A.—7.

British subjects, guilty of infringing the provisions of the Convention or the Regulations which the High Commissioners may make in order to give effect to them, will, for the time being, be prosecuted in accordance with Article XX and with the provisions previously in force before the British judicial authority, it being understood that the French Government will deal in a similar manner with French citizens. His Majesty's Government take this opportunity to place on record the fact that the words " land suits " and " litiges immobiliers," which form the subject of provisions in Article XXII and following Articles of the Convention, include suits with regard to mines, minerals, under the surface of the soil. I have, &c, (Signed) E. Grey. Joint Regulations respecting Salaries, &c, op Members of the Joint Court in the New Hebrides. The Undersigned, Louis Mallet, Assistant Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath ; Frederick Fitchett, Doctor of Laws, Solicitor-General for New Zealand ; Jean Weber, Sous-Chef de Bureau at the Ministry for the Colonies ; Le Comte de Manneville, First Secretary French Embassy in London, delegated respectively by the Government of His Britannic Majesty and the Government of the French Republic in order to draw up, in conformity with paragraph 4 of Article X of the Convention respecting the New Hebrides, signed in London the 20th October, 1906, arrangements as to the salaries, travelling allowances, leave, acting appointments, and in general all matters relating to the working of the Joint Court, have agreed to the following provisions, which they have resolved to submit to the approval of their respective Governments : — Joint Regulations op the British and French Governments under Article X (4). I. — Salaries. The salary of the President of the Joint Court shall be 900/. per annum. The salaries of the British and French Judges shall be 700/. each per annum. The salary of the Public Prosecutor shall be 700/. per annum. The salary of the Registrar shall be 400/. These officers shall also be entitled to free quarters. The salaries of the staff of the Joint Court shall be fixed by the President subject to the approval of the twojj-High Commissioners. II. — Passages and Travelling. Free passages (first class) shall be provided for the President of the joint Court, the British and French Judges, the Public Prosecutor, and the Registrar from their place of residence to the New Hebrides. They shall further be entitled to half-pay from thejdate of embarkation and to full pay from the date of arrival in the New Hebrides. Similar allowances shall be granted on the ultimate return home of those officers, upon determination of their appointments for any other reason than misconduct, provided they have served not less than three years or return home on the ground of ill-health. They shall also, when travelling in the Group in the performance of their official duties, receive actual expenses of transport, together with 1/. subsistence allowance for each night on land and ss. for each night at sea. lll.— Leave. Subject to the consent of the two High Commissioners, the officers mentioned in Article II may be granted leave on half-pay up to one-sixth of their resident service ; but in the absence of special ground such leave shall not be granted before the completion of three years' service in the New Hebrides, nor thereafter at less than yearly intervals, nor for more than twelve months at any one time. When the leave taken is not less than six months, the officers shall be entitled to a free their own country and back. IV. — -Age Limit. Except in special cases, and with the express consent of the two High Commissioners, retirement shall be compulsory at the age of 60. V.— Pensions. No member or oificer of the Joint Court shall be entitled to a pension from New Hebrides funds. VI. — Acting Arrangements. In the absence or incapacity of the President of the Joint Court, the Public Prosecutor shall act for him. In the absence or incapacity of the'jßritish or French Judge, a substitute shall be appointed by the British or French High Commissioner respectively. In the absence or incapacity of the Public Prosecutor ,the|Registrar shall act for him. In view of this provision, the Registrar shall not be either a British subject or a French citizen, and must possess the necessary legal qualifications. In the absence or incapacity of the Registrar, the President shall appoint a suitable substitute irrespective of nationality. Officers, while holding acting appointments, shall, if they are already on the staff of the Joint Court, receive a salary equal to half the combined salaries of their own post and of the officer for whom they are acting. If not members of the staff of the Joint Court when appointed, they shall be entitled to the same emoluments as the person for whom they are acting would have received.

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