bring the salaries and emoluments of the officials connected with the authorities for the collection and supervision of the Customs, likewise with the Customs Boards, as much as possible into uniformity, also with respect to the Kingdom of Hanover and the Duchy of Oldenburg.

XXXI. The Contracting Parties reciprocally concede to each other the right of co-appointing Comptrollers to the Chief Customs offices of other States of the Union, both on the frontiers and in the interior (chief tax offices with bonding warehouses), who are to take cognizance of all the proceedings thereof, and of the secondary offices in relation to the forwarding business and the watching of the frontiers, to see that the proceedings are legal, to co-operate likewise in the removal of any defects, but, for the rest, to abstain from giving any orders themselves.

It is reserved for the more particular regulations for the service which are to be agreed upon, to decide whether the Comptrollers are to take any, and what, part in the current business.

XXXII. Each of the Contracting States has the right of delegating an official to the Customs Boards of the other States of the Union, for the purpose of obtaining complete knowledge of all the administration business that is going on in relation to the community introduced by the present Treaty. The business relations of these officials will be defined by special instructions, the basis whereof is to be the unrestricted openness on the part of the administration where the delegates act, in regard to all subjects of the common Customs Administration, and the facilitation of every means by which they may obtain information thereon; while, on the other hand, their care must, not the less frankly, be directed to the removal of all doubts and differences of opinion that arise, in a manner conformable with the common objects and relations of the associated States.

The ministries or supreme administration offices of all the States of the Union will reciprocally communicate on application every desired information respecting the common Customs affairs; and in case it should be thought fit to delegate, temporarily or permanently, a higher official for this purpose, or to commission a Plenipotentiary otherwise accredited to the Government, every opportunity is to be readily afforded to him for obtaining perfect knowledge of the circumstances of the common Customs Administration, according to the principle enunciated above.

XXXIII. Every year at the beginning of June, a meeting of the Plenipotentiaries of the members of the Union takes place for the purpose of deliberation in common.

For the formal direction of the proceedings, the Plenipotentiaries at the Conference elect a President from among themselves, who has in other respects no precedence over the rest,

At the conclusion of each yearly meeting, it will be agreed upon. with due regard to the nature of the subjects expected to be discussed thereat, where the next conference shall take place.

XXXIV. To the Assembly of these Conference Plenipotentiaries belongs :

(a.) The discussion of all difficulties and defects which have been perceived in any of the States of the Union, in regard to the execution of the main Treaty and the special agreements, the Customs law, the Customs regulations and tariff, and which have not already been settled in the course of the year, by the correspondence which has taken place thereon between the Ministries and the Supreme Administration Offices;

(b.) The definitive apportionment of the common receipts among the members of the Union, on the basis of the statements drawn up by the supreme Customs authorities, which are to be submitted by the central office, and in accordance with the results of an examination adapted to the common interest;

(c.) The consideration of desires expressed and propositions made by separate State Governments for improving the administration;

(d.) The negotiations upon such alterations of the Customs law, the Customs regulations, the Customs tariff, and the organization of the administration, as may be proposed by one of the Contracting States; generally, concerning the effective development and improvement of the common commercial and customs system.

XXXV. If extraordinary events occur in the course of the year at any other than the usual time for the assembly of the Conference Plenipotentiaries, and which require immediate measures or orders. on the part of the Union States, the Contracting Parties will agree thereon diplomatically, or will direct an extraordinary meeting of their Plenipotentiaries.

XXXVI. The expenditure for the Plenipotentiaries and any assistants they may have, is defrayed by that member of the collective Union which delegates them.

The personal service of the Chancery and the place of meeting are provided free of cost by the Government in whose dominions the meeting of the Conference takes place.

XXXVII. No after-tax shall be levied for the common account upon goods in the Kingdom of Hanover and in the Duchy of Oldenburg, at the time of the accession to the Union.

A special agreement has been made respecting the measures which are required, in order to prevent injury to the Customs revenues of the Collective Union, by the importation and accumulation of stocks of goods.

XXXVIII. In case other German States should make known their desire to be received into the Customs Union, the High Cou

tractors declare themselves ready to give effect to this desire, by Treaties to be concluded for the purpose, in so far as it appears possible, with due consideration for the special interests of the members of the Union.

XXXIX. They will also exert themselves to procure by Commercial Treaties with other States, every possible facility and extension for the traffic of those belonging to them.

XL. Everything that relates to the execution in detail of the arrangements contained in the present Treaty and its annexes shall be arranged by joint Commissioners.

XLI. In consequence of the renewal of the Customs Union Treaties, the German States, Parties thereto, hereby, after examination made, formally accede to the Commercial and Customs Treaty concluded between Prussia and Austria, 19th February, 1853,* according to Article XXVI of the said Treaty, so that the whole of the stipulations thereof also become applicable to the above-mentioned German States from 1st January, 1854.

XLII. If the present Treaty be not renounced by any of the Contracting States before 1st January, 1864, it shall be considered as prolonged for 12 years more, and so on from 12 years to 12 years.

This last stipulation, however, will only operate in case that, during the interval, all the States of the German Confederation do not agree upon common measures, which shall completely fulfil the object of the present Customs Union, in conformity with the intention of Article XIX of the German Confederation Act.

The present Treaty shall be immediately submitted to the High Contracting Parties for ratification, and the interchange of the ratification documents shall be effected at Berlin, within six weeks at the latest.

SEPARATE ARTICLES to the Treaty between Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, Hanover, Wurtemberg, Baden, Hesse Cassel, Hesse Darmstadt, the States forming the Thuringian Customs and Commercial Union, Brunswick, Oldenburg, Nassau, and the Free City of Frankfort, for the Continuance and Extension of the Customs and Commercial Union.Signed at Berlin, April 4, 1853.

(Translation.)

Ar the conclusion this day of the Treaty between Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, Hanover, Wurtemberg, Baden, Electoral Hesse, the Grand Duchy of Hesse, the States belonging to the Thuringian Customs and Commercial Union, Brunswick, Oldenburg, Nassau, and the Free City of Frankfort, the Plenipotentiaries of the Contracting Governments have further agreed upon the following special Articles, subject to ratification; which, though not intended to be made public, shall nevertheless have the same force and validity as if they had been inserted word for word in the open Treaty:

SEPARATE ARTICLE I, to Article I of the open Treaty.

The stipulation contained in Article I of the open Treaty, concerning the further operation of the there specified Treaties, shall also be applicable to those particular stipulatious and agreements which are contained in the separate Articles belonging to each of these Treaties.

SEPARATE ARTICLE II, to Article II of the open Treaty.

The Contracting Parties acknowledge that the stipulation contained in Article II of the open Treaty, concerning the binding power of the Treaties specified in Article I, are to apply also to all those more particular stipulations and agreements which are not repeated in what follows, but are contained in the separate Articles belonging to each of these Treaties, and are binding on all the hitherto members of the Customs Union.

SEPARATE ARTICLE III, to Article III of the open Treaty.

1. The States referred to in Article III of the open Treaty are, at present, as follows:

(1.) Mecklenburg-Schwerin, by virtue of its Treaty with Prussia of December 2, 1826, in reference to its detached provinces of Rossow, Netzeband, and Schönberg, inclosed by Prussia.

(2.) Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, by virtue of its Treaty with Bavaria and Wurtemberg of June 14, 1831, in reference to the district of Königsberg.

(3.) Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, by virtue of its Treaty with Prussia of May 25, 1833,* in reference to its provinces inclosed by Prussia,

* Vol. XX. Page 537.

(4.) Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, by virtue of its Treaty with Prussia of May 30, 1833,* in reference to the districts of Allstedt and Oldisleben.

(5.) Schwazburg-Sondershausen, by virtue of its Treaty with Prussia of June 8, 1833,† in reference to those parts of the Principality which are inclosed by Prussia.

(6.) Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, by virtue of its Treaty with Prussia of June 26, 1833,‡ in reference to the district of Volkenrode.

(7.) Hesse-Homburg, by virtue of its Treaty with the Grand Duchy of Hesse of February 20, 1835, in reference to the district of Homburg.

(8.) Oldenburg, by virtue of its Treaty with Prussia of December 31, 1836, in reference to the Principality of Birkenfeld.

(9.) Waldeck and Pyrmont, by virtue of their Treaty with Prussia of January 9, 1838, in reference to the Principality of Waldeck, and by virtue of their Treaty with Prussia and the other members of the Customs Union, of December 11, 1841,§ in reference to the Principality of Pyrmont.

(10.) Anhalt-Cöthen and Anhalt-Dessau, by virtue of their Treaty with Prussia of April 26, 1839, concerning the Customs and trade regulations between the countries on both sides.

(11.) Anhalt-Bernburg, by virtue of its Treaty with Prussia of July 11, 1839, concerning the renewal of the Treaties for the annexation of the Anhalt-Bernburg provinces to the Prussian system of indirect taxation.

(12.) Hesse-Homburg, by virtue of its Treaty with Prussia of December 5, 1840, in reference to the Lordship of Meisenheim.

(13.) Lippe, by virtue of its Treaty with Prussia and the other members of the Customs Union, of 18th October, 1841,|| in reference to the Principality of Lippe, and by virtue of its Treaty with Prussia of the same date, in reference to the Princedoms of Lipperode, Cappel and Grevenhagen.

(14.) Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, by virtue of its Treaty with Bavaria, of May 24, 1843, in reference to the jurisdiction of Ostheim.

(15.) Luxemburg, by virtue of its Treaty with Prussia and the other members of the Customs Union of April 2, 1847,¶ respecting the continuance of the annexation of the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg to the Customs system of Prussia and the other States of the Customs Union.

(16.) Schaumburg Lippe, in virtue of its Treaty with Hanover of September 25, 1851.

Should any of the above-mentioned Treaties expire before or