A.—3.

No. 48. —Sir E. Malet to the Marquis of Salisbuey.—(Eeceived 17th June.) My Lofiß,— Berlin, 15th June, 1889. At the last sitting of the Conference, the United States plenipotentiaries expressed, on the part of their Government, an earnest desire that the obligation of secrecy with regard to the proceedings and result of the Conference should be preserved until the Final Act had been ratified by the Government of the United States. Mr. Kasson explained that this request was prompted by a desire to insure the approval of the Final Act by the Senate, which might be placed in some peril by a premature revelation and public discussion of its contents. We joined our German colleagues in undertaking the personal obligation of continuing to preserve the desired secrecy, and promised to bring the wish of the United States Government to the notice of Her Majesty's Government. I have, &c, Edwaed B. Malet.

No. 49. —The Marquis of Salisbuey to Sir E. Malet. Sib,— Foreign Office, 20th June, 1889. I approve your having joined your German colleagues, as reported in your despatch of the 15th instant, in undertaking to preserve secrecy with regard to the proceedings and result of the Conference on the affairs of Samoa until the Final Act shall have been ratified by the Government of the United States. I am, &c, Salisbuby.

No. 50.—The Marquis of Salisbuey to Sir E. Malet. Sib,-— Foreign Office, 22nd June, 1889. With reference to your despatch of the 15th instant, transmitting the Final Act of the Conference on Samoa, signed by the plenipotentiaries of the Powers, I have to request your Excellency to ascertain from the German Government their views as to what portions of the Act each Power should put into effect prior to its final ratification, in accordance with the provisions of section 2 of Article VIII. You will point out that some difficulty may occur in taking steps to carry out this article, in consequence of the undertaking to preserve secrecy regarding the proceedings of the Conference pending final ratification by the United States Government. I am, &c, Salisbuey.

No. 53.—Sir E. Malet to the Marquis of Salisbuby.—(Eeceived Ist July.) My Loed,— Berlin, 29th June, 1889. I have the honour to report that I have this day addressed a note verbale to the German Government in the sense of your Lordship's despatch of the 22nd instant, concerning the putting into effect of portions of the Final Act of the recent Conference prior to its ultimate ratification by the three Powers. I have, &c, Edwaed B. Malet.

No. 54.—Memobandum communicated by Count Hatzfeldt to the Marquis of Salisbuey, sth July, 1889. (Translation.) Aeticle 11., section 2, of the General Act of the Samoan Conference requires the concurrence of the Samoan Government to the joint declaration of the Governments of Germany, England, and the United States, and is thereby agreed that the three treaty Powers shall request the Samoan Government to express such concurrence in writing. The minutes of the ninth meeting of the Conference show that the plenipotentiaries agreed unanimously that the Governments of the three signatory Powers should decide which of the provisions of the General Act shall be communicated to the Samoans at once, and which shall be so communicated after the ratification of the Act. As there does not now exist in Samoa any universally-recognised Government, the first part of the General Act to be carried out will be Article 1., whereby the three Powers, in order to bring about the speedy re-establishment of peace and order in those islands, have agreed to recognise anew, in the exercise of his authority, the Chief Malietoa Laupepa, formerly recognised as King by the Powers. It appears necessary for this purpose that the Consuls of the treaty Powers at Apia should receive instructions to announce the above decision of the Conference to the Samoans in a joint Proclamation, and then to declare that Malietoa is recognised as King of the Samoan Islands. As soon as the latter has again taken over the Government, it would be well, in the opinion of the Imperial Government, to inform him of the decisions of the Conference relating to the prohibition to alienate land belonging to Samoans or to foreigners (Article IV., section 1), and relating to the restriction of the trade in arms, powder, and spirituous liquors (Article VII.). The Samoan Government should at the skme time be moved to put these decisions of the Conference in force as regards the natives by the issue of the proper order to that effect. It is of course understood that the Governments of the treaty Powers will, at the same time, take the necessary measures in order to prevent their subjects or citizens, as the case may be, from importing or trading in materials of war and spirituous liquors, or acquiring Samoan land, and also the necessary measures for insuring the punishment of infractions of these prohibitions.

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