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' No. 20. (Circular.) Sir, — Downing Street, 27th September, 1899. With reference to Lord Eipon's circular despatch of the 24th May, 1895, and to my circular despatch of the Bth January, 1898, I have the honour to transmit a copy of a letter from the Foreign Office enclosing a despatch from Her Majesty's Minister at Monte Video, reporting the signature of a Convention for the renewal of the Treaty of Commerce and Navigation between Great Britain and Uruguay of the 13th of November, 1885. I would invite your attention to the declaration relative to the adherence of the British colonies and possessions to this arrangement, and I should be glad to be informed at your early convenience whether, in the event of the exchange of ratifications of the Convention, of which a copy is enclosed, your Government would desire to adhere to it, and, if so, whether they would wish the necessary notification to be made to the Uruguayan Minister for Foreign Affairs. I have, &c, J. CHAMBBELAIN. The Officer Administering the Government of New Zealand.

Enclosure. Sir,— Foreign Office, Bth September, 1899. I transmit to you herewith, by direction of the Marquis of Salisbury, to be laid before Mr. Secretary Chamberlain, a copy of a despatch from Her Majesty's Minister at Monte Video reporting the signature of a Convention for the renewal of the Treaty of Commerce and Navigation between Great Britain and Uruguay. A copy of the agreement is also enclosed, and I am to state that the Queen's ratification will be prepared and sent out to Monte Video for exchange as soon as his Lordship is informed that the Convention has passed the Legislature of Uruguay. ■ I am, &c, The Under-Secretary of State, Colonial Office. F. H. Villiers.

Sub-enclosures. My Lord,— Monte Video, 15th July, 1899. I have the honour to enclose the Convention for the renewal of the Treaty of Commerce and Navigation of the 13th November, 1885, between Great Britain and Uruguay, which, in obedience to the instructions conveyed to me in your Lordship's telegram of this series, No. 3, of the 20th ultimo, I have this day signed with Dr. Manuel Herrero y Espinosa, the Uruguayan Minister for Foreign Affairs. This Convention will have to be submitted to the Chambers before it can be ratified. I have, &c, The Marquis of Salisbury, K.G., &c. Walter Baring.

Convention foe the eenewal of the Treaty of Commeece and Navigation, of Novembee, 1885, between Great Britain and the Omental Eepublic of Uruguay. [Not yet in force. Printed in form as signed, before being submitted to the Chambers of the Republic, and before ratification.] Their Excellencies Mr. Walter Baring, Her Britannic Majesty's Minister Eesident, and Dr. Manuel Herrero y Espinosa, Minister for Foreign Affairs, having met together at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Oriental Eepublic of Uruguay, have declared that, whereas it has not been as yet possible for reasons foreign to the wishes of both Governments to conclude a Treaty of Commerce and Navigation between their respective countries to take the place of the one that has lapsed, and recognising the fact that it is necessary that the commercial interests of the two nations should continue to be regulated by an international compact securing to them the treatment and advantages of the most favoured nation ; and being duly authorised to that effect, now agree that the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation concluded on the 13th of November, 1885, and the ratifications of which were exchanged on the 22nd of May, 1886, shall be renewed. They also declare that British colonies and possessions may adhere to the present Convention within six months, counting from the exchange of ratifications, and may withdraw from the same at any time by giving six months' notice of their intention. In either case the notice will be given by the representative of Her Britannic Majesty at Monte Video to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Uruguay. It was also agreed that the stipulations contained in the treaty which is to be renewed do not include cases in which the Government of the Oriental Eepublic of Uruguay may accord special favours, exemptions, and privileges to the citizens or products of the United States of Brazil, of the Argentine Eepublic, or of Paraguay in matters of commerce. Such favours cannot be claimed on behalf of Great Britain on the ground of most-favoured-nation rights as long as they are not conceded to other States.