A.—2

42

Article 12. Merchants and manufacturers subjects of one of the high contracting parties, as well as merchants and manufacturers domiciled and exercising their commerce and industries in the territories of such party, may, in the territories of the other, either personally or by means of commercial travellers, make purchases or collect orders, with or without samples, and such merchants, manufacturers, and their commercial travellers, while so making purchases and collecting orders, shall, in the matter of taxation and facilities, enjoy the most-favoured-nation treatment. Articles imported as samples for the purposes above mentioned shall, in each country, be temporarily admitted free of duty on compliance with the Customs regulations and formalities established to assure their re-exportation or the payment of the prescribed Customs duties if not re-exported within the period allowed by law. But the foregoing privilege shall not extend to articles which, owing to their quantity or value, cannot be considered as samples, or which, owing to their nature, could not be identified upon re-exportation. The determination of the question of the qualification of samples for duty-free admission rests in all cases exclusively with the competent authorities of the place where the importation is effected. Article 13. The marks, stamps, or seals placed upon the samples mentioned in the preceding article by the Customs authorities of one country at the time of exportation, and the officially attested list of such samples containing a full description thereof issued by them, shall be reciprocally accepted by the Customs officials of the other as establishing their character as samples and exempting them from inspection, except so far as may be necessary to establish that the samples produced are those enumerated in the list. The Customs authorities of either country may, however, affix a supplementary mark to such samples in special cases where they may think this precaution necessary. Article 14. The Chambers of Commerce, as well as such other trade associations and other recognized commercial associations in the territories of the high contracting parties as may be authorized in this behalf, shall be mutually accepted as competent authorities for issuing any certificates that may be required for commercial travellers. • Article 15. Limited liability and other companies and associations, commercial, industrial, and financial, already or hereafter to be organized in accordance with the laws of either high contracting party, and registered in the territories of such party, are authorized in the territories of the other to exercise their rights and appear in the Courts either as plaintiffs or defendants, subject to the laws of such other party. Article 16. Each of the high contracting parties shall permit the importation or exportation of all merchandise which may be legally imported or exported, and also the carriage of passengers from or to their respective territories, upon the vessels of the other ; and such vessels, their cargoes and passengers, shall enjoy the same privileges as, and shall not be subjected to any other or higher duties or charges than, national vessels and their cargoes and passengers. Article 17. In all that regards the stationing, loading, and unloading of vessels in the ports, docks, roadsteads, and harbours of the high contracting parties, no privileges or facilities shall be granted by either party to national vessels which are not equally, in like cases, granted to the vessels of the other country ; the intention of the high contracting parties being that in these respects also the vessels of the two countries shall be treated on the footing of perfect equality. Article 18. All vessels which according to British law are to be deemed British vessels, and all vessels which according to Japanese law are to be deemed Japanese vessels, shall, for the purposes of this treaty, be deemed British and Japanese vessels respectively. Article 19. No duties of tonnage, harbour, pilotage, lighthouse, quarantine, or other analogous duties or charges of whatever nature, or under whatever denomination, levied in the name or for the profit of Government, public functionaries, private individuals, corporations, or establishments of any kind, shall be imposed in the ports of either country upon the vessels of the otli3r which shall not equally, under the same conditions, be imposed in like cases on national vessels in general, or vessels of the most favoured nation. Such equality of treatment shall apply to the vessels of either country from whatever place they may arrive and whatever may be their destination. Article 20. Vessels charged with performance of regular scheduled postal service of one of the high contracting parties shall enjoy in the territorial waters of the other the same special facilities, privileges, and immunities as are granted to like vessels of the most favoured nation. Article 21. The coasting trade of the high contracting parties is excepted from the provisions of the present treaty, and shall be regulated according to the laws of the United Kingdom and Japan respectively.