33

A.—2

Sir Claee Foed to Seiior Moeet. M. le Ministee, — Madrid, 9th May, 1886. I have the honour to inform your Excellency that on the 26th ultimo I transmitted to the Earl of Eosebery a copy of the Convention which we had signed in duplicate on that day for facilitating the commercial relations between Great Britain and Spain. Her Majesty's Government had not previously seen the whole of the Spanish rendering of the English text of that Convention, and now that they have done so they have called my attention to one phrase in it which occurs at the end of Article 11. The English text runs as follows : " They will, in addition, apply to Parliament for the necessary authority to provide that the limit of the lower half of the alcoholic scale shall extend up to, but not exceed, 30 degrees of proof spirit." The Spanish translation is as follows : " Pedira ademas al Parlamento la autorizacion necesaria para extender el limite inferior de la oscala alcoholica de los vinos desde los 26 a los 30 grados inclusive." Her Majesty's Government consider that the Spanish translation with regard to the portion of the Convention above quoted is not a correct version of the English, and I have been instructed by the Earl of Eosebery to inquire of your Excellency whether the Spanish Government understand the Spanish text to convey precisely the same meaning as the English expression, " shall extend up to, but not exceed, 30 degrees." I shall feel obliged to your Excellency if you would kindly inform me whether that is so, and if you would be so good as to record the fact, and assure me that the Spanish words used in translating the English text do not cover the fractions of a degree between 30 and 31 degrees of the alcoholic scale. I have, &c, Feancis Claee Foed.

Seiior Moeet to Sir Claee Ford. Excelentisimo Senob,— Ministerio de Estado, Palacio, 10 de Mayo, 1886. Tengo el honor de manifestar a vuestra Excelencia, en respuesta a su nota de ayer, que ninguna diferencia existe entre el sentido de la traduccion Espanola del ultimo parrafo del Articulo 11. de la Convencion de 26 de Abril y el texto Ingles. La traduccion literal de las palabras que vuestra Excelencia menciona seria esta: " que el limite inferior de la escala alcoholica se extienda hasta, pero sin exceder, los 30 grados de fuerza alcoholica." Pareciendome mal sonante la insercion literal deestas palabras, por no prestarse, en mi sentir, a la buena lectura Espanola, tuve el honor de proponer a vuestra Excelencia la actual, que dice lo siguiente: "el limite inferior de la escala alcoholica de los vinos desde 26 hasta los 30 grados inclusive," cuyas palabras parecen a vuestra Excelencia no representaban la idea con exactitud. Para aclarar, pues, por completo la duda que parece haberse suscitado en la Cancelleria Inglesa, bastame ratificar la inteligencia de las palabras referidas, reiterando que ellos tienen exactamente el mismo sentido que los del texto Ingles, y que el Gobierno Espanol entiende que la modificacion de la escala alcoholica mencionada en el Articulo 11. se extendera hasto pero no excedera de los 30 grados. Esta, &c, —— S. Moeet.

(Tbanslation.) Excellency,— Ministry of State, the Palace, 10th May, 1886. I have the honour to state to your Excellency, in reply to your note of yesterday, that there is no difference whatever between the sense of the Spanish translation of the last paragraph of the Second Article of the Convention of the 26th April and the English text. The literal translation of the words which your Excellency mentions would be this : " Que el limite inferior de la escala alcoholica se extienda hasta, pero sin exceder, los 30 grados de fuerza alcoholica." Considering that the literal rendering of those words did not, in my judgment, read well in Spanish, I had the honour to propose to your Excellency the present translation, which is as follows : "El limite inferior de la escala alcoholica de los vinos desde los 26 hasta los 30 grados inclusive," which words do not appear to your Excellency to clearly convey the idea. In order, therefore, to fully dispel the doubts which appear to have arisen in the British Chancery, it is enough for me to ratify the meaning of the words above referred to, and I repeat that they have the same as those of the British text, and that the Spanish Government consider that the alcoholic scale mentioned in the Second Article will extend to but is not to exceed 30 degrees. I avail, &c, S. Mobet.

No. 46. (New Zealand, No. 40.) Sir, — Downing Street, 17th June, 1886. With reference to my Despatch No. 24, of the 7th April, respecting the proposed annexation of the Kermadec Islands, I have the honour to transmit to you, for communication to your Government, a copy of a letter from Mr. J. Arundel on the subject. Your Government will observe that it will be necessary to recognize and protect the rights and interests of Mr. Arundel, and any other persons having property on the islands, as fully as their-claims may justify. I have also to enclose copies of a letter from the Admiralty, with its enclosure, and of the reply which has been returned to it, with regard to the despatch 5—A. 2.

A.-11, 1886.