No. 403.
Mr. Burlage to Mr. Evarts.

Sir: In pursuance of the instructions received from the Netherlands Government, I have the honor to send you herewith two copies of the royal decree of the 22d of June last (Official Gazette, No. 97), concerning the exemption from measurements of United States vessels.

Accept, &c.,

C. BURLAGE.
[Page 708]
[Inclosure.—Translation.]

Decree of June 22, 1878, providing for the exemption from admeasurement of vessels belonging to the United States of North America.

We, William III, by the grace of God, King of the Netherlands, Prince of Orange-Nassau, Grand Duke of Luxemburg, &c., &c., &c., in view of article 6 of the law of June 3, 1875 (Official Journal No. 101), whereby we reserved to ourself the exemption from admeasurement in our ports of vessels from countries in which the same system of admeasurement is in use as in the Netherlands, on condition of reciprocity and other necessary regulations; in view of our decree of August 21, 1875 (Official journal No. 146); in consideration of the proposal of our minister of finance of June 12, 1878, No. 9, import duties and excises:

Whereas the system of admeasurement which has been adopted in the Netherlands since January 1, 1876, has been in use in the United States of America since January 1, 1885; and whereas vessels of the Netherlands having a certificate of admeasurement according to the aforesaid system, issued to them in the Netherlands, are exempted from admeasurement in those States, under the necessary regulations;

Have decreed and do decree:

Article I.

Vessels belonging in the United States of North America, and having a certificate of admeasurement issued since December 31, 1864, by the competent authorities in those States, are hereby exempted from admeasurement in the Netherlands.

Article II.

The capacity of the vessel stated in the aforesaid certificate of admeasurement shall be recognized as valid, just as if such capacity had been found by official measurement in the Netherlands.

Article III.

In the case of Article I of this decree, the captain of the vessel shall nevertheless have the right to demand a Netherlands certificate of admeasurement therefor, without being obliged to have the entire vessel admeasured. In case of such demand, the mode of procedure shall be as follows:

The capacity of the vessel as stated in the foreign certificate of admeasurement shall be increased by the space occupied by the immovable covered and closed compartments on the upper deck, which in the United States are not included in the admeasurement.

The capacity thus increased shall be stated in the Netherlands certificate of admeasurement as gross capacity. The net capacity shall be determined in precisely the same manner as in the admeasurement of vessels of the Netherlands.

In the execution of the foregoing, the parts referred to of the vessel shall be admeasured according to the regulations in force in the Netherlands.

For the various operations provided for in this article no charges shall be made. If, however, the captain shall request that his vessel be readmeasured, the provisions of the last paragraph of article 35 of the aforesaid decree shall be observed.

Article IV.

This decree shall take effect July 1, 1878.

Our minister of finance shall have charge of the execution of this decree, which shall be inserted simultaneously in the Official Journal and the State Courant.

WILLIAM.

The minister of finance.
GLEICHMAN.

The minister of justice.
H. J. SCHMIDT.