2 signed June 21, 1890, at Paris, and July 22, 1896, at Budapest, was given by the laws of June 19, 1891, and June 28, 1897, respectively. The postal-union conventions, signed at Paris June 1, 1878, at Vienna July 4, 1891, and at Washington June 15, 1897, were approved by the laws of December 20, 1878, April 13, 1892, and April 8, 1898. Special treaties to facilitate postal exchanges have occasionally been concluded and made effective without submission to the chambers, by virtue of existing laws.3 Postal agreements of an administrative character are sometimes entered into by the DirectorGeneral of Posts. The monetary convention between France, Belgium, Greece, Italy and Switzerland, signed at Paris, November 5, 1878, and the subsequent conventions of November 6, 1885, and November 15, 1893, modifying and revising it, have all been approved by special laws.5 Treaties entered into for the guarantee of loans potentially involve the finances and are accordingly submitted to the chambers for approval. The convention with the United States signed at Washington, January 15, 1880, providing for the settlement by a commission of arbitration of claims of American citizens arising out of the 'De Clercq's Recueil des Traités, vol. xviii, p. 392: vol. xx, p. 433. See for special telegraphic and telephone conventions, and the dates of the laws approving them, ibid., vol. xviii, p. 471 et seq., vol. xix, pp. 268, 283, 513. 'Ibid., vol. xii, p. 95; vol. xix, p. 114; vol. xxi, p. 82. * See the conventions signed Jan. 17, 1894, with the Netherlands, and July 9, 1895, with Great Britain, ibid., vol. xx, pp. 109, 110, 259, 263. The arrangements with Great Britain of Nov. 6 and 9, 1894, and Dec. 2 and 9, 1895, were thus concluded. Ibid., vol. xx, pp. 181, 262. 'Ibid., vol. xii, p. 356; vol. xv, p. 892; vol. xx, p. 71. "The convention of Mar. 29, proved by law of Apr. 8, 1898. 1898, to facilitate a Greek loan was apIbid., vol. xxi, p. 350. French operations against Mexico, the Franco-Prussian war and the internal disturbances known as the "Insurrection of the Commune;" and on the other hand, of claims of citizens of France arising out of acts committed against their "persons and property" in the United States during the period between April 13, 1861 and August 20, 1866, required the approval of the chambers not only as involving the finances of the state but also as affecting the persons and property of French citizens in a foreign country. Under this latter head would be classed very many of the claims conventions that have been concluded; such, for instance, as the convention signed at Santiago, November 2, 1882, for the settlement of the claims of French citizens for damages suffered during the war between Chili and Peru and Bolivia.* Treaties of extradition and those defining the duties and privileges of consuls are ratified only on legislative authority. As affecting the persons and property of French citizens in foreign countries may also be classed the following treaties of a special character which have been submitted for approval: the treaty with Switzerland, July 23, 1879, regulating the naturalization of children of former French citizens who have become by naturalization Swiss citizens; 3 the convention with AustriaHungary, May 14, 1879, stipulating for judicial assistance to citizens of the one in the territory of the other; the convention with Russia, July 27, 1896, exempting French citizens bringing action in Russia from any hindrance to which Russians are not subject; a convention and additional protocol originally between France, Belgium, 'De Clercq's Recueil des Traités, vol. xii, p. 519. Law of June 16, 1880. 'Ibid., vol. xiv, p. 61. 'Ibid., vol. xii, pp. 400, 527. 'Ibid., vol. xii, p. 407. Spain, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland, signed at The Hague, November 14, 1896, designed to establish common rules concerning many matters of private international law and civil procedure;' the convention for the protection of industrial property signed at Paris, March 20, 1883,' and the international copyright convention signed at Berne, September 9, 1886, together with the additional act of May 4, 1896.3 Agreements for the reciprocal protection of trade-marks are regularly submitted for legislative approval. If for their execution no modification modification of existing legislation is required, agreements of this character have occasionally not been submitted.5 Of treaties affecting French territorial jurisdiction and accordingly submitted for legislative approval, the following may serve to indicate their varied character: the treaty of August 10, 1877, with Sweden, for the retrocession to France of the island of St. Bartholomew;" the agreement of June 29, 1880, with the king of the Society Islands, by which the complete sovereignty over these islands passed to France; and the convention of May 12, 1881, by which Tunis placed itself under the protectorate influence of France. Madagascar was 'De Clercq's Recueil des Traités, vol. xx, p. 642. 2 Ibid., vol. xiv, p. 203. Ibid., vol. xvii, p. 253; vol. xx, p. 398. 'See for instances, ibid., vol. xx, pp. 335, 430; vol. xxi, pp. 632, 774. • See for instances, ibid., vol. xii, pp. 541, 545. Art. VI of the trademark law of June 23, 1857, as modified by the law of Nov. 26, 1873, provides that foreigners may enjoy the benefits of the law, if in the country in which they are residing reciprocity for French marks has been established by diplomatic convention or law. Sen. Doc. 20, p. 364. 56th Cong. 2nd Sess. 'De Clercq's Recueil des Traités, vol. xii, pp. 35, 40. 'Ibid., vol. xii, pp. 571, 624. 8 Ibid., vol. xiii, p. 25. made a French colony by a law of August 6, 1896, accepting the act of the queen of that island making the cession. Likewise, a law of March 19, 1898, declared the Leeward Islands of the Tahiti group to be an integral part of the colonial domain of France. Numerous treaties made with the less important African tribes, in which French sovereignty has been recognized, have not been submitted to the chambers for approval. A decree of August 1, 1895, issued upon the authority of the ministers of the colonies and of foreign affairs, ratified fourteen different treaties of this character concluded by army officers and other agents between December 21, 1894, and March 12, 1895. Such agreements, however, can hardly be classed as treaties by which territory is acquired, since they cannot be exhibited alone as international titles, but must be accompanied by the establishment of authority sufficient to protect existing rights.3 Agreements for the adjustment of boundaries, such as were concluded March 15, 1893, and April 4, 1900, with Belgium, in each of which there was an actual exchange of small portions of territory, require legislative approval. So also boundary agreements relative to colonial possessions are usually ratified on the authority of a law. Of these, the agreements with Germany of December 24, 1885, March 15, 1894, and July 23, 1897; with the Congo of August 14, 1894; with 'De Clercq's Recueil des Traités, vol. xx, p. 585; vol. xxi, p. 349. 'Ibid., vol. xx, p. 297. See similar decree of Mar. 1, 1895, ibid., p. 217. 'See Art. XXXV of the treaty of Berlin signed Feb. 26, 1885. Brit. and For. State Papers, vol. lxxvi, p. 19. 'De Clercq's Recueil des Traités, vol. xx, pp. 16, 21; vol. xxi, p. 646. 'Ibid., vol. xv, p. 927; vol. xx, p. 117; vol. xxi, p. 281. Ibid., vol. xx, p. 165. I Spain of June 27, 1900; and with Great Britain of June. 14, 1898, for the determination and settlement of boundaries between possessions in Africa, may be noted. Likewise, the convention of November 29, 1888, and of April 10, 1897, with the Netherlands and Brazil, respectively, by which the determination of the boundaries of French Guiana was referred to arbitration, were submitted for approval.3 The agreement with Great Britain signed August 10, 1889, relative to boundaries between French and British possessions on the west coast of Africa, was ratified on executive authority, and may be noted as an exception.* Treaties not included under one of the heads enumerated in Article VIII of the Constitutional Law do not require legislative approbation. A classification of these is quite impossible, but the following may serve to illustrate their varied character: The general treaty signed at Berlin July 13, 1878, for the settlement of affairs in the East; the treaties of May 24, 1881, and March 10, 1883, with the same powers, rectifying the Turko-Grecian frontiers, and relative to the navigation of the Danube;' the treaty signed at Constantinople October 29, 1888, for the neutralization of the Suez Canal; the international sanitary convention signed at Dresden April 15, 1893;' the agreement reached with Great Britain by exchange of declarations at London August 5, 1890, by which the French government engaged to recognize the British protectorate over the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba, and the British government to recognize the French protec 'De Clercq's Recueil des Traités, vol. xxi, p. 660. Ibid., vol. xviii, p. 155; vol. xxi, p. 51. |