that the President, appreciating the friendly disposition manifested by your proposals, will refrain from exercising the power of discrimination or exclusion against the products of Cuba and Puerto Rico so long as Spain accords most-favored-nation treatment to American products in those islands. In reply to my note you are now good enough to reassure me that in consideration of such treatment by my Government that of His Majesty will apply to American products only the duties imposed by the second column of the tariff in force in Cuba and Puerto Rico, that column being applied, as you have assured me, to all nations which now receive from Spain in those islands the most-favored-nation treatment. The necessary meaning of this agreement, as you have correctly expressed it not only in your note, but in your conversations with me, is that both nations may make subsequent tariff changes without prejudice to the agreement, provided by such changes neither discriminates against the other. In the event that either party desires to determine the agreement, three months' notice of such intention is to be given beforehand. Hoping to be informed by you at a very early day of the consummation of the necessary acts upon the part of the Cortes, I seize this opportunity to renew, etc. HANNIS TAYLOR. Mr. Taylor to Mr. Gresham. [Telegram.] MADRID, January 12, 1895. Law putting new agreements in force read in Cortes to-day. Leader opposition, Canovas, says no objection will be made. No. 288.] Mr. Taylor to Mr. Gresham. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Madrid, January 12, 1895. (Received January 24.) SIR: I have the honor to report that on Saturday the 12th instant the minister of state, by authority of the Government, read in the Cortes the project of law designed to put into immediate effect the new modus vivendi. A copy of said law, with translation, is inclosed herein. I have been informed by two of the political representatives of Señor Canovas, the leader of the opposition, that the proposed law will be permitted to pass without objection from that source. Inclosed please find (with translation) to that effect a statement made by El Estandarte, Señor Canovas's personal organ. On Saturday night, the 12th instant, I informed you of these facts by telegram. I am, etc., HANNIS TAYLOR. Not printed. [Inclosure-Translation-From El Imparcial, January 13, 1895.] The Modus Vivendi with the United States. The minister of state read in the Congress yesterday the following project of law: To the Cortes: The second column of the general customs tariff for the islands of Cuba and Puerto Rico is applied to-day to all nations except Germany, where the products of the Antilles are subjected to a material overcharge, and the United States, in which, since the termination of the reciprocity arrangement of 1891, our products still enjoy the same treatment as other countries, while that treatment is not applied to those of the United States in Cuba and Puerto Rico. Reasons, therefore, of equity suggest the putting an end to a situation which can not be prolonged without exposing the commerce of the Antilles to suffer the right of reprisal, with which, by a special law, the President of the United States is invested. To avoid that the Government of His Majesty has agreed with the Cabinet at Washington that if it will oblige itself to promise us the most-favored-nation treatment, Spain will in the meanwhile apply to North American products in Cuba and Puerto Rico the second column of the tariff now in force. This modus vivendi will continue until a definitive treaty of commerce shall be concluded between the interested parties or until one of them signifies to the other, after three months' notice, its desire to terminate it. Based upon these considerations the minister who subscribes hereto, authorized by His Majesty and by the judgment of the council of ministers, has the honor to submit to the approval of the Cortes, the following: PROJECT OF LAW. ARTICLE 1. The Government is authorized to apply to the products and manufac tures of the United States-which proceeding from the ports of said States may be admitted into those of Cuba and Puerto Rico-the second column of the tariff in force in the same, in exchange for the application by the United States of its lowest tariffs to the products of the soil and of the industry of Cuba and Puerto Rico. This modus vivendi will continue until a definitive treaty may be executed between the two parties interested or until one of them announces to the other, after three months' notice, the day upon which it desires to terminate it. The commission which will be required to report upon the modus vivendi with the United States will be composed of Señores Fernandez Laza, Duque de Almodovar, Urzaiz, Villanueva (D. Miguel), Moya, Perojo, and Rodriguez San Pedro. Mr. Taylor to Mr. Gresham. [Telegram.] MADRID, January 22, 1895. Law putting modus in force passed and will no doubt pass Senate this week. Mr. Gresham to Mr. Taylor. [Telegram.] Has bill passed the Senate? WASHINGTON, January 29, 1895. Mr. Taylor to Mr. Gresham. [Telegram.] MADRID, January 30, 1895. Senate approved to-day. Mr. Gresham to Mr. Taylor. [Telegram.] WASHINGTON, January 31, 1895. When does law giving benefit second column tariff take effect? Mr. Taylor to Mr. Gresham. [Telegram.] MADRID, February 1, 1895. As soon as Crown approves, probably Monday, notice will be sent Cuba by telegraph. I will then telegraph you. Mr. Taylor to Mr. Gresham. [Telegram.] MADRID, February 5, 1895. Queen approved. Will appear in Gazette to-morrow, when telegram will be sent immediately to Cuba, putting it into effect. SWEDEN AND NORWAY. ADMEASUREMENT OF VESSELS. Mr. Grip to Mr. Gresham. [Translation.] LEGATION OF SWEDEN AND NORWAY, Washington, December 22, 1893. A royal decree of September 14, 1893, which went into operation on the 1st of October last, introduced certain modifications in and amendments to the instructions in force in Norway in regard to the admeasurement of vessels. By the inclosed French translation of an extract from the department of finance in Norway, bearing date of October 30, 1893, your excellency will see the essential points on which these modifications and amendments bear. The Norwegian rules which have thus been adopted for the admeasurement of vessels agree, in the main, with the rules established in Great Britain and Ireland by the merchant shipping (tonnage) act of 1889. In accordance with the new regulations, a circular dated September 21, 1893, which was addressed by the department of finance and customs to Norwegian collectors of customs, instructed such collectors to recognize, on and after October 1, 1893, the national certificates of admeasurement of foreign sailing vessels admeasured according to the Moorsom system, as also national certificates of admeasurement of steam vessels belonging to a country that has adopted the so-called English rule for the deduction of engine room. On the other hand, steam vessels belonging to countries in which another rule, whether the German or the Danube rule, is adopted, are to be readmeasured for the purpose of ascertaining the deduction to be made for engine room according to the English rule, while the gross capacity, the deduction for the space set apart for the crew, etc., are to be recognized according to the statements contained in the national certificates of admeasurement. If, however, the captain of such a vessel prefers, the dues to be collected on the net capacity of the vessel may be computed according to the certificate of admeasurement. In having the honor to bring the foregoing to your excellency's notice I take the liberty, in pursuance of the instructions of my Government, to express the hope that the United States Government will be pleased, by way of reciprocity, to order Norwegian certificates of admeasurement issued subsequently to October 1, 1893, to be recognized in American ports. The agreement established between the United Kingdoms and the United States by the exchange of the ministerial notes of April 16 and June 13, 1883, should, therefore, if this is done, be modified so far as Norwegian vessels are concerned. As English certificates of admeasurement are, unless I have been misinformed, recognized by the custom-houses of the United States, my Government trusts that the same favor will be granted to the new Norwegian certificates, which are virtually the same as those of British vessels. In addition to the aforesaid extract I herewith inclose a copy of the decree of September 14, 1893, together with a copy of the circular issued by the department of finance and customs under date of September 21, 1893. Be pleased, etc., [Inclosure.-Translation.] A. GRIP. Extract from a letter dated October 30, 1893, addressed to the ministry of foreign affairs at Stockholm by the department of finance and customs at Christiania. A royal decree of September 14, 1893, introduced in Norway certain modifications of and amendments to the instructions in force in that country relative to the admeasurement of vessels. The main points are the following: (1) The tanks for water ballast, being between the outer and inner bottoms in double-bottomed vessels, are not to be included in the tonnage of the volume below the tonnage deck when such tanks can not be utilized for cargo, sea stores, or fuel. (2) Roundhouses and raised hatchways communicating with the hold are to be measured, and, of their cubic contents, all in excess of onehalf of 1 per cent of the gross tonnage of the rest of the vessel shall be added to the gross tonnage. Formerly nothing but the volume in excess of 2 per cent of the volume below the upper deck was added. (3) The deductions for the compartments set apart for the crew, etc., are modified in such a way as to permit, besides the deductions already allowed, a deduction for the cable stages, and, in sailing vessels, sail rooms, and also for the captain's sleeping room, with toilet and bathroom. By this measure the deductions of this nature agree with the English rules of admeasurement as established by the merchant shipping (tonnage) act of 1889, except as regards the deduction for the cable stages, which, in Norway, is limited to 2 per cent of the gross tonnage, whereas this deduction is unlimited in England. (4) The deduction for the engine is to be computed according to the English rule, instead of the German rule, which has hitherto been in force, with this modification, however, that the deduction, except in the case of tugboats and boats used for breaking a passage through ice, is never to exceed 50 per cent of the vessel's gross tonnage. The aforesaid royal decree has superseded the royal decree of May 5, 1883, with regard to the addendum to certificates of admeasurement of decked steamers. Certificates of admeasurement of Norwegian steamers will, therefore, no longer have an addendum made to them containing a statement of their net capacity, according to the German or Danube rule. The new instructions went into operation, according to paragraph 14, on the 1st instant. The readmeasurement of vessels, however, can not be required before January 1, 1894, except in certain special cases. In pursuance of the new provisions the Norwegian ministry of |