Foreign Relations of the United States, 1894, Appendix I, Chinese-Japanese War, Enforcement of Regulation Respective to Fur Seals, Mosquito Territory, Affairs at Bluefields, Claim of Antonio Maximo Mora, Import Duties on Certain Products of Colombia, Haiti, and Venezuela, Affairs in the Samoan Islands

Earl of Rosebery to Count Hatzfeldt.

Foreign Office, September 13, 1892.

M. l’Ambassadeur: Her Majesty’s Government have given their attentive consideration to your excellency’s note of the 14th ultimo, stating the objections entertained by the German Government to a fee for the registration of land titles which has been imposed by the chief justice of Samoa under an ordinance entitled the “Real-property ordinance, 1891,” and asking for the views of Her Majesty’s Government upon the subject.

Her Majesty’s Government are advised by the law officers of the Crown to whom your note was referred, that the issue of this ordinance by the chief justice was ultra vires, and they have instructed the British consul at Samoa in this sense.

It seems desirable that a collective communication should be made by the consuls of the three treaty powers to the chief justice, and Mr. Cusack-Smith will be authorized to take part in it as soon as your Government has arranged with the U. S. Government for the cooperation of their consul.

I have, etc.,

Rosebery.