By the President of the United States of America.
A PROCLAMATION.
Whereas a protocol of agreement extending, as to the Philippine Islands, for six months from April 11, 1900, the period fixed in Article IX of the Treaty of Peace between the United States and Spain, signed at Paris on the tenth day of December, 1898, during which Spanish subjects, natives of the Peninsula, may declare before a court of record their intention to retain their Spanish nationality, was signed at Washington on March 29, 1900, by the Honorable John Hay, Secretary of State of the United States, and the Duke de Arcos, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of Spain at Washington, the original of which protocol of agreement being in the English and Spanish languages, is word for word as follows:
Whereas by the ninth Article of the Treaty of Peace between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Spain, signed at Paris on December 10, 1898, it was stipulated and agreed that Spanish subjects, natives of the Peninsula, remaining in the territory over which Spain by Articles I and II of the said treaty relinquished or ceded her sovereignty could preserve their allegiance to the Crown of Spain by making before a court of record within a year from the date of the exchange of ratifications of said treaty, a declaration of their decision to preserve such allegiance;
And whereas the two High Contracting Parties are desirous of extending the time within which such declaration may be made by Spanish subjects, natives of the Peninsula, remaining in the Philippine Islands;
The undersigned Plenipotentiaries, in virtue of their full powers, have agreed upon and concluded the following article:
sole article.
The period fixed in Article IX of the Treaty of Peace between the United States and Spain, signed at Paris on the tenth day of December, 1898, during which Spanish subjects, natives of the Peninsula, may declare before a court of record their intention to retain their Spanish nationality, is extended as to the Philippine Islands for six months beginning April 11, 1900.
[Page 890]In witness whereof, the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the same and have thereunto affixed their seals.
Done in duplicate at Washington the 29th day of March, in the year of Our Lord one thousand nine hundred.
John Hay
Arcos
And whereas the Senate of the United States, by its resolution of April 27, 1900, (two-thirds of the Senators present concurring therein,) did advise and consent to the proclamation of the said protocol of agreement:
Now, therefore, I, William McKinley, President of the United States of America, have caused the said protocol of agreement to be made public to the end that every article and clause thereof may be observed in good faith by the United States and the citizens thereof.
In testimony whereof, I have set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be hereunto affixed.
By the President:
John Hay
Secretary of State.