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Article XXVI. Registration of Titles. (1) Any person may, though no dispute exists, require the Court to enter in the above-mentioned register a title-deed in his favour, and may obtain a copy thereof duly certified. (2) The Court shall cause the applications for registration to be published in the prescribed form. They shall be complied with and given effect to unless, within a period of one year from the date of their publication, they have been opposed. In case of opposition, the Court shall deal with them in accordance with the provisions of Articles XXII, XXIII, and XXIV above, and action must be taken by the objector before the Court within six months, or his claim will be barred. (3) Copies of the entries in the register issued in accordance with the above provisions shall constitute title-deeds transferable by way of endorsement. No subsequent charge on or transfer of property shall affect the land unless and until it is entered in the register and inscribed on the copy issued. Article XXVII. Sales and Grants of Land subsequent to the Convention. (1) From the date when the present Convention comes into operation, no sale or grant of land by a native to a non-native shall be valid, except on the following conditions : — (2) The sale or grant shall be effected by a written document, and shall take place in the presence of four witnesses, two of whom, shall be natives, and of an officer or agent of one of the two Signatory Powers, or some other person duly authorized for the purpose, either by the President of the Joint Court or by the High Commissioners or their Delegates acting in concert. (3) The officer, agent, or person duly authorized shall testify to the presence and qualification of the witnesses, shall ascertain that the vendor or grantor was a free agent, understood the effect of his act, received the price or consideration agreed on, and was satisfied therewith, shall state these facts on the title-deed ; shall mention in it the situation ar.d boundaries of the land ; and shall date and sign it, at the same time as the parties and witnesses capable of signing. (4) The purchaser or grantee shall, within six months from the date of the deed, make an application to the Joint Court for registration. This application shall be dealt with in accordance with Article XXVI of the present Convention. (5) If the Court considers that the price or consideration mentioned in the deed is manifestly inadequate, havirg regard to the importance of the lar.d granted or sold, it may, as a preliminary to registration, order the payment of a larger sum or a further consideration. (6) In the event of the grantee failing to comply with the decision of the Court within six months from the date of such decision, the sale shall be cancelled in toto, ar.d the sum of money or the consideration received by the native restored. (7) If the native is unable to restore such sum, the Court shall decide how much of the property represents the sum or consideration received by the native, and shall confirm the grantee in possession of such part. (8) Whenever the High Commissioners or their Delegates jointly consider that the amount of land acquired from the natives in one of the Islands of the Group is so great that the land remaining undisposed of is indispensable for the r.eeds of the natives, they may prohibit any new sale or grant of land m such Island to non-natives. (9) Land reserved for the natives, either by the Joint Court, in accordance with Article XXIV of this Convention, or by the High Commissioners or their Delegates, under the preceding paragraph, may not be sold or granted to non-natives so long as the authority by whom the reserve was constituted does not cancel or modify its decision. Supervision or Shipping. Article XXVIII. Vessels registered in the Group. (1) No vessels other than those intended to sail under the flag of one of the two Signatory Powers shall be registered in the Group of the New Hebrides, including the Banks and Torres Islands. (2) Each High Commissioner shall prescribe the regulations affecting the navigation in the Group of the vessels sailing under the flag of the Power which he represents. (3) The High Commissioners, the Resident Commissioners, and the persons appointed for the purpose shall, with regard to vessels sailing in the Group under the flag of the Power which they represent, exercise respectively the supervision, protection, and policing necessary to insure the carrying out of these regulations without prejudice to the rights to which the vessels of that Power are legally entitled Article XXIX. Vessels not registered in the Group. : i The present Convention shall not affect the rules laid down by the respective laws and regulations of jthe Power under whose flag the vessel sails, in the case of any vessel registered outside the Group.

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