A.—4

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litigant asking for one. The Court of Justice will try all disputes of Europeans among themselves, and all disputes of " second instance " between Europeans and aborigines. Disputes of the latter kind, in " first instance," as well as those among the aborigines themselves, are to be tried before single Judges chosen by the Governor, with the assistance of an interpreter. Disputes between aborigines may in very special cases be referred by the single Judge, with the concurrence of the Governor, to the Court of Equity. In such cases an interpreter must attend the sittings of the Court; also, at the discretion of the Governor, one or more chieftains may be summoned to attend. In sittings of the Government, the office of single Judge is to be assumed by one of the colonial officials ; in other circumstances it is to be borne by some other qualified person. The jurisdiction in criminal cases is confined to the Governor and his substitute. 3. By order of the 20th July, 1885, it is enacted that from the Ist September, in the Cameroons, an export duty shall be levied of 5 marks on each tun of palm-oil, and one of 2f marks on each ton of palm-kernel. The duty must at latest bo paid one month after the exportation. Frauds on the revenue will be punishable by a fine of six times the amount of the evaded duty. 4. By an order of the same date it is decided that each business house dealing in any kind of spirits must pay a yearly license of 2,000 marks. Branch establishments have no special duty to pay, unless the head establishment is outside the Cameroons territory. Offences are punishable by a tax of three times the amount of the duty ; also, the offender can be deprived of his privilege of selling spirits in the Cameroons. 5. On the Ist April, 1885, Admiral Knorr issued a pilotage order whereby each ship going into or out of the roadstead leading into the Cameroons Harbour must take a pilot on board, and pay for him according to the ship's draught and tonnage. In addition to this the proportional tonnage dues must be paid. The business of the Imperial harbour is carried on in the factory of C. Woermann, of Cameroon. On the 15th September, 1885, the Imperial Governor modified this order, reducing at the same time the pilotage dues. He stationed one of the two pilots at Suellaba, near the roadstead, instead of at Cameroon, where they had both been before ; and by this means enabled them to do their work more easily. Vessels of less than two metres draught, and belonging to coasting-steamer firms in the Cameroons, are exempt from pilotage dues. 6. By an order of the 20th July, 1885, it is enacted that on and from the Ist September each captain of a vessel entering the Cameroons (with the exception of river and coasting vessels) must, within twenty-four hours, deposit at the Government offices his ship's papers and a copy of his certificate. At a convenient time before his departure he must produce a bill of lading showing what cargo he has shipped, as well as a receipt for his pilotage and tonnage dues, when his ship's papers will be returned to him. 7. The Imperial Commissioner of Togoland has been instructed to establish in his district a Governing Council after the pattern of that for the Cameroons, so far as such may be compatible with the existing conditions there. 8. On the 12th September last an order was issued that, in purchases of oil for the factories of the trading station at Bagida (Strand), standard measures only should be employed. It has been mentioned already in the memorandum above referred to that these orders and regulations are of a provisional character, and are still under trial by the Foreign Office, assisted by the West African Syndicate. For the present no estimate can be formed of the revenue to be derived from the protectorate, and consequently no opinion can be given as to the spending of the money. It is also evident from the memorandum that in Togoland and in Angra Pequena it has not been possible to apply the same regulations. ll. — The German East African Company. In the name of the German East African Colonization Company, the expedition which was sent out under the leadership of Dr. Karl Peters concluded (in November and December, 1884) a treaty with certain independent rulers of the interior of Zanzibar, opposite the East African coast-line, through which were acquired the territories of Usuguha, Nguru, Usagara, and Ukami, of from 2,500 to 3,000 square miles in extent, with sovereign rights to the above-mentioned company. An exact survey of the boundaries of this country has not yet been made. The territory acquired may perhaps be said roughly to be between the sth and 9th degrees of south latitude, and between the 38th and 35th degrees of east longitude. The company proposes, after the example of another European association, to establish in the acquired territory an orderly Government to look to the protection and well-being of the inhabitants, and to develop on its own account the resources of the country. With this aim the company has applied for an Imperial protectorate over their acquisitions, and for the granting of letters of protection. They also asked that one of the leaders of their enterprize—Dr. Jur. Jiihlke— should be authorized to exercise jurisdiction, and to support their efforts to obtain from the Sultan of Zanzibar, opposite, security for the transfer of their merchandize to and from the coast. On tho 27th February, 1885, letters of protection (announced in No. 53 of the Gazette, dated the 3rd March, 1885) were granted to the company, and, in accordance with the Congo Act, a notification to that effect was made to the other Powers and to the Sultan of Zanzibar, The other requests of the company were also complied with so far that Dr. Jur. Jiihlke was, by Imperial order, invested with jurisdiction in the territories acquired by the company, and was by the Imperial Chancellor placed under the authority of the Imperial Consul-General at Zanzibar. This company, to whom Imperial letters of protection had been issued, then caused itself to be inscribed in the books of the No. 1 Court of Justice in Berlin, under the name, " German East African Company : Karl Peters and colleagues," as an association for the object of partly selling and partly working territory already acquired or to be acquired in East Africa. On the 27th April, 1885, tho Sultan of Zanzibar protested against the German protectorate of the company's possession, he himself laying claim to the possession of the lands acquired by them. As this protest was without any foundation in justice, he was informed by the Chancellor, through