Nevertheless, the exercise of the customary right of protection shall be reserved for those cases only in which it may be desired to reward signal services rendered by a native of Morocco to a foreign power, or for other altogether exceptional reasons.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs at Tangier shall be previously informel of the nature of the services, and notified of the intention to reward them, in order that he may, if need be, present his observations thereon; yet the final decision shall be reserved for the Government to which the service shall have been rendered.

The number of persons thus protected shall not exceed twelve for each power, and this number is fixed as the maximum unless the consent of the Sultan shall be obtained.

The status of persons who have obtained protection in virtue of the custom which is henceforth to be regulated by this stipulation shall be without limitation of the number of persons belonging to this class and now so protected, the same for themselves and their families as that which is established for other protected persons.

1554. ARTICLE XVII.

The right to the treatment of the most favored nation is recognized by Morocco as belonging to all the powers represented at the Madrid conference.

MUSCAT. (See MASKAT.)

NETHERLANDS.

Treaty concluded January 22, 1855 (Consular Privileges in Colonies).

1555. ARTICLE I.

Consuls-General, Consuls, and Vice-Consuls of the United States of America will be admitted into all the ports in the transmarine possessions or colonies of the Netherlands which are open to the vessels of all nations.

1556. ARTICLE II.

The Consuls-General, Consuls, and Vice-Consuls of the United States of America are considered as Commercial Agents, protectors of the maritime commerce of their countrymen in the ports within the circumfer ence of their Consular Districts.

They are subject to the laws, both civil and criminal, of the country n which they reside, with such exceptions as the present convention stablishes in their favor.

1557. ARTICLE III.

The Consuls-General and Consuls, before being admitted to exercise cheir functions, and to enjoy the immunities attached thereto, must present a commission, in due form, to the Government of His Majesty the King of the Netherlands.

After having obtained the exequatur, which shall be countersigned as promptly as possible by the governor of the colony, the said Consular Agents shall be entitled to the protection of the Government, and to the assistance of the local authorities, in the free exercise of their functions. The Government, in granting the exequatur, reserves the right of withdrawing the same, or to cause it to be withdrawn by the governor of the colony, on a statement of the reasons for doing so.

1558. ARTICLE IV.

The Consuls-General and Consuls are authorized to place on the outer door of their Consulates the arms of their Government, with the inscription: Consulate of the United States of America."

It is well understood that this outward mark shall never be considered as conferring the right of asylum, nor as having the power to exempt the house and those dwelling therein from the prosecution of the local justice.

1559. ARTICLE V.

It is nevertheless understood that the archives and documents relating to the affairs of the Consulate shall be protected against all search, and that no authority or magistrate shall have the power, under any pretext whatever, to visit or seize them, or to examine their contents.

1560. ARTICLE VI.

The Consuls-General, Consuls, and Vice-Consuls shall not be invested with any diplomatic character.

When a request is to be addressed to the Netherlands Government, it must be done through the medium of the Diplomatic Agent residing at the Hague, if one be there.

The Consul may, in case of urgency, apply to the governor of the colony himself, showing the urgency of the case, and stating the reasons

why the request cannot be addressed to the subordinate authorities, or that previous applications made to such authorities have not been attended to.

1561. ARTICLE VII.

Consuls-General and Consuls shall be free to establish Vice Consuls in the ports mentioned in article one, and situated in their Consular districts. The Vice-Consuls may be taken indiscriminately from among the subjects of the Netherlands, or from citizens of the United States, or of any other country residing or having the privilege, according to the local laws, to fix their residence in the port to which the Vice-Consul shall be named.

These Vice-Consuls, whose nominations shall be submitted to the approval of the governor of the colony, shall be provided with a certificate given to them by the Consul under whose orders they exercise their functions.

The governor of the colony may in all cases withdraw from the ViceConsuls the aforesaid sanction, in communicating to the Consul-General or Consul of the respective district the motives for his doing so.

1562. ARTICLE VIII.

Passports delivered or signed by Consuls or Consular Agents do not dispense the bearer from providing himself with all the papers required by the local laws, in order to travel or to establish himself in the colonies. The right of the governor of the colony to prohibit the residence in. or to order the departure from, the colony of any person to whom a passport may have been delivered, remains undisturbed.

1563. ARTICLE IX.

When a ship of the United States is wrecked upon the coast of the Dutch colonies, the Consul-General, Consul, or Vice-Consul who is present at the scene of the disaster, will, in case of the absence, or with the consent of the captain or supercargo, take all the necessary measures for the salvage of the vessel, the cargo, and all that appertains to it.

In the absence of the Consul-General, Consul, or Vice-Consul, the Dutch authorities of the place where the wreck has taken place will act in the premises, according to the regulations prescribed by the laws of the colony.

1564. ARTICLE X.

Consuls-General, Consuls, and Vice-Consuls, may, in so far as the extradition of deserters from merchant-vessels or ships of war shall have

been stipulated by treaty, request the assistance of the local authorities for the arrest, detention, and imprisonment of deserters from vessels of the United States. To this end, they shall apply to the competent functionaries, and claim said deserters, in writing, proving by the register of the vessel, the list of the crew, or by any other authentic document, that the persons claimed belong to the crew.

The reclamation being thus supported, the local functionaries shall exercise what authority they possess, in order to cause the deserters to be delivered up.

These deserters, being arrested, shall be placed at the disposal of said Consuls, and may be confined in the public prisons at the request and at the expense of those who claim them, in order that they may be taken to the vessels to which they belong, or to other vessels of the same nation. But if they are not sent back within four months from the day of their arrest, they shall be set at liberty, and shall not again be arrested for the same cause.

It is understood, however, that if the deserter be found to have committed any crime, offense, or contravention, his extradition may be delayed until the court having cognizance of the matter shall have pronounced its sentence, and the same has been carried into execution.

1565. ARTICLE XI.

In case of the death of a citizen of the United States, without having any known heirs or testamentary executors, the Dutch authorities who, according to the laws of the colonies, are charged with the administration of the estate, will inform the Consuls or Consular Agents of the circumstance, in order that the necessary information may be forwarded to parties interested.

1566. ARTICLE XII.

The Consuls-General, Consuls, and Vice-Consuls, have, in that capacity, in so far as the laws of the United States of America allow it, the right to be named arbiters in the differences which may arise between the masters and the crews of the vessels belonging to the United States, and this without the interference of the local authorities, unless the conduct of the crew, or of the captain, should have been such as to disturb the order and tranquility of the country, or that the Consuls-General, Consuls, or Vice-Consuls should request the assistance of the said authorities, in order to carry out their decisions or to maintain their authority.

It is understood, however, that this decision or special arbitrament is not to deprive, on their return, the parties in litigation of the right of appeal to the judiciary authorities of their own country.

1567. ARTICLE XIII.

The Consuls-General, Consuls, and Vice-Consuls, who are not subjects of the Netherlands, who, at the time of their appointment, are not established as residents in the Kingdom of the Netherlands or its colonies, and who do not exercise any calling, profession, or trade, besides their Consular functions, are, in so far as in the United States the same privileges are granted to the Consuls-General, Consuls, and Vice-Consuls of the Netherlands, exempt from military billetings, from personal taxation. and, moreover, from all public or municipal taxes which are considered of a personal character, so that this exemption shall never extend to custom-house duties or other taxes, whether indirect or real.

Consuls-General, Consuls, and Vice-Consuls who are not natives or recognized subjects of the Netherlands, but who may exercise conjointly with their Consular functions any profession or trade whatever, are obliged to fulfill duties and pay taxes and contributions, like all Dutch subjects and other inhabitants.

The Consuls-General, Consuls, and Vice-Consuls, subjects of the Netherlands, but to whom it has been accorded to exercise Consular functions conferred by the Government of the United States of America, are obliged to fulfill duties and pay taxes and contributions, like all Dutch subjects and other inhabitants.

1568. ARTICLE XIV.

The Consuls-General, Consuls, and Vice-Consuls of the United States shall enjoy all such other privileges, exemptions, and immunities in the colonies of the Netherlands as may, at any future time, be granted to the agents of the same rank of the most favored nations.

Treaty concluded May 23, 1878 (Rights, Privileges, and Immunities of Consular Officers not applicable to colonies).

1569. ARTICLE I.

Each of the high contracting parties agrees to receive Consuls-General, Vice-Consuls-General, Consuls, Vice-Consuls, and Consular Agents of