. The meeting was held this morning at the Spanish legation, and it was evident that the English minister wanted the corps to take some combined action in the matter. I stated that I had already taken all the action I intended to take; that I had sent a translation of the law to my Government and was awaiting instructions.

The French minister stated that he had asked the Venezuelan Government to issue an exequatur for a French consular agent in the interior and had been refused, and that he then advised his Government by cable not to receive the lately appointed Venezuelan consuls for France. As all our vice-consuls and consular agents in Venezuela are engaged in business, I would like to have specific instructions in case an exequatur is refused for an appointee who comes within the provisions of article 14 of the law in question.

I inclose a translation of the law made at the legation.

I have, etc.,

[Inclosure 1.-Translation.]

WILLIAM W. RUSSELL.

EXECUTIVE MANSION.

The Congress of the United States of Venezuela decrees: ARTICLE 1. In the territory of the United States of Venezuela foreigners shall enjoy the same civil rights that the constitution of the Republic gives to Venezuelans. ART. 2. Foreigners in the territory of the United States of Venezuela shall be considered as either domiciled or transient.

ART. 3. Domiciled foreigners are

(1) Those who have acquired domicile in conformity with the provisions of the civil code.

(2) Those who have resided in the country voluntarily and uninterruptedly for more than two years, diplomatic representatives not included.

(3) Those who own real estate in the territory of the Republic and have a permanent residence therein.

(4) Those who have lived in the territory of the Republic for more than two years and are engaged in commerce or any other kind of business with a permanent establishment, even though they be consular representatives.

ART. 4. Transient foreigners are those in the territory of the Republic not mentioned in the subdivisions of article 3.

ART. 5. Domiciled foreigners are subject to the same obligations as Venezuelans, both as regards their persons and properties, but they are not subject to military service nor to the payment of forced and extraordinary war loans in cases of revolu tion or armed internal warfare.

ART. 6. Foreigners, both domiciled and transient, must not meddle in the internal affairs of the Republic, nor in anything relating to them. To this effect they can not

(1) Belong to political societies.

(2) Edit political newspapers nor write about the internal or external politics of the country in any newspaper.

INDEX.

A.

Page.

Accession of King Peter to Servian throne

716

Action of United States troops in Cuba and the Philippines, rejection of claims
of British subjects on account of.....
Address by United States minister at banquet given by President of Guatemala.
Admission of:

479

588

aliens into the Transvaal and Orange River colonies, regulations govern-
ing the

545

corporations of United States to engage in business in Austria-Hungary
Adoption of gold standard by Colombia..

Agents of the United States, commercial status and powers of, in Austria-
Hungary

Agreement by protocol:

17

130

14

between the United States and Venezuela for submission to arbitration of
unsettled claims of citizens of the United States

804

between Venezuela and Germany, to which the United States and other
powers are parties, respecting the reference of the question of the pref-
erential treatment of claims to the tribunal at The Hague.
between Venezuela and Great Britain, to which the United States and
other powers are parties, respecting the reference of the question of the
preferential treatment of claims to the tribunal at The Hague
between Venezuela and Italy, to which United States and other powers
are parties, respecting reference of question of preferential treatment of
claims to the tribunal at The Hague..

439

477

611

Alaskan boundary:

convention between the United States and Great Britain providing for the
settlement of questions between the two countries with respect to the
boundary line between the territory of Alaska and the British posses-
sions in North America...

488

correspondence between the Governments of the United States and Great
Britain after the ratification of the Alaskan boundary treaty of January
24, 1903..

493

decision of the Alaskan Boundary tribunal under the treaty of January
24, 1903, between the United States and Great Britain.

543

Aliens:

admission of, into the Transvaal and Orange River colonies; regulations
governing the

545

in Venezuela-rights of (involving issuance of consular or vice-consular
exequaturs to persons engaged in commerce).

Amazon River, free navigation of, in Brazil
American:

806

36

citizen; attack on H. C. Shipley by Turkish policeman in Smyrna..
citizens; murderers of, in Mexico; failure to apprehend and punish...
institutions, educational, charitable, and religious, in Turkey; negotiations

733

665

with Turkish Government with reference to official recognition of, etc.
interests; Tabriz, Persia; protection of, by British consul-general.......
residents of Pengyang, Korea, discourteous treatment of, by Korean
officials..

735

692

626

Amiral Fourichon, French steamship, stoppage of, at sea by a United States
war vessel

408

Annual message of the President of the United States..
Anniversary of reign of King Christian IX, fortieth

vii

387

Application, passport, of Lazarus Marks and his son David, in Guatemala..........

594

Arbitration:

Page.

claims of citizens of United States against Venezuela, agreement by proto-
col for submission to.....

804

donation of court-house and library for the permanent arbitration court
of, at The Hague..

686

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"Monroe doctrine" and diplomatic claims of European powers

Arrest:

and detention, provisional, of Charles Kratz, charged with bribery, whose
extradition is asked from Mexico...

7

1

674

and subsequent release of Alberto Posadas, a naturalized citizen of the
United States, for refusal to pay a forced war loan to the Government
of Guatemala

581

and delivery to German consuls of deserters from German vessels in United
States ports; construction of treaty provisions regarding

Assassination of:

King Alexander and accession of King Peter to Servian throne..
United States vice-consul at Beirut, attempted

411

716

769

Assistance rendered by citizens of United States to famine sufferers in Sweden;
thanks for.

731

Attack on H. C. Shipley, American citizen, by policeman at Smyrna, and
reparation made therefor by Turkish Government..

Attacks on Syrians, naturalized citizens of the United States resident in
Colombia....

127

Attempted blockade by Dominican Government, by decree, of ports held by
insurgents

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Colombian Government toward United States missionary schools......
French Government in regard to claims of its nationals against Venezuela.
the United States Government in the event of the Colombian Government
landing troops in the Republic of Panama....

Audience:

of the diplomatic corps with the Emperor of Korea, ceremonial..............
of the United States minister with the Sultan of Turkey, to present message
from the President in regard to educational institutions, etc.....
Austria-Hungary:

admission of United States corporations to engage in business in Austria-
Hungary

right and method of renunciation of United States citizenship
status and powers of commercial agents of the United States...
Authentication of documents for use in Cuba..

B.

Beirut, Turkey, attempted assassination of United States vice-consul at...............
Blockade, by decree, ports held by insurgents; attempt of Dominican Govern-
ment to enforce
Boundary, Alaskan:

convention between the United States and Great Britain providing for the
settlement of questions between the two countries with respect to the..
correspondence in regard to, between the United States and Great Britain.
decision of the Alaskan Boundary Tribunal

Brazil:

free navigation of the Amazon River...

message of President of, to Brazilian Congress (extracts)..

Monroe doctrine, press comments on note of Argentine Government to
the Government of the United States

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treaty and protocol between the United States and Brazil for the extra-
dition of criminals..

Bribery, extradition of Charles Kratz from Mexico, charged with.
Brigandage and rebellious movements in China..

British claims on account of losses incurred through action of United States
troops in Cuba and the Philippines, rejection of.

17

British consul-general at Tabréz, Persia, proteciion of American interests by..
Bulgaria, establishment of diplomatic relations with
Business, admission of corporations of the United States to engage in, in
Austria-Hungary..........

C.

Canal:

interoceanic, across the Isthmus of Panama; correspondence concerning
the convention between the United States and Colombia for the con-
struction of

Page.

message of the President of the United States concerning the construction
of..

132

260

rejection of canal treaty by Colombia (under correspondence concerning
the convention, etc.) .

132

treaty with Panama providing for; action of municipalities approving rat-
ification of treaty by Government Junta .

333

686

637

Carnegie, Andrew, donation of a court-house and library for the Permanent
Court of Arbitratfon at The Hague

Chemulpo, Korea, ownership of certain lands in general foreign settlement at.
China:

citizenship of Chinese and Japanese women married to United States citi-

zens

commercial treaty between Great Britain and China..

consular jurisdiction in Chinese territory leased to Russia.

consuls engaged in business, right of, to take part in deliberations of con-
sular body

expiatory monument erected in memory of Baron von Ketteler, late Impe-
rial German minister to China

foreigners in Peking, rights of......

Manchuria, correspondence concerning open ports, evacuation by Russia,

etc

rates of import tariff, etc..

rebellious movements, brigandage, etc., in China..

right of United States war vessels to visit Chinese inland waters.

treaty between the United States and China for the extension of the com-
mercial relations between them

Chinese and Japanese women married to United States citizens, citizenship of.
Chinese:

protection of, in Gautemala, by United States minister
territory leased to Russia, jurisdiction of consuls in....

Circular to diplomatic and consular officers: recognition of the Republic of
Panama

Citizens, American:

murderers of, in Mexico, failure to apprehend and punish..
railway employees, imprisonment of, in Mexico.....

Citizens of the United States:

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claims of: protocol of agreement between the United States and Venezuela
for submission to arbitration of, unsettled..........

thanks for assistance rendered by, to famine sufferers in Sweden..
Citizenship of Chinese and Japanese women married to United States citizens.
Citizenship, United States, right and method of renunciation of, in Austria-
Hungary..
Claims of:

British nationals against the Government of Venezuela, difficulty with
Great Britain growing out of nonpayment of, by Venezuela.
British subjects on account of losses incurred through action of United
States troops in Cuba and the Philippines; rejection of.........
European powers, and "Monroe doctrine" views of Argentine Govern-
ment upon..

452, 788

479

1

French nationals against the Government of Venezuela, attitude of
French Government toward...............

410, 788

German nationals against the Government of Venezuela, difficulty with
Germany on account of...

417, 788

Italian nationals against the Government of Venezuela, difficulty with
Venezuela on account of ...

601, 788

preferential treatment of claims, reference of question to The Hague Tri-
bunal, protocol providing for.

439, 477, 611

United States citizens against the Government of Venezuela, protocol of
agreement for submission to arbitration.

804

Coaling or naval stations, lease of to the United States in Cuba..

350

Collection of alien head tax from foreign diplomatic and consular officers
entering the United States from Mexico, diplomatic immunities...
Colombia:

661

adoption of gold standard by Colombia

130

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