hereafter alter, repeal, revoke, or modify any of the rates of postage hereby fixed, or any of the regulations hereby made, and may make and establish any new or other rates or regulations in lieu thereof, and from time to time may appoint at what time the rates that may be payable are to be paid.

15. This warrant shall come into operation on the 1st day of January, 1862.

Whitehall, Treasury Chambers, 26th day of December, 1861. WM. DUNBAR. E. H. KNATCHBULL-HUGESSEN.

CONVENTION between Great Britain and France, relative to Joint-Stock Companies. Signed, in English and French, at Paris, April 30, 1862.*

HER Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom [of Great Britain and Ireland, and His Majesty the Emperor of the French, having judged it expedient to come to an understanding in order to define, within their respective dominions and possessions, the position of commercial, industrial, and financial companies and associations constituted and authorized in conformity with the laws in force in either of the 2 countries, have resolved to conclude a Convention for that purpose, and have named as their Plenipotentiaries, that is to say:

Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Right Honourable Henry Richard Charles Earl Cowley, Her Majesty's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Emperor of the French;

And His Majesty the Emperor of the French, M. Edouard Antoine Thouvenel, Senator, His Minister and Secretary of State for the Department for Foreign Affairs ;

Who, after having communicated to each other their respective full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed upon and concluded the following Articles :

ART. I. The High Contracting Parties declare that they mutually grant to all Companies and other Associations, commercial, industrial, or financial, constituted and authorized in conformity with the laws in force in either of the 2 countries, the power of exercising all their rights, and of appearing before the Tribunals, whether for the purpose of bringing an action, or for defending the same, throughout the dominions and possessions of the other Power, subject to the sole condition of conforming to the laws of such dominions and possessions.

II. It is agreed that the stipulations of the preceding Article shall apply as well to Companies and Associations constituted and

Ratifications exchanged at Paris, May 15, 1862.

authorized previously to the signature of the present Convention, as to those which may subsequently be so constituted and authorized.

III. The present Convention is concluded without limit as to duration. Either of the High Powers shall, however, be at liberty to terminate it by giving to the other a year's previous notice. The 2 High Powers, moreover, reserve to themselves the power to introduce into the Convention, by common consent, any modifications which experience may show to be desirable.

IV. The present Convention shall be ratified, and the ratifications shall be exchanged at Paris in 15 days, or sooner if possible.

In witness whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the same, and have affixed thereto the seals of their arms. Done in duplicate at Paris, the 30th of April, 1862. (L.S.) COWLEY.

(L.S.) E. A. THOUVENEL.

BRITISH ORDER IN COUNCIL, containing Regulations for Preventing Collision at Sea to British and French Vessels, January 9, 1863.

At the Court at Osborne House, Isle of Wight, the 9th day of January, 1863.

PRESENT, THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY IN COUNCIL.

WHEREAS the rules and practice observed for preventing collisions at sea, which were formerly adopted by maritime nations, have proved insufficient to satisfy the requirements of modern navigation; and whereas various alterations in such rules and practice, have from time to time been made by different nations, but the rules so altered have been found to be in some cases inconsistent with each other, and in other cases to have the force of municipal law only; and whereas in consequence of communications from the Government of the Emperor of the French inviting Her Majesty's Government to consider the expediency of making the said Rules uniform and international, Her Majesty's Government prepared a project of regulations for preventing collisions at sea, and submitted it to the Government of the Emperor of the French; and the project so prepared by Her Majesty's Government was approved by the Government of the Emperor of the French, with certain modifications, which were assented to by Her Majesty's Government; and whereas the said Regulations so modified have been sanctioned by the "Merchant Shipping Act Amend

ment Act, 1862,"* and are contained in Table C. in the Schedule to that Act;

And whereas by the said Act it is provided that Her Majesty may from time to time, on the joint recommendation of the Admiralty and the Board of Trade by Order in Council, modify any of the said Regulations or make new Regulations in substitution therefor; and whereas certain clerical errors have been discovered in the Regulations contained in the schedule to the said Act, and the Admiralty and the Board of Trade have jointly recommended Her Majesty to modify the said Regulations for the purpose of correcting the said clerical errors; and the Regulations so modified are appended to this Order; and whereas by virtue of the said Act and of this Order the said Regulations appended hereto will, so far as relates to British ships, and also so far as relates to Foreign ships, when within British jurisdiction, come into operation on the 1st day of June, 1863; and whereas it is provided by the same Act that whenever it is made to appear to Her Majesty that the Government of any Foreign country is willing that the Regulations for preventing collision contained in Table C. in the schedule to the said Act, or such other Regulations for preventing collision as are for the time being in force under the said Act should apply to the ships of such country when beyond the limits of British jurisdiction, Her Majesty may by Order in Council direct that such Regulations shall apply to the ships of the said Foreign country, whether within British jurisdiction or not; and it is further provided by the said Act that whenever an Order in Council has been issued applying any Regulation made by or in pursuance of the said Act to the ships of any Foreign country, such ships shall in all cases arising in any British court be deemed to be subject to such Regulation, and shall for the purpose of such Regulation be treated as if they were British ships; and whereas it has been made to appear to Her Majesty that the Government of the Emperor of the French is willing that the said Regulations appended to this Order should, on and after the 1st day of June, 1863, apply to French ships when beyond the limits of British jurisdiction.

Now, therefore, Her Majesty, by virtue of the power vested in her by the said recited Act, and by and with the advice of her Privy Council, is pleased to direct:

1st. That the Regulations contained in the schedule to the said Act shall be modified by the substitution for such Regulations of the Regulations appended to this Order.†

2nd. That the said Regulations appended to this Order shall, on and after the said 1st day of June, 1863, apply to French ships, whether within British jurisdiction or not.

* See GREAT BRITAIN.

EDMUND HARRISON.

† See Page 221.

(ANNEX.)-Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea. Contents.-ART. I. Preliminary.

RULES CONCERNING LIGHTS.-2. Lights to be carried as follows:- -3. Lights for steam-ships; 4. Lights for steam-tugs ; 5. Lights for sailing-ships; 6. Exceptional lights for small sailingvessels; 7. Lights for ships at anchor; 8. Lights for pilot-vessels ; 9. Lights for fishing-vessels and boats.

RULES CONCERNING FOG SIGNALS.-10. Fog signals.

STEERING AND SAILING RULES.-11. Two sailing-ships meeting; 12. Two sailing-ships crossing; 13. Two ships under steam meeting; 14. Two ships under steam crossing; 15. Sailingship and ship under steam; 16. Ships under steam to slacken speed; 17. Vessels overtaking other vessels; 18. Construction of Articles XII, XIV, XV, and XVII; 19. Proviso to save special cases; 20. No ship under any circumstances to neglect proper precautions.

PRELIMINARY.-ART. I. In the following Rules every steamship which is under sail and not under steam is to be considered a sailing-ship, and every steam-ship which is under steam, whether under sail or not, is to be considered a ship under steam.

RULES CONCERNING LIGHTS.-Lights.-II. The lights mentioned in the following Articles, numbered III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, and IX, and no others, shall be carried in all weathers, from sunset to sunrise.

Lights for Steam-ships.-III. Sea-going steam-ships when under weigh shall carry :

(a.) At the Foremast Head, a bright White Light, so fixed as to show an uniform and unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 20 points of the compass, so fixed as to throw the light 10 points on each side of the ship-viz., from right ahead to 2 points abaft the beam on either side, and of such a character as to be visible on a dark night, with a clear atmosphere, at a distance of at least 5 miles.

(b.) On the Starboard Side, a Green Light, so constructed as to throw an uniform and unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 10 points of the compass, so fixed as to throw the light from right ahead to 2 points abaft the beam on the starboard side, and of such a character as to be visible on a dark night, with a clear atmosphere, at a distance of at least 2 miles.

(c.) On the Port Side, a Red Light, so constructed as to show an uniform and unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 10 points of the compass, so fixed as to throw the light from right ahead to 2 points abaft the beam on the port side, and of such a character as to be visible on a dark night, with a clear atmosphere, at a distance of at least 2 miles.

(d.) The said Green and Red Side Lights shall be fitted with inboard screens, projecting at least 3 feet forward from the light, so as to prevent these lights from being seen across the bow.

Lights for Steam-tugs.-IV. Steam-ships, when towing other ships, shall carry 2 bright White Mast-head Lights vertically, in addition to their side lights, so as to distinguish them from other steam-ships. Each of these mast-head lights shall be of the same construction and character as the mast-head lights which other steam-ships are required to carry.

Lights for Sailing-ships.-V. Sailing-ships under weigh, or being towed, shall carry the same lights as steam-ships under weigh, with the exception of the white mast-head lights, which they shall never carry.

Exceptional Lights for Small Sailing-vessels.-VI. Whenever, as in the case of small vessels during bad weather, the green and red lights cannot be fixed, these lights shall be kept on deck, on their respective sides of the vessel, ready for instant exhibition, and shall, on the approach of or to other vessels, be exhibited on their respective sides in sufficient time to prevent collision, in such manner as to make them most visible, and so that the green light shall not be seen on the port side, nor the red light on the starboard side.

To make the use of these portable lights more certain and easy, the lanterns containing them shall each be painted outside with the colour of the light they respectively contain, and shall be provided with suitable screens.

Lights for Ships at Anchor.-VII. Ships, whether steam-ships or sailing-ships, when at anchor in roadsteads or fairways, shall exhibit, where it can best be seen, but at a height not exceeding 20 feet above the hull, a white light, in a globular lantern of 8 inches in diameter, and so constructed as to show a clear, uniform, and unbroken light visible all round the horizon, and at a distance of at least 1 mile.

carry a

Lights for Pilot-vessels.-VIII. Sailing pilot-vessels shall not carry the lights required for other sailing-vessels, but shall White Light at the mast-head, visible all round the horizon, and shall also exhibit a Flare-up Light every 15 minutes.

Lights for Fishing-vessels and Boats.-IX. Open fishing-boats and other open boats shall not be required to carry the side lights required for other vessels, but shall, if they do not carry such lights, carry a lantern having a Green Slide on the one side, and a Red Slide on the other side; and on the approach of or to other vessels, such lantern shall be exhibited in sufficient time to prevent collision, so that the green light shall not be seen on the port side, nor the red light on the starboard side.

Fishing-vessels and open boats when at anchor, or attached to their nets and stationary, shall exhibit a bright White Light. Fishing-vessels and open boats shall, however, not be prevented from using a Flare-up in addition, if considered expedient.

RULES CONCERNING FOG SIGNALS.-Fog Signals.-X.