NEW HEBRIDES CONVENTION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LVI, Issue 8711, 20 March 1907, Page 7

NEW HEBRIDES CONVENTION.

The New Hebrides Convention has

been drawn up and printed in French and English. By the agreement the '•subjects and citizens of the two signatory Powers shall enjoy equal rights of residence, personal protection and trade, 'each of the two Powers retaining jurisdiction over its subjects, and neither exercising a separate control over the'group. The two powers undertake not to erect fortifications in the group and not to establish peu.il settlements of any kind. The signatory Powers shall be represented in the Group by two High Commissioners, appointed respectively by the English and French Governments.

Each High Commissioner shall be assisted by a Resident Commissioner, who has the. power to represent, them in the Groups when they do not reside there. High Commissioners shall be

provided with an efficient- police —force, which shall be divided iuto two of equal strength, each being under the orders of one of the two Resident Commissioners. The headquarters of each Government and the Joint Court shall be at Vila, in the Island of Elate. The following public services, to be -organised aud directed by the High Commissioners and their delegates jointly, shall be undertaken in common:—Police, post and .telegraph, public works, ports and harbours, buoys and lighthouses, and finance. Special postage stamps shall be issued for the, New Hebrides, in conformity with the International Postal Convention. English and French money and bank-notes authorised by either power .shall be legal tender in the Group. Each of the two Powers shall defray the expenses of its own administration ; expenses of Joint Court and •of the public services undertaken in common to be defrayed out of local taxes, to be imposed by the High Commissioners jointly, receipts from fines .and postal service aud all other revenue a joint character. The Joint Naval Commission shall -co-operate in maintaining order, acting, except in case of urgency, only on the joint request of the two High Commissioners or their delegates. The two Powers will act in concert in Native administration, Joint Court jurisdiction, land regulation, supervision of shipping, Native labour recruitment, restrictions concerning supply of arms, ammunition and intoxicaatiug liquors to Natives, and regulations regarding municipalities. The sale of intoxicating liquors (except alocholic drugs or cordials employed in case of disease or sickness ) to the Natives in any form and on any pretext whatsoever, is absolutely forbidden.